Ditch Bank Mower: Inventor

Final project for Machine design I course, a ditch bank mower capable of cutting grass and trees up to 50mm diameter. Machine is connected to a tractor and powered by hydraulic motor unit. Cutting chains (not in picture) are connected to links so that they form a diagonal loop, which will cut through trees and grass but tend to avoid rocks and other hard obstacles.

This project was a single work and we had one month time to complete the model and transmission calculations.

This was my first project that included 3D modeling. I had not taken the CAD course at this phase, so I installed student version of Autodesk Inventor, and learnt using the software along the way. In this project we were given free hands on design, how machine should work, only limitations were cutting width of at least 2500mm and ability to cut grass and trees up to 50mm diameter. Of course I took this as a challenge to make something totally new, and after planning and sketching came out an idea of diagonal chains inserted on a cylinder.

An assembly drawing of a machine

A section from front middle and detail of bearings

An attachment of hydraulic motor into a machine