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Table 2.1 Harvester Comparison Table
Parameter
Sugarcane Harvester*
Current prototype
Mallee Harvester
Future prototype
mallee harvester
Row Configuration
Single row,
over-the-row
Single row,
over-the-row
Single row,
over-the-row
Mass
19 t/15.4 t
Tracked/Wheeled
18 t Wheeled
>20 t
articulated tracked
Engine Power 251/337 kW/Hp 266/357 kW/Hp >500 kW
*John Deere 3500 series
2.3 Machine Performance
An important step in the design process is to define the machine dependent parameters which
characterise the machine performance envelope. It is against these parameters that the product can be
validated to ensure that it meets specifications and that it fulfils its intended purpose.
The key machine design parameters which exert a significant influence on the productivity, quality
and sustainability of the harvesting system comprise: the quality of the cut, pour rate, bulk density,
product quality and fuel consumption.
2.3.1 Quality of Cut
Quality of the cutting is an extremely important factor influencing post-harvest quality and
regeneration of the shoots produced from the cut stumps of the previous crop.
Sugar System
The first year's crop is called plant cane and is harvested a year or more after planting. New roots and
shoots are regenerated each year from nodal bands on the plant cane stool and in succeeding years,
these are harvested as ratoon crops.
Sugarcane stalk is a naturally occurring cellular material with engineering properties that vary
throughout its cross-section. There are two main components of interest in the stalk cross-section, the
outer rind and the near saturated fibro-porous core. The rind possesses hard and brittle engineering
properties, whilst the centre is less fibrous. Fibres run longitudinally along the stalk and converge in
nodal regions where the stalk is more brittle and densely packed with fibres.
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