This research examined tractor operators’ daily vibration exposure A(8) with
different input riding parameters, i.e., average speed (m/s) (2.78, 3.89, 5.0),
body mass (BM) (kg/m2) (35.3, 32.6, 25.4), and different terrain
types (brick, farm, and tar roads). To arrange the systematic sequence of
experiments, Taguchi’s L9 orthogonal array has been selected for this study. The
signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is calculated to analyze the overall influence of
input parameters over the output parameters. In this study, it is found that
A(8) responses exceeded the recommended action value among all the tractor
operators according to ISO 2631-1 (1997). The average speeds and various terrain
conditions were shown to be the most influential significant variables
(p ≤ 0.05), with percentage contributions of 53.71% and
11.53%, respectively. The predicted linear and linear interaction values in a
regression model are quite similar to the experimental values, with mean error
percentages of 3.89% and 2.27%, respectively. As comfort is essential for the
tractor operator, the results of this research may be used in the design of
tractor seats to improve comfort. The approach is unique in the Indian context
for the comfort of the tractor driver.
