Research on Fatigue Life of Agricultural Machinery

Introduction

During the last decades fatigue life of agricultural machinery is gaining more interest as the transport and working conditions have changed. Transport and working speed have increased since advanced and more powerful tractors are being offered. In order to compensate for longer operation periods on large farms, manufacturers have developed bigger implements with higher capacity which in some cases e.g. for swathers reach up to 15 meters working width. Factors like higher speed and machine weight affect the durability of agricultural machines with high economic loss in the case of a breakdown. In order to assess agricultural machine durability a new analysis approach is needed to combine field and road surface mapping and dynamic strain and load measurements. In the present project strain data from critical points as well as the accelerations on the main axle of a four rotor swather are recorded. In addition the surface data that produced the aforementioned load are also obtained to describe the dynamic input loads.

Aims and Objectives

• Analysis of fatigue problems from the perspective of agricultural engineering
• Data acquisition of machine parameters relevant to its durability
  - Road and field surface profiles
  - Load spectra
• Determination of the testing conditions in DLG test facilities
• Mathematical modelling to assess the durability of machinery from measured data
• In combination with Operation Profiles project set the base for developing a test schedule