Corn Row Head Frame with Aluminum and Steel Skid Plates
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional corn row heads for combine harvesters have a high mass, limiting the number of stalk roll assemblies and increasing the time and energy required to harvest crops, as they are typically made from dense materials like steel.
Innovation Solution
The corn row head is designed with a frame portion made from a less dense material, such as aluminum, and skid plates made from a denser material like steel, using adhesives and fasteners to attach these components, which reduces the overall mass while maintaining strength through innovative configurations like three-layered structures and stiffeners.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Strength
If the row head is made from dense materials like steel, then the strength and durability are improved, but the mass increases which limits the number of stalk roll assemblies and increases harvesting time and energy consumption
Solution Approach 1:
The row head employs a composite construction using aluminum for the frame portion and steel for the skid plates. The aluminum frame provides lightweight structural support while the steel skid plates provide wear resistance and strength where needed. This composite approach resolves the contradiction by combining materials with complementary properties to achieve both low mass and high strength.
Solution Approach 2:
Different parts of the row head are made from different materials based on their specific functional requirements. The frame portion uses aluminum for weight reduction, while the skid plates use steel for durability and wear resistance. This localized material selection allows each component to have the optimal material properties for its function, resolving the contradiction between overall mass and local strength requirements.
2Productivity
If the number of stalk roll assemblies is increased to enhance harvesting width, then the productivity is improved, but the mass of the row head increases which requires more energy and time to harvest
Solution Approach 1:
By using aluminum for the frame portion, the row head achieves a lower overall mass that can accommodate more stalk roll assemblies without exceeding weight limits. The lightweight aluminum frame allows the system to include additional assemblies that would otherwise be too heavy, thereby increasing harvesting width and productivity.
Solution Approach 2:
The material density parameter is changed from steel to aluminum for the frame portion, reducing the mass per unit volume. This parameter change enables the row head to include more stalk roll assemblies within the same weight constraints, effectively increasing the harvesting width and productivity.
3Weight of moving object
If the frame portion is made from lightweight material like aluminum, then the mass is reduced allowing more stalk roll assemblies, but the strength and durability may be compromised
Solution Approach 1:
The frame portion is made from aluminum to reduce mass, while steel skid plates are attached to critical areas where strength is needed. This composite approach allows the aluminum frame to provide lightweight structure while the steel skid plates reinforce areas subject to high stress and wear, resolving the contradiction between mass reduction and strength requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The aluminum frame provides lightweight structure throughout, but steel skid plates are locally applied to areas requiring enhanced strength and wear resistance. This localized reinforcement allows the overall structure to remain lightweight while maintaining strength where it is most needed, resolving the contradiction between mass and strength.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This design allows for an increased number of stalk roll assemblies, enhancing the width of the corn row head and reducing the time and energy needed to harvest crops by minimizing the number of passes required.
Implementation Method 1
a first skid plate formed of a second material adhesively attached to a first end of the first beam leg
Data Source
AI summary
Frame assemblies for a corn row head formed from components formed from different materials may include a frame portion having a first beam leg and a second beam leg formed of a first material and a skid plate attached to each of the first beam leg and the second beam leg formed from a second material different than the first material. The first material may be aluminum, and the second material may be steel. In some implementations, a breast plate joining the first beam leg and the second beam leg may be formed from the first material and may be welded to the first beam leg and the second beam leg. In other implementations, the breast plate may be formed from the second material and may be adhesively bonded to the first and second beam legs.