Application of Low-Cost Sensors for the Development of a Methodology to Design Front-End Loaders for Tractors

Abstract

Tractor front-end loaders are an essential part of the equipment used on farms. At present, there are an important number of small- and medium-sized companies involved in the manufacturing of this equipment. These companies rely heavily on experience for innovative designs, as in the vast majority of cases they lack access to adequate methodology for the optimal design of new front-end loaders. The study conducted has developed a methodology to design tractor front-end loaders with a view of obtaining their accurate design during the bucket loading process. The methodology comprises two phases: the first phase involves a numerical analysis of the structural behaviour of the front-end loader components by means of the Finite Element Method; the second phase, the experimental phase, makes use of low-cost sensors, in particular, strain gauges, to analyse existing strains at selected points in the front-end loader structure. The experimental results obtained by means of low-cost sensors fitted onto the front-end loader allow analysing the existing strains at the points measured, as well as validate the numerical model developed. This methodology is validated by applying it to a commercial front-end loader, more specifically to model 430E2 of the company Maquinaria Agrícola El León S.A (Spain).