Design and Optimization Key Structure of Planting Machine for Rock Wool Block Seedlings

Abstract

Aiming at the problems of poor automation and low efficiency in tomato planting, this paper designed a fully automatic rock wool seedling planting machine. We designed the machine’s overall structure according to the agronomic requirements of tomatoes and the actual site. In addition, according to the uncertainty of contact between the rock wool block (RWB) and soil matrix, the corresponding motion behavior model after collision contact was established to predict the motion of RWB. The parameterized modeling of the soil matrix was carried out, and then a structure with an adaptive function was added to the original machine for optimization. The machine was processed, manufactured, and tested. The success rate of colonization was 99.4%, and the efficiency was 1500 per hour. The study can provide a reference for the automatic tomato planting machine design.