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Karamanoglu Mehmetbey University, Vocational School of Technical Sciences, Department of Machine and Metal Technologies, Karaman
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Karamanoglu Mehmetbey University, Vocational School of Technical Sciences, Department of Machine and Metal Technologies, Karaman
Abstract
Mouldboard ploughs are fundamental implements in agricultural production and widely used in primary tillage. The share and mouldboard are designed to cut and invert soil, which subjects the plough to significant structural stresses, especially in components directly contacting the soil. In this study, the mechanical behavior of a five-bottom mouldboard plough during tillage was modeled and analyzed in three dimensions, considering both embedded and aboveground parts. The plough was precisely modeled in SolidWorks, and stress analysis was conducted using ANSYS Workbench with the finite element method (FEM). The analysis mesh consisted of 1,034.489 tetrahedral elements and 1,811.369 nodes, with three-point hitch connections fixed as boundary conditions. Draft forces up to 1131.4 N, obtained from manufacturer data, were applied to the share tips. Stress distributions under dynamic loading conditions were evaluated in detail. The analysis revealed that all plough components operated within the yield strength limits of their materials, maintaining structural integrity. The maximum equivalent (von Mises) stress occurred at the front hitch bracket (493.53 MPa), with safety factors across critical regions ranging from 1.67 to 34.89. Maximum displacement was 7.69 mm. Localized increases in stress intensity, particularly at connection points, were observed and thoroughly analyzed. Safety factors were determined for components both in and out of the soil, establishing the system’s overall reliability. These results highlight the practical value of advanced numerical simulations in optimizing the weight, safety, and performance of agricultural machinery by identifying critical stress regions and guiding design improvements.
Keywords
Plough,finite element method,dynamic loading,structural optimization,agricultural machinery
How to Cite
ERDEM KORKMAZ, S., & DİLAY , Y. (2025). Stress Analysıs of Mouldboard Ploughs Using the Finite Element Method. MAS Journal of Applied Sciences, 10(2), 273–285. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.15673835
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Yusuf DİLAY
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