KATHMANDU UNIVERSITY

SCHOOL OF ENGINEERING
DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING

PROJECT PROPOSAL ON

DESIGN AND FABRICATION OF RICE TRANSPLANTING MACHINE

ANISH KARNA [21139]

BIJAY BASNET [21118]
JENISH SHRESTHA [21136]
NITESH KR. MEHTA [017140]
ROSHAN BHANDARI [21121]

September 2019
 Date: 25:09:2019

To,
The Project Supervisor,
Department of Mechanical Engineering
Kathmandu University

SUBJECT: Cover Letter for proposal approval

Dear Sir,
Submitted for your review is our proposal entitled “DESIGN AND FABRICATION OF RICE
TRANSPLANTING MACHINE.” The report is submitted as requirement of course entitled
Engineering Project MEEG 214. Within this document you will find the basic introductions,
objectives, methodology and expected outcome from the proposed work (Listed in detail in the
table of content section).
We hope for your keen review and future assistance in this work along with the approval.

Yours Sincerely,

ANISH KARNA

BIJAY BASNET

JENISH SHRESTHA

NITESH KR. MEHTA

ROSHAN BHANDARI
 TABLE OF CONTENTS

1 INTRODUCTION ................................................................................................. 1

1.1 Background ......................................................................................................1

1.2 Objectives .........................................................................................................3
1.2.1 Main Objective......................................................................................... 3

1.2.2 General Objectives ................................................................................... 3

1.2.3 Significance/Scope ................................................................................... 3

1.3 Limitations .......................................................................................................3

2 Methodology .......................................................................................................... 4

2.1 Theoretical/conceptual framework ...................................................................4

2.1.1 Rotating Handle: ...................................................................................... 4

2.1.2 Gear Wheel Drive: ................................................................................... 4

2.1.3 Planting finger:......................................................................................... 4

2.1.4 Paddy Support Plate: ................................................................................ 4

2.1.5 Working principle: ................................................................................... 4

2.2 Study design: ....................................................................................................6

2.3 Literature Review: ............................................................................................7
2.4 Calculation and Design: ...................................................................................7
2.5 Material selection: ............................................................................................7
2.6 Fabrication:.......................................................................................................8
2.7 Testing and Modification: ................................................................................8
Gantt Chart: .................................................................................................................9

3 Budget Estimation................................................................................................ 10

4 Expected Outcome ............................................................................................... 11

5 References ............................................................................................................ 12
 LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1:Cultivation of rice in Nepal [3] ........................................................................................ 2
Figure 2: Rice Transplanter Machine ............................................................................................. 5

i
 LIST OF TABLES

Table 1: Gantt Chart Showing Activity Plan. 9

Table 2: Budget estimation 10

ii
 1 INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background

Across South Asia, labor scarcity is a major problem and there is a need to explore
establishment methods for rice that require less labor but still allow the crop to be
transplanted on time. The use of a mechanical trans planter is one alternative to
address this issue. In Nepal, which is largely a rainfed rice growing environment,
the timeliness of transplanting can be further improved by the replacement of
puddling by a shallow tillage operation. In the absence of irrigation facilities, this
reduces the water requirements for land preparation, which increases the options
for earlier crop establishment through non-puddled mechanical transplanting. The
timeliness of planting can be further enhanced through the use of a mat-type
nursery system that can provide seedlings of the appropriate age whenever the
conditions for transplanting are right. By eliminating puddling, soil structure for
the next non-rice crop will be improved [1].

A rice trans planter is a specialized machine fitted with a transplanted mechanism

(usually having some form of reciprocating motion) driven by the power from the
live axle, in order to the transplant rice seedlings onto paddy field. Rice is a major
food grain crop of world. Unlike upland row crops, cultivation of low land rice
crop is a labor-intensive process. In spite of the common belief of availability of
surplus agricultural labor in Nepal, there actually exists a scarcity of skilled
agricultural workers during the peak transplanting seasons. If this operation is not
done in time the yield goes down. In view of this, there is an urgent need to
mechanize this operation. The rice translation process is generally manual which
involves number of labors. The process of manual rice transplantation is not so
efficient as compared to the mechanical rice transplantation. Machine transplanting
using rice trans planter requires considerably less time and labor than manual
transplanting. It increases the approximate area that a person can plant. The

1
distribution of food grain production which shows the rice production is major in
Nepal.

Mechanism is needed to raise productivity in rain fed upland and rain fed lowland
and to increase cropping intensity in irrigated farms. Seed drills give better plant
population, reduce cost and give higher yields of rice. Use of pregerminated paddy
seeders in puddled wetland condition give similar yield like manual transplanting
but reduce labor requirement by 75-80%. The manual and self-propelled trans
planter reduces cost of transplanting by 45-50% [2].

Figure 1:Cultivation of rice in Nepal [3]

2
1.2 Objectives

1.2.1 Main Objective

• To design and fabricate Rice Transplanting Machine.

1.2.2 General Objectives

• To study present farming practice and design efficient mechanism to plant rice.
• To improve our academic and technical skills and knowledge.

1.2.3 Significance/Scope

Nepal is a country where most of people depend on agriculture. So, Rice planting
machine have various significance. Rice planting machine helps farmers to plant
more seeds in greater area with much less time and effort. This helps to increase
production of rice of whole country thus increasing use of technology in farming
and developing as a whole.

1.3 Limitations
This project is ideal project for us but it has some limitations:

• Rice Transplanting machine might not work in all types of soils.

• Since design of rice Transplanting machine is in study phase so it might not be
able to plant rice as fast as tractors and other mechanism perform.
• Rice plant machine can plant limited price at once because of its low load and
force bearing capacity of its body structure.

