FEM modal analysis of a garlic harvester for varying geomorphologies

ABSTRACT In family farming, mechanisation, when appropriate to the task and to the size of the property, can be one way of easing tiring and repetitive work, such as garlic harvesting. The present study is based on a model of harvester currently on the market, and proposes several improvements for mechanising the harvest on family farms, with an emphasis on sloping terrain, to reduce costs and increase productivity. Since the equipment currently on the market reduces the operational performance of these producers resulting in the high prices of commercial garlic, the aim of this study was to evaluate, using the Finite Element Method, the von Mises stresses and the displacement of a garlic harvester in different topographies. A structural analysis was carried out, and the vibration modules in the three main parts that make up the structure of the garlic harvester were checked: the structure supporting the scarifier point, the structure of the plant transport system, and the structure at the rear of the harvester. The structural modifications that were implemented corrected the initial high-stress conditions, showing improvements in stress concentration and areas of displacement. As such, the entire structure of the garlic harvester tends to withstand the proposed loads. From the results of the simulations, we conclude that the connecting support may undergo greater response from structural dynamics, and that frequencies greater than 45.7 Hz should be avoided since there are several natural frequencies above this range that might cause interference to the structure.