Enhancing the Efficiency of Rice Harvesting: A Study on the Design and Evaluation of Ripper Type Rice Harvesters

¹ Mechanical Engineering Department, Politeknik Negeri Ujung Pandang, Jalan Perintis Kemerdekaan Km. 10, Makassar, 90245, South Sulawesi, Indonesia
² Center for Materials and Manufacturing, State Polytechnic of Ujung Pandang, Makassar, 90245, Indonesia
³ Department of Heavy Equipment Maintenance, State Polytechnic of Ujung Pandang, Makassar, 90245, Indonesia

^* Corresponding author: rusdinur@poliupg.ac.id

Abstract

This article primarily examines the optimization of the Indonesian rice combine harvester PT Om Hwahaha (Futata) to increase the efficacy of crop processing and harvesting. The optimization method includes inserting binding mechanisms into the threshing and cleaning instruments, as well as modifying the collecting and steering systems to support vertically bound multiple outputs. Performance is measured by doing trials that involve adjusting the forward speed of the machine, the average weight of the item, and the height at which the weight is put for spherical objects. The findings revealed that utilization efficiency peaked at 98.80% with a forward speed of 1.65 km/h, a weight of 3 kg, and a height of 30 cm. The measures assessed under these conditions were as follows: 722 bundles were generated per hour, grain loss was 2.83%, field capacity was 0.189 hectares per hour, efficiency was 81.8%, surplus power was 11.07 kilowatts, and energy consumption. is 58.57 kilowatt-hours per hectare. This advancement shows the prospect of improved efficiency, less losses, and better energy preservation in rice harvesting techniques.