DESIGN OF A HANDLING SUPPORT DEVICE FOR A BACKPACK GRASS CUTTER USING SOLIDWORKS

Abstract

The lawn mower is widely used due to its flexibility, but its use often causes ergonomic problems due to the load directly supported by the operator's body. Static loads and vibrations during operation have the potential to cause fatigue and reduce work comfort. This study proposes the design of a handling support device as a solution to help support the machine load and increase stability during use. The purpose of this study is to design and evaluate the structural strength of the lawn mower handling support device. The methods used include designing a three-dimensional model using SolidWorks and structural strength analysis using Finite Element Analysis (FEA) simulation with ASTM A36 Steel material and a load of 200 N. The simulation results show a maximum displacement of 1 mm and a minimum safety factor of 2 based on the software results, but the maximum stress reaches 362 MPa in critical areas so that design optimization is needed. This study shows that FEA simulation is effective for evaluating and refining designs before the manufacturing stage.