Depending on many factors relating to the crop or the field conditions, a combine harvester could be adjusted to various settings to give the machine optimum performance in the field. The following are the key types of combine's settings that every operator should be aware of:
- Ground speed
- Rotor RPM
- Concave clearance
- Air volume
- Chaffer setting
- Sieve setting
1. Ground Speed
Ground speed is the speed at which the
combine travels through the field while chopping the crop. Ground speed is set
by the machine operator as known as the driver. The ground speed ultimately determines the amount of
material that enters into the combine's processor depending on whether the
combine is moving too fast or too slow.
When a combine moves too fast,
the following could happen:
- Overloading of the combine
- Grain loss
- Engine inefficiencies
When a combine moves too slow:
- Underloading hence underutilization of the machine
- Grain damage
- Grain loss
- Engine inefficiencies
2. Rotor RPM
Rotor rpm is the speed at
which the rotor turns as it threshes and separates the grains from the
non-grain materials. Rotors rpm affects the combine's throughput capacity and
the aggressiveness at which the crop is threshed.
When the rotor turns too fast,
there is the risk of:
- Grain damage
- Rotor damage
- Excessive material on the shoe
- Shoe loss
When the rotor turns too slow:
- Rotor loss
- Unthreshed crop
- Limited throughput
Read also: The difference between the natural flow (transverse) and axial flow in combine harvester's design
3. Concave clearance
Concave clearance is the
clearance between the concave and the threshing elements of the rotor. This
setting of the combine controls the aggressiveness of the threshing section of
the processor cage as well as the throughput capacity. It should neither be too
tight or too wide.
4. Air Volume
The air volume setting
controls the amount of air supplied to the cleaning system for grain cleaning.
This setting controls how effectively grains are cleaned after they are
threshed. Too high air volume could lead to the cleaning of the shoe while too
low air volume could lead to overloading of the shoe, dirty grains, and leaning
shoe loss.
5. Chaffer Settings
This setting controls the
paces available for grain and materials to fall through to the lower sieve. It
should not be too open or too closed.
6. Sieve settings
This process controls the spaces available for grain to fall into the clean grain auger for delivery into the grain tank. Neither should it be too open or too closed.
Read also: Types of combine harvesters and headers
Read also: Rice combine harvester MF 2168 by Massey Ferguson
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