Abstract
Agricultural disc mowers are used to cut crops in the field and are exposed to cyclic loading during their lifetime. A cutterbar is an essential part of a disc mower and consists of multiple parts welded together. This paper aims to develop a finite element model of a cutterbar, which can be used for fatigue assessments of the welded joints. A quasi-static experiment has been performed to validate the finite element model based on strain measurements. The finite element model has been updated using a parameter based method as several discrepancies were observed. The updated model reduces the mean absolute error of strain values from 7.5 % to 4.7 %. The hot spot approach has then been used to analyze three different weld locations on the cutterbar. The fatigue criterion by the International Institute of Welding has been used to determine the relative fatigue lives of the weld locations. The back weld is shown to be most exposed, which fits well with results from prior experiments.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
