AGRICULTURAL MACHINERY DESIGN
Aluminum is produced
CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS
Learning Objectives:
 To classify various materials used in the
construction of agricultural machines;
 To describe the various materials used in the
construction of agricultural machines;
 To enumerate the properties of various materials
used in the construction of agricultural
machines; and
 To identify the various standard materials used
in the construction of agricultural machines.
Classification of Materials:
 Metallic
–Manufacturing Metals
–Metal Characteristics
–Metal Shapes
 Non-Metallic Materials
 Standard Materials
 References
Introduction
The durability, service, and cost agricultural
machines depends largely on the kind and quality of
materials used in manufacturing the machine.
Machine fabricated from substandard materials are
usually easy to wear off and have short life span
Heavy materials usually affects power requirement
and performance
Engineers should have a knowledge of the physical
characteristics, selective and effective utilization of
materials and their processing techniques to avoid
waste and spoilage due to misuse of materials.
Classifications
Metals
–Ferrous -Iron and steel
Cast Iron, Carbon Steel, Alloy Steel,
etc
–None-Ferrous
Aluminum, copper, magnesium, etc
Non-Metal
–Inorganic materials
glass, ceramics, plastic, etc
–Organic Materials
wood, rubber, leather, canvass, etc
Manufacturing Metals
Metallic ore is mined beneath the earth surface.
Iron is produced from iron ore while copper is
produced from copper ore.
from an ore called bauxite. A blast furnace is used
to produce metal by passing a hot gases to the
furnace that is mixed with iron ore, limestone, and
coke at about 3000 C. Melted metal is separated into
a ladle for cooling to form pig iron. Pigs are then
melted and poured into mold to make iron, steel,
and cast iron.
Metal Characteristics
Hard
Easy to shape
High melting temperature
Low specific heat
Good electrical conductivity
Good thermal conductivities
Ability to be deformed without fracture
Classifications of Metal
Pure Metal –are single element that are not
combined with any other chemical element. They
are too soft, low and strength, or low in some other
desired property to be used in any commercial
applications.
Alloys –are mixture of two or more metal to
produce new metal. Example are stainless steel,
bronze, etc.
Iron
It is a pure ferrite.
Pig iron –it is produced from ore of hematite or
magnetite in the blast furnace by melting with
limestone and coke.
Cast Iron –with carbon content of 1.7 to 6/7%.
They are low cost, good casting property, high
compressive strength, high wearing resistance,
brittle and lower tensile strength.
Iron Pure Iron(0.035% C)Steel(0.035-1.7% C)
Cast Iron
(1.7-6.8% C)Carbon SteelAlloy SteelOrdinary Cast
IronSpecial Cast IronMild Steel(0.035-0.4% C)Hard
Steel(0.4-1.7% C)
Steel
It is a molten steel that is cast into an ingot and
then rolled, forged, hammered, pressed, or
machine into desired shape
Structural steel, steel bars and cylinder, and steel
plate are commonly used as machine elements and
frame
Soft Centered Steel –durable to shock because
the mild steel in the center layer is deformable and
is higher wear resistance than hard steel at the outer
side. They are usually used for moldboard and share
of a plow.
Low Carbon Steel –with carbon content not
exceeding 0.25%.
Medium Carbon Steel –contains 0.25 to 0.50%
carbon. They are usually used in making structural
and machinery steel.
High Carbon Steel –carbon content is above
0.50%. They are usually used in the manufacture of
spring and tool steel.
Mild Steel (MS) –contains carbon of 0.15 to
0.25%. They are malleable and easy to cut and
weld.
Cold Rolled Steel (CRS) –are medium carbon
steel which are used for parts and components of
machine requiring greater strength and hardness
such as shafting and connecting rods.
Stainless Steel (SS) –1% Ni, 11-14% Cr, 0.6%
Mn, 0.6% Si. They have high resistance to corrosion
and oxidation. They are used for valves, nozzles, and
Non-Ferrous
dairy machines.
Includes all the metals such as copper,
aluminum, magnesium, and zinc in which iron is not
Typical Properties of Iron and Steel
present in large amount
Material % Tensile % Brinell
Carbon Strength elongation hardness Non-Metallic Materials
(Approx) (kg/cm) in 5 cm Number Wood
Iron 0.01 2800 40 50-90 Plastics
(99.97%)
Rubber
Soft Steel 0.10 3500 35 120
Structural 0.25 4200 30 150 Ceramics
Steel Fibers
Machinery 0.40 5600 25 180 Glass
Steel
Spring 0.75 7000 12 240
Steel
Tool Steel 0.90 9100 8 260

