Experiment and Research on Cutting Mechanical Properties of Little Cabbage

To reduce the cutting force and cutting power consumption during harvest, the cutting mechanical properties of the root of little cabbage were studied. The cutting experiment was carried out using a texture analyzer, and the influence of the individual factors, the cutting bevel angle, the sliding angle, and the cutting gap on the maximum cutting stress and specific cutting energy were studied, respectively. On the basis of single factor experiments, multi-factor experiments were carried out using the central composite design scheme of the response surface method (RSM), and finally, the cutting parameters were optimized. The single factor test results showed that the maximum cutting stress and specific cutting energy first decreased and then increased with the increase in the cutting bevel angle, decreased with the increase in the sliding angle, and first dropped and then went up with the increase in the cutting gap. Response surface test results showed that the order of significance of factors affecting the maximum cutting stress of the root were the oblique angle, sliding angle, and cutting gap in sequence, and the order of the significance of factors affecting the specific cutting energy are cutting gap, oblique angle, and sliding angle. The interaction between the sliding angle and the cutting gap had a significant impact on the maximum cutting stress, and the interaction between the oblique angle and the cutting gap had a significant impact on the cutting energy. The optimal parameter combination is as follows: oblique angle of 9.1°, sliding angle of 30°, and cutting gap of 1.3 mm. At this time, the predicted maximum cutting stress was 7.43 × 104 Pa, and the specific cutting energy was 0.28 mJ mm−2. Finally, a verification experiment was carried out, and the errors of the predicted and measured values of cutting under the optimal parameter combination were 6.9% and 10.8%, respectively, showing that the cutting parameter optimization results were reliable. This research can provide data support for the design and improvement in the cutting device of the little cabbage combine harvester.