Author(s):

Dr. M Manoharan and Dr. A Surendrakumar

Abstract: This article aims at the application of biomimetics design in development of non smooth surface pattern mould board plough. From past research works, it can be concluded that non-smooth surfaces can generally reduce soil resistance however the extent of reduction is still a gray area. The main factors affecting soil adhesion are the nature and properties of the soil, the geometry of the soil-engaging component surfaces and the experimental conditions. The soil burrowing insects’ viz., dung beetle, mole cricket and termite were investigated under SEM for the development of non smooth surface pattern plough. All the body parts of investigated soil burrowing insects exhibited irregular arrangement and complicated shapes except head portion of the dung beetle. The different morphological features of the body surfaces exist in investigated species of soil burrowing insects as well as in different segments of the same insect. The geometry of investigated species exhibited embossed morphology with small convex domes, dimpled morphology with small concave hollows, wavy morphology, scaly morphology and corrugated morphology with ridges. The surface morphology of dung beetle with protuberance of 0.25 to 0.5 height base diameter ratio pertains to semi-oblate and semi-sphere was arrived under SEM. Based on the surface morphology of dung beetle head portion, two on smooth surface pattern mould board ploughs of semi-oblate protuberances with a height base diameter ratio of 0.25 and semi-sphere protuberances with a height base diameter ratio of 0.5 were developed.

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