DESIGN AND OPTIMIZATION OF THE

AUTOMATED SUGARCANE
HARVESTER

AUTHORED BY

T.MADHAN KUMAR
P.P.MAHALINGAM
PRE-FINAL
YEAR
MECHANICAL
ENGINEERING

GOVERNMENT COLLEGE OF
ENGINEERING
TIRUNELVELI-627 007

1. ABSTRACT:
This idea was born after
practically witnessing the hardships
encountered

by

rural

farmers

in

harvesting saplings. In recent years

labor is not available for carrying out
basic agricultural operations. The same
problems

are

happening

for

the

sugarcane and tapioca cultivators. India

is one of the major producers of
sugarcane and tapioca, In the sugarcane
production India is ranking in second

energy crisis and thus the system is

targeted to work with high efficiency,
without any fuel power requirements.
The difference between manual and
automated harvest is nearly 1/20 per
hectare of the total cost, which saves
around Rs. 5000 per hectare. Thus this
simplifies the initial stage of the sugar
and its bi- product production for the
industries.

2. INTRODUCTION:

position with 4.09 millon hectares and

producing 283 million tonnes with the
production of 72.6 tonnes per hectare
and also in tns producing 7620200
tonnes in 242400.0 hectares with 17500
kgs per hectare. The main objective of
this project paper is to demonstrate the
process of harvesting tall field plants
like sugarcane by cutting it

and

placing it into a box using grippers.

Our ideas are mainly concentrated
towards

the

basic

mechanical,

pneumatic and electrical systems to

frame

the

resemblance.

project
With

with
the

robotic
increasing

demands for energy, we may face the

Automated sugarcane harvester

is a unique, noble idea (which has been
materialized)

aimed

towards

the

betterment of humanity. This idea of

fabricating a project that can harvest
tall plants like sugarcane came across
when it was known that manual labor
still persists in such fields. It has the
capability of harvesting four crops at a
time. The project is a simple idea which
consists of a movable mechanical base
coupled with a gripper and a motor to
move the gripper arm setup to the side
after harvesting the crops. It works on
pneumatic power with two cylinders
ready to facilitate the process. Circular

saw is fixed at the base of the movable

The motor is powered by the use of a 12

mechanical base. A motor setup is used

volt battery. The mechanical base is

to turn the mechanical arm 90 degrees

moved by the use of four wheels

to either side as required by the user.

3. DESCRIPTION OF
COMPONENTS:
MECHANICAL BASE:
The mechanical base gives the
foundation of the project. It is able to
move with the help of the four wheels
welded at its base. The handle used by
the user is placed just
50 mm from the top of the controls.
The length of the handle is just 160 mm
which is an adequate measurement
when considering the palm of a person.
In order to provide a base for the
control valves, a small platform is made
to sustain control valves. A person can
easily operate the mechanism since it is
placed at hip length of a person. The

4. AIR COMPRESSOR
A compressor is a machine that
compresses air or any other type of
gas from a low inlet pressure (usually
atmospheric) to a high desired pressure
level. This is accomplished by reducing
the volume of the gas. Air compressors
are generally positive displacement
units and are either of the reciprocating
piston type or the rotary screw type or
rotary vane types. In this project,
automated

the tubes. It is welded 60 mm from the

base.

harvester,

reciprocating type compressor (multi

stage) has been used.

5. DIRECTION CONTROL
VALVES

wheels have a diameter of 185 mm

with the tube on and 150 mm without

sugarcane

Direction control valves are

used to control the direction of flow of
pneumatic air or hydraulic fluid in the
circuit. Any valve contains the ports
that

are external openings through

which fluid can enter and leave via

connecting pipelines. The number of
ports on a direction control valves is
identified using the term way as
shown in the figure below.
In this project, 5/2 Direction
control valve is used with the
specification.
5/2 DCV -SMSN
MODEL -4210
1.5-08 Kgf/cm2

Direction control valve

6. PNEUMATIC CYLINDERS

Pneumatic cylinder

Pneumatic cylinders (sometimes

known as air cylinders) are mechanical

7. SPUR GEAR

devices, which produce force, often in

combination with movement, and are

Spur gears have teeth parallel to

powered by compressed gas (typically

the axes and thus, are not subjected to

air).

axial thrust due to tooth load. At the

time of engagement of the two gears,
To perform their function,

the contact extends across the entire

pneumatic cylinders impart a force by

width on a line parallel to the axes of

converting

rotation.

the

potential

energy

of

compressed gas into kinetic energy. This

is achieved by the compressed gas being
able to expand, without external energy
input, which itself occurs due to the
pressure gradient established by the
compressed gas being at a greater
pressure than the atmospheric pressure.
This air expansion forces a piston to
move in the desired direction.

Spur gear

It works on the property of

8. CIRCULAR SAW:
The circular saw is used to cut the
sugarcane at the base of the stalk. This
makes it easier for the gripper to grab
and put it at the side. We have used a 4
inch circular cutter which has forty
teeth to facilitate the cutting process.
The cutter has to be used in clockwise
rotation since the teeth are faced in that
way. It has a 20 mm arbor which is

pneumatics in which

different bar

pressures are applied to the cylinder.

The arm is lifted based on the
pressure

provided

to

the

lifting

cylinder. More the pressure applied,

more is the power of the gripper to lift
the plants. When closed the clearance is
10 mm while open its 145 mm. It is
made up of nickel steel.

adequate. This cutter is placed at 150

mm at the midpoint of the mechanical
base. The circular saw is activated by
a foot switch that pushes it forward.
The

circular

saw

is

rotated

continuously by the use of a simple

AC motor. As soon as the foot is
released from the switch, the saw
returns to its original position.

