Concept to Commercialization: A University Machine Design Case Study

Sweet potato harvesting requires the destruction of a massive amount of above ground vine material before digging can begin. The efficiency of harvesting is greatly increased if the potatoes are detached from their root stems before they are dug. The development of a machine in a university mechanization research program which successfully accomplished these two tasks is reported, including field testing on commercial farms and laboratory test results. Further, the development of drawings and bills of material resulting in a “know-how” contract between the university and the manufacturer, and the subsequent cooperation between these two, are described.