Valmar fertilizer spreader gearbox redesign

Abstract

Team 7 has been commissioned by Valmar Airflo Incorporated to propose a suitable redesign of the 7600 pull type fertilizer spreader gearbox. The following report presents the full redesign process undertaken. Three main problems were highlighted by Valmar to be addressed in the redesign. The first was the gear shifting mechanism which was malfunctioning. The gear engagement key design of the shifter was improved. The second issue was inadequate sealing of the gearbox cover which allowed oil to leak. More secure bolting at the lid to case interface, as well as better assembly and updates to the case lip are proposed. The third problem was the overall mass of the design. The gearbox needs to be lighter for easier assembly and mounting. The gear thickness was reduced and the overall case length decreased to help save weight without any sacrifice to performance or reliability. Team 7 took the gearbox and analyzed the possible ways to address the problems presented. Each section provides a revision to be done to the production of the gearbox. A thorough cost analysis was performed on the new design and it was estimated that the redesign will cost 6.14% less than the current box. This combination of cost reduction and the many improved gearbox characteristics satisfy both the customer and Valmar Airflo Incorporated. Therefore, Team 7 recommends implementing the gearbox redesign for future production variants.