Lateral Forces in Rolling-Cut Shearing and Their Consequences on Common Edge Defects

This paper deals with the detailed analysis of the lateral process forces in rolling-cut shearing of heavy steel plates and their impact on edge defects. Rolling-cut shearing is still the most common method of heavy-plate side trimming. However, this method can entail edge defects like uneven longitudinal shape as well as burr and fractures in the area of the cut-changeover (beginning and end of the periodical cuts). In the existing literature, neither the root cause of these edge defects nor their nexus with the upper blade trajectory (blade drive-kinematics) has been analyzed in detail. In this work, these issues will be explored based on the finite element method (FEM) simulations and measurements from an industrial plant. The complex interrelation between drive-kinematics, varying lateral force, unintended lateral motion of the upper blade, unintended variation of the blade clearance, and quality defects is analyzed. The variation of the lateral force is identified as the root cause of such quality defects and a physical explanation for variations of the lateral force is given. The detailed understanding of the shearing process serves as a solid basis for an optimization and re-design of the drive-kinematics in a future work. Measurements from an industrial plant and simulation results show good agreement and thus confirm the theory. The results are transferable to other rolling-cut trimming shears.

Impact of commercial foliage trimming on disease suppression and yield of processing carrots in Nova Scotia, Canada

McIsaac, G., Sanderson, K. R., Peters, R. D., Garbary, D. J. and Fillmore, S. A. E. 2013. Impact of commercial foliage trimming on disease suppression and yield of processing carrots in Nova Scotia, Canada. Can. J. Plant Sci. 93: 1155–1163. Carrot side-trimming opens the carrot canopy, permitting greater sunlight penetration and airflow. This reduces moisture build-up and creates unfavorable conditions for the development of common carrot pathogens such as Sclerotinia sclerotiorum (Lib.) de Bary. This study was carried out during the 2008 and 2009 growing seasons and was the first to examine the effects of foliage trimming on disease development in the processing carrot production region of Nova Scotia, Canada. Research focused on the effects of foliage trimming on disease suppression and yield using a commercial-sized trimmer in processing slicer carrots over consecutive growing seasons. This study was also the first to look at the effect of trimming on the suppression of Alternaria dauci (J.G. Kühn) J.W. Groves & Skolko and Cercospora carotae (Pass.), two economically important carrot pathogens causing leaf blight diseases in this region of Canada. Plots were established in commercial fields throughout Colchester County, Nova Scotia. Each field had a trimmed and an untrimmed section. All plots were assessed for disease presence at the time of trimming and again at harvest. Foliage trimming was found to have no significant (P=0.05) effect on biological and marketable yield and generated anecdotal reports of ease of crop maintenance and harvest. The severity of diseases caused by Alternaria, Cercospora and Sclerotinia varied among cultivars and significant cultivar×trimming interactions were noted in some cases. Foliage trimming is becoming standard practice in the carrot industry as several commercial carrot producers in North America have adapted the technology to suit their production needs after the prototype foliage trimmer was designed, built, and demonstrated by researchers at Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada, Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.