Aerospace & Defense manufacturing and development

Thesis Research: Data Recording Methods and Time-Motion Analysis of the Forage Harvest ProcessSilage is a popular feed for livestock. Corn production for silage has grown steadily in the past years, with more than 128 million tons produced in the United States in 2014. Growers in Wisconsin produced nearly 16 million tons of corn silage in 2014. However, harvesting corn silage requires a large input of time and energy. Producers often employ self-propelled forage harvesters (SPFH) and many transport vehicles to harvest their crops. Managing these vehicles is a logistical challenge, leaving significant opportunities for improvements in efficiency. This research focused on developing a model that could demonstrate efficiency improvements in the silage production process. Data recording methods needed to be developed in order to properly characterize the process of silage production. The ability to identify vehicle travel path and work status was accomplished via the development of a system of data loggers. Controller Area Network (CAN) loggers on SPFH collected information that was used in conjunction with Global Positioning System (GPS) data recorded on all vehicles to determine the work status of the harvester, and subsequently the transport vehicles. The time to fill each truck, transport the load to the storage site, and unload could then be determined. These times were useful in defining the level of efficiency of the operation by identifying idle or downtime during harvest.

Innovations Intern