Development of a Dual-Sided Soil-Clearing Machine with Scraping, Rotating, and Vibrating Components for Winemaking Grapes

To address prominent issues in the spring soil removal process for wine grapes in northern China, such as incomplete soil clearing, vine damage, and low operational efficiency, a dual-sided soil removal machine combining scraping, rotary, and vibration functions was designed and developed. The machine primarily consists of a gantry frame, rotary soil components, scraping components, and vibrating components. Using EDEM 2020 discrete element software analysis and Design-Expert 13 orthogonal experiments, a three-factor, three-level orthogonal simulation experiment was conducted, with rotary soil component speed, scraping component angle, and vibrating component frequency as test factors and soil removal rate as the evaluation index. The optimal operating parameters were determined: rotary soil component speed at 720.6 r/min, scraping component angle at 42.4°, and vibrating component frequency at 179.1 Hz, yielding a soil removal efficiency (K value) of 83.48% and the best simulation results. A physical prototype was manufactured, and field experiments were conducted, resulting in an actual soil removal rate of 76.81%, with a deviation of 7.09% from the simulation results. The field test results were consistent with the simulation data, and the exposed vines in the field after soil removal met the operational requirements for actual production. The research outcomes of this machine provide a reference for the further development of dual-sided soil removal equipment for wine grape vines.