Code of practice for loading whole-stick loose sugarcane with grab-loaders

Abstract

Sugarcane is a high bulk perishable low value density product and its transport is, therefore, a challenge and amounts to one of the largest cost components within sugar industries worldwide. Grab-loaders are generally versatile, mobile and are used in many parts of the world. Ideally a sugarcane loading operation should be cheap, fast, accurate, safe, effective and environmentally friendly. However, many of these ideal conditions tend to trade-off against each other. The aim of this short communication was to collate a code of practise with respect to sugarcane grab-loader operations and to explore the trade-offs between the various practises. Thirty guidelines were collated and were brought in context with each other in a TRIZ-type cross reference matrix approach.