STRUCTURAL ANALYSIS OF A COMBINED CULTIVATOR WORKING TOOL

This paper presents a structural analysis of a combined cultivator working tool designed to integrate primary soil cutting and loosening with secondary soil fragmentation within a single pass. A three-dimensional model of the working tool was developed using specialized engineering software, and a numerical analysis based on the finite element method was performed. The structural assessment was carried out by applying a uniformly distributed surface load of up to 0.2 MPa, corresponding to typical contact pressures encountered in moderately compacted soils. The analyses were conducted for different working depths and for three tine geometric profiles - circular, square, and rhomboidal. Structural integrity was evaluated using the von Mises yield criterion, while the factor of safety (FOS) was adopted as the primary indicator of strength reserve. The results show that, for all analysed configurations, the equivalent von Mises stresses remain below the yield strength of normalized AISI 4340 steel, with FOS values ranging from 1.2 to 5.3. Tine geometry was found to have a significant influence on stress distribution and structural response. The rhomboidal profile exhibits the most favourable performance, characterized by lower and more uniformly distributed stresses and reduced draft resistance. The results confirm that the proposed combined cultivator working tool represents a promising solution for modern tillage machinery aimed at reducing field passes and improving soil cultivation quality.