Spring controlled gripper

9. MECHANICAL GRIPPER:
The gripper is the important part

10. DC MOTORS:
The DC motors used may be of

of the project. It measures 650 mm in

brushed or brushless type. Many of the

length and is fixed in pairs. The gripper

limitations of the classic commutator

has ten high tension springs with

DC

which the sugarcane can be held as

brushless motor.

shown .As soon as the gripper arms

mechanical

close up on the sugarcane crop, the

commutator/brush

springs take up the shape of the

replaced by an external electronic switch

sugarcane. This gives it a good grip on

synchronized to the rotor's position.

the crop and several of such crops.

Brushless motors are typically 85-90%

motor

are

eliminated

in

the

In this motor, the

"rotating
gear

switch"

or

assembly

is

efficient, whereas DC motors with brush

gear are typically 75-80% efficient.

to the opposite side and the gripper

11. MOTOR SPECIFICATIONS:

opens up. The crops are then dropped

to the ground.

Two speed wiper motor

Motor runs at 40 rpm
Motor draws 3.1 ampere at no load, 12 V
Size of the motor may be 7 inch*3.25
inch*4inch.
May be electrically isolated

12. OVERALL ASSEMBLY:

The overall size of the project is 27
inch x14 inch x 27 inch. Thus the
overall assembly consists of mechanical,
electrical and pneumatic components as
shown .In a nutshell, this project was
implemented in a few acres of land. The
whole setup is moved manually to the
bunch of sugarcanes. The arm lever is
diverted to a side which activates it to
move

vertically

upward.

Then

the

gripper lever is diverted to a side which

opens the gripper. Then the setup is
moved forward so that the gripper comes
in the vicinity of the sugarcanes. After
this, it is closed by the use of the gripper

Overall assembly

OPTIMIZATION AND SYUDY:

13. ANALYSIS OF FORCEPRESSURE RELATIONSHIP
When P = 1 bar, Cylinder diameter = 60
mm
Then F = 282.74 N
When P = 1.25 bar, Cylinder diameter =
60 mm
Then F = 353.42 N
When P = 2 bar. Cylinder diameter = 60
mm

lever. Further the foot pedal is pressed in

the

downward

results

in

direction

forward

and

motion

these
of

the

circular saw. The mechanical arm setup

is rotated with the help of the DC wiper
motor and the gripper arm is rotated 90
degrees to either side based on the users
need. Then the gripper lever is diverted

Then F = 565.48 N
When P = 2.5 bar, Cylinder diameter =
60 mm
Then F = 706.85 N

Manual harvest

- Rs8000 per acre

Automated harvest

-Rs3000 per acre

15. ADVANTAGES:
The working fluid is very light in
weight so supply hoses are not heavy.
Fast response of the pneumatic
system.
Reduces the need for manpower
and labour cost.

16. FURTHUR MODIFICATIONS:

Stack can be fixed at the
sideways to place the sugarcanes. Shock
absorbers can be placed, so that smooth
movement of wheel on the hard terrain is
eased.

17. CONCLUSIONS:
Force Vs Pressure relationship.

With respect to the current

The pneumatic supply is through the

compressor, which has been regulated,
as per the experimental study, with the
help of FRL unit. This pneumatic supply
is given to the 4 gripper positions per
gripper arm via hoses at the orifices of
the gripper positions. With respect

to

the cylinder diameter the force acted

upon

on

these

orifices

has

been

calculated

14. COMPARISON BETWEEN

MANUAL AND AUTOMATED
HARVEST:
The difference between

statistics as per formulated by the UN

food and agricultural organization, India
still lags behind the top spot Brazil in
sugar and its byproducts production.
Since, sugar and its byp roducts is one
of the highly consumed and one of the
essential goods in day to day life, with
the concept and knowledge of science
and engineering, the target of India as to
be highest producers of sugar and its by
products can be reached.

Automated

sugarcane harvester is one such initial

stage of the application of science and
engineering to simplify the harvesting
of sugarcane thereby gradual increment

manual and automated harvest is

in the production of sugar and its by

nearly 1/20 per acre of the total cost.

products.

This not only leads to the social

development

but

also

the

overall

economy of India can be boosted up. As

automation sector has taken up almost all
the

sectors,

we

realized

that

the

implementation of automation in the

agricultural sector can quadruple the
rate of production but also keeping in

Sugarcane
Cultivation and
Management,
pp 279-461.
3. H.H.De, (2002) - Electric motor and
Control techniques, pp 23-70.
4. Irving M. Gottlieb, (1994) Alternatives in Industrial
development: Sugarcane processing
in India pp 122-140.

view of the issues like safety and work

ethical values thereby not disturbing
upon the agriculture employment sector.
Though this model has been practiced
and successfully implemented on few
acres of sugarcane field, with the further
modifications such as efficient riding of
this automated machine, this can be

5. R.S.Khurmi, (1993) - Theory of

Machines pp 86-94, 121-230.
6. Robert L. Boylestead, Louis
Nashelsky, (2003) - Electronics
devices and circuit theory, pg 67130.

brought onto the large acres of land.

7. http://www.economywatch.com

18. REFERENCES:
1. Anthony Esposito, (2000) - Fluid
Power, pp 300-373.
2. Henk Bakker,
(1999) -