A Study on the Mechanical Properties of Maize plant for Design Cutting Machine of Maize plant

Abstract

This study of maize mechanical properties was to study the behavior of the shearing and chopping force of maize stalks to use as basic information and guidelines for designing and building maize choppers for animal feed. The test factors consisted of maximum shearing and chopping force, maximum shear stress, and maximum specific chopping energy with five blades with the angles of 30°, 40°, 50°, 60° and 70° on each blade. In addition, the movement rate of the chopping blade was set at five levels, 10, 20, 40, 60, and 100 mm/min, respectively. The results of this test revealed that maximum shearing and chopping force, maximum shear stress and maximum specific chopping energy in chopping corn stalks in chopping Purple Sweet Waxy Corn Hybrid stalks were higher than Waxy Corn and the maximum shear. In addition, the chopping blade at a 30° angle at all movement rates used less energy of maximum shearing and chopping force, maximum shear stress and maximum specific chopping energy than every sharp angle of the chopping blades. It was also found that when the blade movement rate was increased at every angle, the chopper blades utilized in the test would decrease a tendency of maximum shearing and chopping force, maximum shear stress and maximum specific chopping energy. The mean was 507.28±10.15 N 30.18±10.76 MPa and 57.05±8.82 mJ/mm²