Three-Dimensional Scanning and Computational Simulation of Coffee Tree Branches

Coffee has significant economic importance in Brazil, which is the world’s largest exporter of this product. The main focus of this work is to obtain a computational model of coffee branches, using scanning techniques and experimental validation through modal analysis, to understand their mechanical behaviors due to dynamic and static properties. The main mechanical properties of the branches, including specific gravity and elastic modulus, were obtained in the laboratory and used as input parameters for the simulations. Geometric models were obtained by means of three-dimensional scanning and analyzed using the finite element method to predict the static and dynamic behaviors of the branches. The methodology was validated in experimental tests. The results of vibration frequencies obtained in the branches showed variations between simulations and experimental tests ranging from 2% to 20%, and the statistical analysis did not find significant differences. The results demonstrate important indicators for predicting the static and dynamic behaviors of plagiotropic branches of a coffee tree. These results can be considered in vibration analysis for coffee harvesting, which represents a technological advance in the area, since simplified models are usually obtained by geometric coordinates to obtain geometric models of a coffee tree.