Metal Shapes

Sheets, Strips, and Plates

–Sheet -a piece of metal which has been rolled into
a sheet of 3/16 in. or less in thickness. Commonly
available sizes are 3’ wide x 6’ long and 4’ wide and
8’ long. The thickness is expressed in terms of gauge
number which is equivalent to number of sheets in
1 in. thick pile pf metal sheet.
–Strips–a long sheet of metal that is less than 12
in. wide
–Plate–a metal with thickness over 3/16 in.
Commonly available size is 4’ wide x 8’ long.
Thickness are given in terms of mm or in inch.
Rubber Glass
Material obtained from rubber tree. A non-crystalline or amorphous solid
It is capable to withstand extreme deformability Most glass are made from silica, lime, and sodium
with more or less complete recovery upon removal carbonate
of deforming force. Types includes soda-lime glass, Borosilicate glass,
Engineering applications: lead-alkali glass, aluminosilicate glass, silica glass,
–shock, noise, and vibration control and fused silica.
–Sealing
–Corrosion protection Standard Materials
–Friction production Standard component parts of agricultural machines
–Electrical and thermal insulation plays a very important role in the construction and
–Waterproofing performance of the machine.
–Confining other materials, They are especially manufactured and mass
–Load bearing produced to perform a specific function.
They can be readily purchased in stores and
Plastic hardware, and are available in various sizes.
Large group of materials consisting of combination
of carbon and oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, and Bearings
other organic and organic elements. It is use to hold power transmission parts in
Non-metallic material that can be molded into position.
shape. They are light in weight, resistance to General Classes
deterioration by moisture, low elastic and thermal –Sliding Bearing
conductivity, and good color range. –Rolling Bearing
They can be classified into thermoplastics and Ball Bearing
thermo-setting plastics Roller Bearing
Tapered Roller
Examples Spherical
Acrylic thermoplastics Needle
Epoxy
Flouroplastics Oil Seals
Nylon They are used to prevent oil or any fluid from
Phenolic Resin leaking though the bearing parts
Phenylene oxide
Polystyrene Pulley and Belt
Polyurethene It is used to transmit power from a driver shaft to
Polyvinyl chloride the driven shaft
Silicone They are classified into: (a) flat belt, and (b) V-belt

Engineering Ceramics Sprocket and Chain

Materials ranging from glass to furnace brick
This includes ceramic oxides, glass-ceramics,
carbides and nitrides
Fibers
The oldest engineering material that includes jute,
flax, and hemp.
Usually used for engineered products such as rope,
cordage, nets, water hose, and containers. Plant and
animal fibers are used for felt, paper, brushes, and
heavy structural cloth.
This includes metal fibers, glass fibers, and aramid
fibers
A part of the machine that transmit power at higher
torque but at lower speed from a driver to the driven
shaft
Classifications includes: (a) Hook link chain, and (b)
roller chain
Gears
They are used in transmitting power when the
machine are compact and shafts are placed close
together.
Classifications includes: (a) Spur, (b) helical, (c)
bevel, (d) worm, (e) spheroid, (f) etc
Universal Joint and Flexible Shafts They are used to provide a removable shoulder to
They are a direct drive transmission system used to accurately locate, retain, or lock components on
transmit power to a misaligned shaft. shaft or in bores and housing

Cam
It is a device that produces intermittent motion or
a specific motion to a member called follower.
It a a disc with a lobe on one side and when rotate
produces intermittent motion

Bolts and Nuts

They are threaded fastener intended to be mated
with nut.
They are used to hold machine parts together

Screws
They are externally threaded fastener capable of
being inserted into holes in assemble parts of mating
with a preformed internal thread or forming its own
thread.
Classes
–Set screw
–Cap screw
–Log screw
–Wood Screw

Rivets
They are low-cost permanent fasteners well suited
to automatic assembly operation.
The primary reason for riveting is low in-place cost.
Classifications: (a) Tubular rivet, and (b) Blind rivet

Washers
They are used on the end either beneath the head
of the bolt or beneath the nut.
They are used primarily as a seat to distribute load
in a fastener system
Classifications
–Flat or plain washer
–Lock washer
Internal tooth
External tooth
Helical spring tooth

Pins
They are inexpensive and effective fastener and are
used when loading is in shear. They are commonly
used to fasten shaft in some control linkages
Classifications are: (a) hollow spring pin, (b)
tapered Pin, (c) cotter pin, (d) “hair” pin.

Retaining Rings