Exchangeable Fibre Plant Picking Machine for Flax and Hemp
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current processing machines are limited in their ability to handle both short and long fibre plants, such as flax and hemp, requiring separate machines for each type, which increases costs and complexity.
Innovation Solution
A versatile processing machine with a self-propelling vehicle equipped with interchangeable picking units and conveyors, allowing for the selective processing of both short and long fibre plants, including picking, cutting, and retting, using exchangeable picking units and a unified transport system.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Adaptability or versatility
If separate processing machines are used for different fibre plants and processing steps, then each machine can be optimized for its specific function, but the overall system complexity and cost increase
Solution Approach 1:
The vehicle chassis is designed with a universal mounting system that can accommodate multiple types of picking units (for flax, hemp, and other fibre plants) and processing units (picking, picking up, collecting). This allows a single machine to perform multiple functions that previously required separate dedicated machines, directly resolving the contradiction between versatility and complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The processing units and picking units are designed as separate, exchangeable modules that can be independently mounted or removed from the vehicle chassis. This modular segmentation enables the system to adapt to different fibre plant types by simply swapping units rather than redesigning the entire machine, reducing overall system complexity while maintaining high adaptability
2Adaptability or versatility
If separate processing machines are used for each fibre plant type, then each machine can be specialized, but the operational efficiency and cost-effectiveness decrease
Solution Approach 1:
The system employs dynamically exchangeable picking units that can be quickly swapped on the vehicle chassis depending on the fibre plant type being processed. The mounting system allows for rapid unit changes during operations, enabling the machine to adapt to different fibre lengths (short flax vs. long hemp) without downtime, thereby maintaining high productivity while achieving versatility
3Reliability
If multiple separate machines are deployed, then each processing step can be optimized, but the mounting and setup time increase
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple picking units and processing units are pre-mounted on the vehicle chassis in ready positions, allowing the operator to quickly switch between different fibre plant types without extensive setup time. The preliminary arrangement of exchangeable units on the chassis enables rapid transition between processing flax, hemp, or other fibre plants, minimizing time loss while maintaining specialized processing capability for each fibre type
Data Source
AI summary
Described is a processing machine for processing relatively short fibre plants such as flax and relatively long fibre plants such as hemp. The processing machine comprises a self-propelling vehicle comprising a vehicle chassis provided with a first conveyor for transporting at least parts of the fibre plants from a first end to an opposite second end, and a second conveyor for transporting at least parts of the fibre plants from the first end to the second end, first and second delivering units provided at or close to the second end for the purpose of delivering and placing on the ground surface the fibre plants coming from respectively the first and second conveyor, and wherein the vehicle chassis comprises first mounting means for mounting of, as desired, either a first exchangeable picking unit or a second exchangeable picking unit.