Design evaluation and material selection of a mulch milling cutter working bodies

Abstract

Working bodies of agricultural machinery and equipment are operated in harsh conditions. Mulching cutters shred various types of vegetation, including stumps, trees, bushes, their roots and mix wood residues with soil, which acts as an abrasive. Therefore, great attention is paid to the scientifically based selection of materials for the manufacture of the working parts of the mulching cutter. This study presents a systematic analysis of the operating conditions and design features of the working parts of the mulching cutter. The results of chemical and metallographic analysis, and hardness measurements of materials used for parts that make up the mulching cutter’s working body, as well as for obtaining permanent connections between structural elements, are given. Practical recommendations for material selection that meet the required operational characteristics of the working parts in the operating conditions have been formulated.