Desenvolvimento do protótipo de uma colhedora automotriz para ervas medicinais

Abstract

The use of medicinal herbs is quite old, and many of these plants are used empirically, passed down from generation to generation. With the increase in consumption of these plants, large companies are investing in the production and extraction of phytochemicals used in the prevention and cure of diseases. The main limitation is the manual harvesting process. The aim of this study is to develop and evaluate a prototype of a self-propelled harvester for medicinal herbs. The project methodology for the development of the prototype was composed of four phases: informational, conceptual, preliminary and detailed project. To identify the needs in the development of the prototype it was used as a parameter the absence of technologies for medicinal herbs harvesting in the Brazilian market. The development of the harvester prototype was conducted at the mechanical maintenance department of Fazenda Amway Nutrilite do Brasil LTDA, located in the city of Ubajara, Ceará. The Mudge Diagram and the Quality House Matrix (QHM) were used as methodologies to direct prototype development. For the analysis of the possible structures of the prototype it was used the morphological matrix with the use of the analysis of known systems and Solidworks® software was used for the structural analysis of the equipment. With all phases of the project completed the result was a functional prototype that meets the requirements and needs of customers.