Redesign for Carbon Fiber : A feasibility study on composites in forestry harvesting heads

• Main Authors: Karlsson, Simon, Marklund, Isabella
• Format: Others
• Language: English
• Published: Linköpings universitet, Produktrealisering 2021
• Subjects: Redesign; Single Grip Harvesting Head; Forestry; Composite Design; CFRP; Engineering and Technology; Teknik och teknologier
• Online Access: http://urn.kb.se/resolve?urn=urn:nbn:se:liu:diva-181942

Harvesting heads are an essential part of today’s forestry industry, enabling a high rate of tree felling from a single operator. Requirements for the forestry machine they are attached to are strongly linked to the weight of the harvesting head, providing an incentive to make the heads as light as possible. This can be done in various ways, of which one is switching the material to one that is lighter.This thesis examined the feasibility of producing the frame of a harvesting head in carbon fiber reinforced polymer. This was done through a redesign approach in several phases. The design and requirements of the existing harvesting head were detailed, the strengths and weaknesses of the material were studied, and topology optimization was utilized as a tool for better understanding the load paths and possible material placement. Concepts aimed at enabling production and use of the new frame while keeping features necessary for component attachment and function was then generated.The results showed a frame made largely from carbon fiber reinforced polymer, but with elements of steel, and with a total weight reduction of 45% compared to the original design. The conclusions of the thesis, within the established delimitations, is that a frame from this material is possible but complex to produce.