Evaluation of Azutecnia Horizontal Probe in Sugarcane Sampling

Abstract

Improving the sugarcane payment to the sugarcane grower, in a differentiated way, according to the quality of the raw material, demanded the design by the national industry of the AZUTECNIA Horizontal Sampling Probe, as part of the kit of equipment for that purposes. The objective of the research was to determine the fulfillment of the quality of work and the technological and exploitation indices of the probe in the sampling of sugarcane to be ground in the mill under the conditions of the Cuban sugar agroindustry. The research was carried out in the laboratory of “Panchito Gómez Toro” Agro-Industrial Sugar Company, in Villa Clara Province. The standards and evaluation procedures for agricultural machines established by the Institute of Agricultural Engineering in Cuba were taken into account. The results showed that the quality of work was satisfactory, as it complied with the sample weight of 15 kg demanded by the laboratory in cane harvested with strange matter less than 12%. The operating system with the working organ active for a short period influenced the marked decrease in the productivity of operating, productive and exploitation time, as well as the exploitation coefficients associated with them; however, there is no difficulty in guaranteeing the established 16 daily samples. It showed adequate reliability, with a technical safety coefficient greater than 70%, and average fuel costs based on the number of samples and their weight of 0.053 L/sample and 0.004 L/kg, respectively.