ROTARY VS. LINEAR TILLAGE TOOL VIBRATIONS: DIFFERENCES IN SIGNAL CHARACTER AND IMPLICATIONS FOR SIGNAL PROCESSING
Published in GÉP 2026/3-4
https://doi.org/10.70750/GEP.2026.3-4.7
Tamim Deeb
PhD student, Institute of Technology, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences (MATE)
Dr. László Kátai
full professor, Institute of Technology, Hungarian University of Agriculture and Life Sciences (MATE)
ABSTRACT
Tillage tools move through the soil either by rotation, as in a rotary tiller, or by straight-line traction, as in a cultivator tine. This paper compares the vibrations of the two from the signal processing point of view. Blade entries at fixed rotor angles make the rotary tool’s signal periodic in angle, while irregular soil failure makes the linear tool’s signal quasi-periodic and largely stochastic. In four recent experimental studies, the motion type rarely guided the choice of processing. A simulation case study then shows that angle-domain methods reveal the blade-pass order and a worn blade of a rotary tiller, whereas the modelled tine wear is best detected by distance-domain features evaluated statistically over windows. The paper closes with recommendations for measurement and processing.
