Diseño de una herramienta de corte para racimos de palma aceitera
No Thumbnail Available
Date
Advisors
Evaluators
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Universidad Industrial de Santander
Abstract
Description
El objetivo de este artículo es diseñar un sistema de corte para racimos de fruta de palma de aceite para reducir tanto el estrés lumbar en los trabajadores como el daño recibido por los racimos al impactar el suelo. La palma de aceite ha ganado importancia en todo el mundo debido a su eficiencia en términos de productividad y consumo de recursos. Sin embargo, esta palma puede alcanzar los 20 metros de altura con una corona de hojas que dificultan el acceso a los racimos de frutas. Los racimos pueden pesar entre 20 y 25 kg, en consecuencia, los trabajadores tienen que adoptar posturas incómodas que fuerzan al cuerpo y desarrollan trastornos musculoesqueléticos, especialmente el dolor lumbar. El proceso de diseño comienza con un análisis de campo que permite determinar la forma en que los trabajadores usan herramientas como el cuchillo malasio y las posturas que normalmente adoptan para desarrollar esta tarea. Esta información se tomó para crear alternativas y conceptos, que se modelaron en software de CAD y se probaron a través de un análisis de elementos finitos. El estrés de la espalda baja se reduce al retirar el centro de masa de la herramienta del cuerpo; esto es posible con un nuevo soporte que lleva la herramienta de corte, mientras que los trabajadores solo maniobran para dar dirección. Para reducir la energía de impacto, se realizaron paneles alrededor de la palma, que ofrecen una deformación elástica, que pueden adoptar la forma de una carretilla para facilitar su transporte. A través de este sistema, los trabajadores pueden cortar los racimos sin realizar posturas corporales inapropiadas y, al mismo tiempo, como el centro de masa está fuera del cuerpo del operador, no hay reacción sobre los discos lumbares. De lo contrario, como los paneles producen una deformación elástica mientras chocan los racimos, esto aumenta el tiempo para que los racimos de fruta lleguen al suelo, por lo que la desaceleración mejora y de esta manera se reduce la fuerza de colisión.
The aim of this article is to design a Cutting System for Oil-palm fruit bunches to reduce both the low back stress in workers and the damage received by the bunches when impacting the soil. The Oil palm has gained importance around the world because its efficiency in terms of productivity and resources consumption. However this palm can reach 20 meters high with a leaf crown that make difficult to have access to the fruit bunches. Bunches can weigh between 20 and 25 kg, in consequence, workers have to adopt uncomfortable postures that force the body and develop musculoskeletal disorders especially the low back pain. The process of design starts by a field analysis that allows to determinate the way in which workers use tools like Malaysian knife, and the postures that they normally adopt to develop this task. This information was taken to create alternatives and concepts, which were modelled in CAD software and tested through a finite element analysis. The low back stress is reduced trough taking the mass centre of the tool out of the body; this is possible with a new support that carried the cutting tool while workers only manoeuvre to give direction. To reduce the impact energy, it was performed panels around the palm, which offer an elastic deformation, those can adopt the form of a wheelbarrow to make easy its transportation. Through this system workers are able to cut the bunches without perform inappropriate body postures and at the same time, as the mass centre is out of the operator’s body there is no reaction over lumbar discs. Otherwise, as panels produce an elastic deformation while bunch’s collide this increase the time for fruit bunches to reach the soil, for that the deceleration enhance and in this way the collision force is reduced.
The aim of this article is to design a Cutting System for Oil-palm fruit bunches to reduce both the low back stress in workers and the damage received by the bunches when impacting the soil. The Oil palm has gained importance around the world because its efficiency in terms of productivity and resources consumption. However this palm can reach 20 meters high with a leaf crown that make difficult to have access to the fruit bunches. Bunches can weigh between 20 and 25 kg, in consequence, workers have to adopt uncomfortable postures that force the body and develop musculoskeletal disorders especially the low back pain. The process of design starts by a field analysis that allows to determinate the way in which workers use tools like Malaysian knife, and the postures that they normally adopt to develop this task. This information was taken to create alternatives and concepts, which were modelled in CAD software and tested through a finite element analysis. The low back stress is reduced trough taking the mass centre of the tool out of the body; this is possible with a new support that carried the cutting tool while workers only manoeuvre to give direction. To reduce the impact energy, it was performed panels around the palm, which offer an elastic deformation, those can adopt the form of a wheelbarrow to make easy its transportation. Through this system workers are able to cut the bunches without perform inappropriate body postures and at the same time, as the mass centre is out of the operator’s body there is no reaction over lumbar discs. Otherwise, as panels produce an elastic deformation while bunch’s collide this increase the time for fruit bunches to reach the soil, for that the deceleration enhance and in this way the collision force is reduced.
Keywords
Ergonomics, low back stress, fruit damage, human simulation, Ergonomía, tensión de espalda baja, daño a la fruta, simulación humana