Design and development of a mechanized cultivator and seedling transplanter

The objective of the project will be to design and support the fabrication of an automated cultivating planter mechanism. The task of the planter/cultivator will be to transplant 3 rows of seedlings, with variable spacing, a single pass. A production target of 1200 trees per hour is desired. There are many design challenges present in this project. In order to be successful, designs will have to incorporate many areas of mechanical and electrical engineering such as hydraulics, sensors, control systems, fluid mechanics, and solid mechanics. A major task will be to transfer the seedlings which are held in magazine trays, to the planting mechanism. Designs must also be easy to operate; to ensure stress on the operator is minimized. Robustness will also be a factor as the machine is to be operated in remote locations in which maintenance and repair will be very costly.

Faculty Supervisor:

Dr. Farid Golnaraghi

Student:

Behzad Abdi

Partner:

Tim C Van Horlick Forestry Inc.

Discipline:

Engineering - mechanical

Sector:

Forestry

University:

Simon Fraser University