Design of bamboo cutting mechanism based on crack propagation principle

Abstract

Bamboo is mainly grown in hilly areas, and the harvesting of bamboo basically relies on labor. Moreover, the bamboo is prone to splitting problems during harvesting. To liberate labor and improve work efficiency, the crack propagation principle of bamboo was studied. Based on this study, a new cutting scheme using spiral feed was proposed. Additionally, a new bamboo cutting mechanism was designed. The new cutting mechanism, when installed on a harvesting vehicle, can automatically complete the cutting operation. The cutting mechanism is different from the traditional ones, and it uses four sets of saw blades for spiral feed cutting around the bamboo, which can reduce the splitting probability during the cutting process. Finally, a solid model of the cutting mechanism was built, and the basic movement process was simulated to verify the feasibility of the bamboo cutting mechanism.