VIRTUAL SIMULATION AND MULTI BODY DYNAMICS ANALYSIS OF COCONUT DEHUSKING MACHINE

Abstract

The coconut dehusking machine is finding a major application in our country. The available methods to dehusk the coconut are manual, semi automatic and with the help of fully automatic machines. Coconut dehusking with machete requires more skill. Need for the improvement in present method is the lack of sufficient manpower. Traditional devices currently in use, such as the blade and spear are difficult and less productive. Even though limited number of automated machines was available, the reasons for the failure of these machines include unsatisfactory and incomplete dehusking, breakage of the coconut shell while dehusking, spoilage of useful coir, greater effort needed than manual methods, etc. Based on this realization the necessity of a mechanism which simplify as well as increases the productivity of the coconut dehusking. Several trials are made so far in the manufacture of coconut dehusking machines. But they are not successful and effective in replacing man handling tools. Hence by observing the pitfalls of manual dehusking tools,and existing automated dehusker, the concept of dehusking of coconut machine is simulated in the virtual environment. In this paper, the virtual prototype system framework of the coconut dehusking machine is simulated, and it consists of parts like main and feeding pipe, blades, helical spring and a collar. A conceptual design of the three-dimension (3-D) model of the dehusking machine is designed using CAD tool SOLIDWORKS 2010 and its Multi-Body Dynamic simulation is carried out by means of MSC ADAMS View 2012 software. The results are intended to show the forces and torques acting on the blades and piston during dehusking operation this gives scope for improvising the virtual prototype and hence is beneficial from point of view of modification of conceptual model and arriving at the final prototype.