Design, Construction and Performance Analysis of Two Hay Chopping Machines

Abstract

Two different hay chopping machines were designed and constructed to improve feed intake and digestibility of hay by ruminants. Taking into account defects of local threshers in chopping hay, design studies were focused on two principles of chopping. They are: (1) Impact cutting in special suction channel; and (2) Cutting with a countershear. First prototype machine, named suction type chopper with rotary blades, has two functional units. A disk which has changeable cutting blades and a radial blower under the disk. Hay was chopped by disk blades effect of impact cutting while it was passing through blower suction. The second prototype machine has also two functional units that are feeding rollers and chopping unit. In fact, this machine is adapted from the chopping unit of precision-cut forage harvesters considering dry material features.