Mechanical 2 - Combine Feed Plate Adaptor

Student Team: 4 ME students 
Advisor: Karch Pogar
Sponsoring Organization:  Hanson Worldwide    
Liaison: Chris Wood/Chuck Zigmund

Project Background:

Project background or overview: The 35% Combine feed plate adaptor allows the header (cuts the grain) follow the contour of the ground while the grain chain feeding the wheat into the machine stays level.  It is critical to keeping the grain flowing smoothly from the header into the combine throat.  The original design was built to travel to a 45% angle.  Today we only need to go to 35%.  Our goal is to keep the intent of the design but to simplify the manufacturing of the part.  We’d like to do trade off analysis of components - steel utilization optimization vs welding time, stress & wear analysis vs. metal type and thickness, etc.... 

Project Goal:

Reduce the cost of the part by 50% (~$4k saving)

Project Deliverables:

1.       Engineering VA/VE analysis plan and report

2.       New drawing set for the part (Solidworks)

3.       New Bill of Materials

4.       First piece prove out part fabrication plan & part

5.       Trial fit up at John Deere Dealer/ or Hanson

Project Management and Communication Expectations:

Using the A3 format - Engineering VA/VE analysis plan and report, weekly meeting.

Project Research:

TBD