3
 2 METHODOLOGY

2.1 Theoretical/conceptual framework

The system consists of following main components:

2.1.1 Rotating Handle:

It has two gears and a chain. When handle is rotated, the gear rotates which cause
the chain to rotate and rotating of chain rotates the shaft.

2.1.2 Gear Wheel Drive:

The belt drive is used to power transmit so that the power will be transmitted. The
large gear will be on the same shaft with the padded wheel and smaller gear will
be on another shaft with the planting finger.

2.1.3 Planting finger:

The planting finger is the man element which is responsible for the plantation of
the nursery seed. It having the specific shape which pick the nursery seed and
plant in mud. It oscillates at certain angle and it is called as fixed fork mechanism.

2.1.4 Paddy Support Plate:

The paddy support plate is used to place the paddy seedlings. The main objective
of it is to place seedlings such that the seedlings do not fall off while plantation
process and the mechanical arms can grasp it easily and the seedlings are not
damaged.

2.1.5 Working principle:

As the process is manual the worker has to provide the initial motion. When the
rice trans planter will move forward the ground wheels will get rotate. The wheels
are provided with the fins so that they can travel easily in the mud. The ground
wheels are used to maintain constant distance between the two successive plants.
Then we have larger sprocket is provided on the same shaft with the ground
wheels and hence at the same time sprocket will also rotate. The larger sprocket
is in engagement with the smaller sprocket by using the chain drive. As the power

4
will get transmitted to the smaller sprocket, it will rotate. The speed is increased
from driver to drive shaft as we used 3:1 speed ratio. On the same shaft planting
finger will be fixed through the four-bar linkage so that it will oscillate for certain
angle. As the drive is provided by the worker it will not have high speed and hence
through this sprocket arrangement, we have increased the planting finger speed.
As the planting finger will oscillate, it will pick the rice plant from the tray and
plant in mud. The planting finger is designed in such a way that rice plant should
be easy to pick during the motion and also it should pick during the downward
motion only.

Figure 2: Rice Transplanter Machine

5
2.2 Study design:

The model will be designed using the locally available resources and teamwork. We
shall be working several weeks to accomplish our project within our time and
budget. Following strategic approaches will follow to achieve our goal.

6
2.3 Literature Review:

Study on the related topics will be done throughout the whole project through books
and internets. So, that detail and precise information could be obtained regarding
the project.

2.4 Calculation and Design:

This is walking backward type. It can plant 2 rows simultaneously. The row spacing is
250mm, planting distance can be adjustable. Specifications of this transplanter are
assumed as:

• Weight: 20 kg
• Turning radius: 210 mm
• Max. planting depth: 65 mm
• Max planting frequency: 120/minute
• Resistance of crank: 1.5-2 kg
• Resistance of moving: 1-2 kg
• Planting speed: about 530 square meters/hour

This transplanting machine is designed to transplant bare plant without mud. The plant
from the nursery should be taken after wash off the soil or mud. Machine is operated by
one hand while it is pulled by the other hand. It has very light and compact structure for
easy operation and maintenance.

On the basis of literature review, necessary mathematical calculation would be done and
other things will be calculated. On the basis of mathematical calculations, design of the
system will be made on the solid works. So that expected output could be calculated with
the given input data and vice versa. Also help for proper dimensioning of the objects used
throughout the project.

2.5 Material selection:

After the completion of the design suitable locally available materials will be
selected for the different parts. So that cheap material with more efficient could be
selected, among the available materials for the same purpose.

7
2.6 Fabrication:

Based on design, a working model will be fabricated for the complete

accomplishment of the project.

2.7 Testing and Modification:

Testing and modification will be done as per requirement to check if there are
some faults and correct if required.

8
 Gantt Chart:
Table 1: Gantt Chart Showing Activity Plan.

This Gantt Chart represent the timing of tasks required to complete the project which
has been divided into two semesters.

Year 2019/2020

Month Sept Oct Nov Dec Jan Feb March April May June July

Literature Review

Topic Selection

Proposal
Submission

Market Survey

Designing

Fabrication

Midterm
Presentation

Testing and
Modification

Final Report
Submission and
presentation

Index:
Work to be done

Work completed

9
 3 BUDGET ESTIMATION

The tentative cost of required material is illustrated below in the table.

Table 2: Budget estimation

S. N. Materials Units Specification Price (Rs.)

1 Rim pcs 4 600

2 Bearing pcs 6 800

3 Tin plate Sq. ft. 4 500

4 Shaft pcs 3 1200

6 Chain ft. 12 500

7 Gear rod ft. 2 200

8 Grip pcs 2 200

9 Base wheel pcs 2 1200

Total Rs.5200

10
 4 EXPECTED OUTCOME

We are expecting following outcomes after the completion of this project

• To fabricate rice planting machine capable to plant seeds more efficiently than
traditional farming system.
• Efficient utilization of resources by saving labor and cost of overall production.
• Improving soil health through eliminating puddling.
• Ensures uniform spacing and optimum plant density.

11
 5 REFERENCES

[1] "Operational Manual for Mechanical Transplanting of Rice," Cereal Systems Initiative for
South Asia Phase II (CSISA), 2015. [Online]. Available: www.knowledgebank.irri.org/csisa.

[2] C. D. D. (. a. A. S. o. N. (. 2017, April 2017. [Online]. Available: www.cddnepal.gov.np.

[Accessed 23 Sep 2019].

[3] [Online]. Available: https://www.straitstimes.com/asia/fun-start-to-rice-planting-season.

[Accessed 23 September 2019].

[4] C. Chaudhari, "International journal of Engineering Science and Research Technology,"

August 2016. [Online]. Available: www.ijesrt.com. [Accessed 23 September 2019].

12