45 Auto-Positioning Vine Trimmer*

Supervisors:

Bruce Beard

Moderator:

Byron Martin

Number of Students:

2 to 3 students

Description:

Southcorp Wines is one of the biggest wine producers in Australia. They have a significant area of vines in Australia (8,000Ha, approximately half of which are in South Australia) which require ``trimming'' at least twice per year and an annual pruning. Currently two methods of operation are used, manual and machine. The machine pruner/trimmers have more commonly, reciprocating cutter bars or rotating disks which are pre-set for width and shape, and the height is either pre-set or adjusted by the machine operator while trimming.

The primary focus of this project is to develop a method for adjusting the horizontal and vertical location of the pruner/trimmer head based on the top trellis wire on which the vine is growing. That is, track the top wire to provide a consistent and regular vine shape. Such an autopositioning device should also be adaptable for other operations requiring accurate placement of equipment. An alternative to a ``wire tracking'' device may be a cordon or canopy visualising system and control.

The project may include :-

1. Project Objectives for all Stakeholders
2. Tracking control system design
3. Hydraulic or pneumatic actuating system design
4. Design and Specification for Construction
5. Safety considerations

Industrial Sponsor:

SouthCorp Wines.