The accompaniment of the surface and the auto-protection are limiting factors in the sugar cane conventional base cutter mechanism which causes an inefficient cutting and sweeping and also promotes a high amount of soil incorporation to the harvested material. A simulation model was developed according to the Laws of Dynamics to determine the angular displacements of the segment in the vertical plan, the knife in horizontal plan and the force of interaction of the segment with the surface. The simulation of the mechanism was carried out in two speeds (400 and 600 rotations min-1), three heights with regard to surface (120, 130 and 140 mm) and two inclinations of the rotor (-10 and -12º). The reaction force on the contact surface, which is related to the sweeping, presented values between 21 and 95º. The oscillation of the knife presented insignificant angular variations during the simulation. The force of reaction with the surface, which is related to the soil movement and damages to the ratoons, presented values between 941 and 2654 N. It was observed that virtual resources of simulation are presented as a powerful tool in decision-making and development of new mechanisms.
modeling; simulation; mechanisms of agricultural machines
