Programme: Mechanical Engineering / Industrial Economy, class of 2014

Course: MT2554 Value Innovation

Corporate partner: Lyckegård

Challenge: Looking at the current market and analyze how the CombCut is used and perceived by customers to find areas with the possibility for innovations and develop a solution.

Solution: The CombCut is a mechanical machine which require the user to adjust the machine by turning a few screws by hand. The problem is that there is no real feedback system for the farmer to tell them what settings to use. Our solution is a measuring tool which allows the farmer to measure the two major factors of the crop, Thickness and stiffness. By measuring this it is possible to get relevant data on what machine settings to use for maximal effectiveness of the Combcut.

Impact: By measuring the thickness and stiffness of the crop, the impact of the tool is an easier way to fine-tune the knives. Better fine-tuning of the knives makes the efficiency of the machine higher and the quality of the harvest better.

Prototypes: In order to visualize our solution, we created a prototype. The prototype consists of a piece of Masonite that has been laser cut and a 3d printed blade which acts as a measurement for stiffness. The prototype is close to the final product and can be used in the field to measure the different characteristics of the crop. By creating and using the prototype we learnt that the final product has to be done in a rigid material in order to withstand the tough environment in which it’s being used .

Quotes from sponsor/partner: The employees at Lyckegård was happy to see the result and said it was a step in the right direction. They also said that there are a lot of work to be done before they can launch the final product but this project took them one step closer to their goal with the CombCut.

Project team:

• Björn Andersson, Industrial Economy, class of 2014
• Casper Berg, Mechanical Engineering, class of 2016
• Filip Nilsson, Mechanical Engineering, class of 2016
• Filip Svensson, Industrial Economy, class of 2016
• Gustav Bergman, Industrial Economy, class of 2014