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2026 Vol.8, Issue 2 Preview Page

Research Article

Optimization of alfalfa cutting parameters using response surface methodology and kriging model
In-Beom Son1
,
Dong-Gun Lee12
,
Sung-Bo Shim1*
1Department of Bio Industrial Machinery Engineering, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 41566, Republic of Korea
2Department of Industrial Machinery DX, Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials, Daejeon 34103, Republic of Korea
*Corresponding Author
30 June 2026. pp. 158-171
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Abstract

This study analyzed the effects of blade geometry and cutting speed on the cutting force during the alfalfa stem cutting process and derived the optimal combination of blade parameters to minimize the cutting force. To this end, a four-factor, three-level fractional factorial design was conducted using shear angle, approach angle, sliding angle, and blade speed as factors to acquire force-time signals. The maximum cutting force was calculated by applying a Savitzky–Golay filter to the acquired signals, and a quadratic response surface model was constructed using this as the dependent variable. As a result, the coefficient of determination (R2) of the model was 0.8489. Analysis of variance (ANOVA) results showed that the overall model, the main effect and quadratic term of the approach angle, and the interaction term between the shear angle and speed were statistically significant. In the response surface analysis by speed, the minimum cutting force region was formed around an approach angle of 40° under all conditions of 100, 300, and 500 mm/min. As the speed increased, the optimal shear angle tended to shift from 60° to 40°, and the optimal sliding angle shifted from 0° to 45°. Furthermore, a Kriging model was employed to capture the non-linear characteristics of the cutting process. Through non-linear optimization based on the Kriging model, global optimal conditions minimizing the cutting force within the design space were precisely derived, thereby providing quantitative criteria for designing alfalfa cutting blades that combine speed, shear angle, and sliding angle based on an approach angle of 40°.

Keywords
Alfalfa harvesting
Design of experiments (DOE)
Analysis of variance (ANOVA)
Response surface methodology (RSM)
Kriging model
Optimization
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Information
  • Publisher :Korean Society of Precision Agriculture
  • Publisher(Ko) :한국정밀농업학회
  • Journal Title :Precision Agriculture Science and Technology
  • Journal Title(Ko) :정밀농업과학기술
  • Volume : 8
  • No :2
  • Pages :158-171
  • Received Date : 2026-06-08
  • Revised Date : 2026-06-26
  • Accepted Date : 2026-06-26
  • DOI :https://doi.org/10.22765/pastj.20260013
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