Design of a Combine Feeder House Simulator
Date
2013-12-02
Authors
Smith, Andrew
Thomson, Ryan
Bartel, Alix
Wedel, Christian
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Abstract
MacDon Industries Ltd. is a Winnipeg based manufacturer of farming equipment producing devices such as mowers, windrowers, and headers attachable to various brands of combines. The draper header manufactured by MacDon is common to all models of combines. The draper header is mounted to the feeder house of the combine via a header adapter, which is unique to each combine. Each adapter ensures that the draper header’s inputs are joined with the appropriate outputs of the combine. Currently, MacDon tests each header assembly by attaching it to the adapters’ respective feeder house. This process is expensive and time-consuming, as the process requires the rental of a combine. As a result, Involute Engineering has been given the task to design a feeder house simulator which emulates the fronts of various combines to replicate the range of motion, function, and connections of a real combine. This feeder house simulator (FHS) is to be mounted onto an appropriate John Deere tractor, which the team specifies. This report presents the details of the design. Involute Engineering proposes a single feeder house simulator design which replicates the front of a Claas Lexion feeder house. The tractor, on which this feeder house simulator is mounted, is specified to be a John Deere 7230R. A finite element analysis has been conducted on the frame of the feeder house to guarantee operation without premature failure. The maximum stress in the frame is below the yield stress of the frame material, ASTM A36, which means the feeder house simulator operates safely. Safety has been of utmost importance throughout this project. As a result, Involute Engineering has ensured that the design abides by all applicable safety standards. The cumulative cost of the design isroughly$260,000which includes the feeder house simulator and tractor. The feeder house simulator itself is $11,521.76, but because MacDon’s current tractor is unable to lift the required weight, anew tractor, the 7230R, is required costing roughly $250,000.By emulating kinematics and functionality of a real combine feeder house, the feeder house simulator designed by Involute Engineering, with MacDon’s requirements.