Characteristics of locally fabricated sugarcane grab loaders related to transport

Abstract

Abstract

Manual loading of sugarcane is expensive slow operation last for several hours, therefore, mechanical loading have been urgently required.  To overcome the problem of the astronomical prices of self propelled sugarcane loaders, the tractor attached sugarcane loader were designed and locally fabricated.  The constructive and functional parameters of front loaders mounted on agricultural wheel tractors have to satisfy the requirements of the working process and of the dynamic stability and have to correspond to the structures of the tractors they are mounted on.   The current article aimed to study the geometry loader/vehicle relationship while loading and transporting sugarcane.   Vehicles equipped for sugarcane transport include rail transport represented in decauvell wagons and rail wagons.  Road transport equipment such as trailers pulled by tractors and lorry are equipped and operated for sugarcane transport.   Locally developed loaders are rigid boom loader type and articulated boom loader type.   The geometry of loader/vehicle relationship was developed in the situation of loading to facilitate estimating loading capabilities of each type of the loader.   Load density of mechanically loaded sugarcane vehicles may be lower than that when manually loaded.   The main reason may refer to the chance given to the labor of the sword to cut the curved cane stalks where manual loading last for longer time.   The loader of rigid dual arm of the boom could not be lowered in between the side columns of the sugarcane transport vehicle.  The loader operator lift the sugarcane bundle to a level over the side columns and leave the cane drop down with density load.   The front link of the articulated loader boom is a single link that can be easily lowered down in between the side columns of sugarcane transport vehicles so that the cane bundle placed in more compressed form