Konceptutveckling för kostnadseffektiv och tidseffektiv mekanisk skogsplantering

This master’s thesis has been carried out on behalf of the Swedish forest industries through the Forest Cluster. The main focus has been to improve the efficiency of mechanical planting. Theimprovements of the planting process has mainly been carried out by focusing on the reduction of time-consuming manual handling whilst refilling plants into a mechanical planting unit, and also by design of a reliable process. The realization of these improvements hasbeen carried out throughmechanical design of a magazine and associated feeder designed for aHIKO V93 cassette. The mechanism manages the cassette and providesseedlings for amechanical planting assembly. For practical reasons, an existing planting device developed by Bracke Forest, has been serving as foundation for the development work.In order to achieve the desired result of a detailed design with high technical validity and accuracy for the mechanism, the development of the concept was initiated with aninvestigation of existing solutions and their pros and cons.Additionally, other students contributed with new perspectives by participating in focus groups performed during the creative part of the concept design phase.Solutions for the concept have been based upon resultsobtained duringresearch in the field of mechanized reforestation during the SIRIUS-projects 2010 for the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences. Empirical tests, which were carried out on the prototype built during the project, yielded important conclusions regarding the weaknesses and strengths of the method developed for the removal of the plant from the cassette. Furthermore, essential visual observations contributed tothe establishment of a sustainable process for the development of mechanized planting in northern conditions. The creative methods resulted in four fundamentally different concepts that matched the demands stipulated in the requirement specification. The winning concept was finally obtained while carrying out an evaluation based on surplus values. Using CAD, a virtual model of the mechanism was constituted and states a good base for the manufacturing of a physical prototype. It can also serve as one or more elements of a future concept for further development and even more cost reductions.The mechanical solutions given in this report are all based on real components and materials, and indicate that the design should also work in reality. Dynamic simulations confirm that the mechanics are correctly dimensioned and perform its intended tasks. Validerat; 20110217 (anonymous)