Optimization of Daily Vibration Dose during Different Ride Parameters among Tractor Driving

Abstract

<div>This research examined tractor operators’ daily vibration exposure A(8) with different input riding parameters, i.e., average speed (m/s) (2.78, 3.89, 5.0), body mass (BM) (kg/m²) (35.3, 32.6, 25.4), and different terrain types (brick, farm, and tar roads). To arrange the systematic sequence of experiments, Taguchi’s L9 orthogonal array has been selected for this study. The signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is calculated to analyze the overall influence of input parameters over the output parameters. In this study, it is found that A(8) responses exceeded the recommended action value among all the tractor operators according to ISO 2631-1 (1997). The average speeds and various terrain conditions were shown to be the most influential significant variables (<i>p</i> ≤ 0.05), with percentage contributions of 53.71% and 11.53%, respectively. The predicted linear and linear interaction values in a regression model are quite similar to the experimental values, with mean error percentages of 3.89% and 2.27%, respectively. As comfort is essential for the tractor operator, the results of this research may be used in the design of tractor seats to improve comfort. The approach is unique in the Indian context for the comfort of the tractor driver.</div>