Application of innovative technologies in the production of knives for feed mixers and dispensers

Against the backdrop of the dependence on imports, import substitution of spare parts for agricultural machinery and equipment is a pressing issue. The use of additive technologies opens up new prospects for designing working parts with specified physical and mechanical properties adapted to specific operating conditions. The study aims to develop knives for feed mixers based on innovative technologies for the modernization of agricultural machinery, based on the substantiation of the geometric parameters of the knife’s connecting elements. The objects of study were square and star-shaped knives used in KUHN and Seko horizontal feed mixers. The author proposes a design for a prefabricated (modular) knife for a feed mixer and dispenser. The cutting parts of the experimental knives are manufactured using SLM printing from 17-4PH and 316L steels, and the flange is manufactured using FDM printing from ABS-based engineering thermoplastic reinforced with 15% carbon fibers (REC X-Line ForMAX). The feasibility of achieving an interference-fit connection on semi-circular splines, secured by a flange collar, was theoretically substantiated and confirmed using simulation modeling. The critical interference fit value was determined to be less than 0.16 mm. The high quality of additive manufacturing was experimentally confirmed. The hardness of 17-4PH steel reached 51.4 HRC, approaching the level of serial 9ХС steel (60.4 HRC); the flange hardness was 86.7 Shore D, indicating optimal FDM printing conditions Steel 17-4PH is the optimal material for manufacturing modified knives using 3D prototyping, providing the best combination of wear and corrosion resistance. The durability of knives can be further increased by using SLM printing to impart specific physical and mechanical properties to the printing material, followed by surface hardening using ultra-high-frequency induction heating in boron containing coatings. This method produces wear-resistant layers up to 1.2 mm deep and with increased hardness. The practical implementation of the developed prefabricated feed mixer knife will enable the rapid production of worn knives in the absence of original spare parts, thus eliminating equipment downtime and reducing reliance on imports.

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