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SRI's deep interest in harvesting research is driven by clients' need for a high quality, clean, fresh cane supply. The industry's need to reduce the amount of extraneous matter and dirt in the cane supplied to factories and optimise mechanical harvester operations has produced ground-breaking research.
Complex transport logistics programs developed since 1965 enable clients to streamline sugar factory transport systems, improving speed and efficiency of sugarcane delivery to the mill.
Research project highlights
Harvesting
- Harvester base cutter height control system to maintain optimal heights of base cutters and crop divider shoes. The control system uses ultrasonic sensors to measure the height above the ground of the soil-engaging harvester components;
- Feeding green lodged (fallen) cane - SRI has developed a model of the flow of cane into the harvester to enhance the flow and optimise the harvester's performance in green, lodged crops; and
- Design and testing of commercial scale cane cleaning plant for trash recovery.
Transport
SRI's widely adopted computer-based planning schedules are:
- Traffic Officer Tools (TOTools) to assist traffic officers in daily operations;
- The Automatic Cane Railway Scheduling System (ACRSS) to evaluate cane transport requirements and propose changes to the transport system; and
- The Animated Cane Transport Scheduling System (ACTSS) is a tool for checking transport schedules.