Manual harvesting of hop culture is extremely demanding and is hardly used today. The lack of financially acceptable mechanization that would be guaranteed to facilitate harvesting in production is a valid reason why small hop producers find it harder to compete in the market. Taking this into account, the task of this thesis was to develop a device for processing hops powered by a tractor. A detailed analysis of the market and competing products, except technical solutions and specifications of existing devices, revealed a free space where such a project could be placed. After the market analysis, a functional decomposition and a morphological matrix were made, standard methods used in the development of devices for various purposes. Before developing the offered conceptual solutions and their evaluation, it was necessary to define the requirements identified by the previously mentioned analyzes. By evaluating the concepts, the most suitable for further development was selected. A computer 3D CAD model of the device with accompanying documentation was created. During the design, standard parts such as hydraulic motors, bearings, sprockets and other elements were used and were selected according to the calculated loads and defined requirements. The construction meets the requirements of strength, and welds, chain transmissions, shafts, conveyors and other critical points are properly controlled according to applicable standards.
Nikola Topalović
2021
Master thesis
