TECHNOLOGY/PRODUCT:

COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE

• Tractors and combine harvesters are the two main items of import of agricultural machinery in terms of value.
• A tracked tractor has a much lower ground contact pressure than the conventional tractor and risks of bogging on the soft padi soil is less compared to conventional tractor
• The damage to the soil hardpan by the tracks is significantly less than that caused by the wooden strakes that are fitted to tractor tyres.

DESCRIPTION

General description

• PADITRAK is a multipurpose primemover prototype designed and developed by MARDI for use on soft padi land. The multipurpose padi tractor can function as a padi tractor, a transporter or a padi combine harvester depending on the attachment mounted on it.

Technical Specifications

• Engine : 60 hp
• Dimension (L x W x H) : 330 x 184 x 202 cm
• Weight : 1850 kg (unladen basic machine)
• Transmission : hydrostatic
• Minimum ground clearance : 40 cm
• Track system : 45 cm wide rubber track belt that wraps round 3 pneumatic tyres of 69 cm diameter.

Sketch/photograph

• Computer Drawing of PADITRAK
• Photograph of modified MALTRAK rotary tilling on soft padi soil
• Photograph of PADITRAK combine harvesting of padi

Published papers

• Ooi, H.S. (1991) Modification of MALTRAK's track for use on soft paddy soil. J. Inst. Jurutera Mal. Bil. 49,: 27-34
• Ooi, H.S. Theoretical investigation on the tractive performance of MALTRAK on soft paddy soil. MARDI Report No.166
• Ooi, H.S. Design and development of a multiple use rice tractor cum transporter for soft paddy soil. MARDI Report No.172

Researcher(s):

• OOI HoSeng

PERFORMANCE

• PADITRAK can carry up to 1000 kg load on soft padi soil of cone index of 0.1 kgf/cm2 average at 0-30 cm depth.
• It can travel up to 15 kph (unladen).
• A workrate of 3-5 h/ha for land cultivation was recorded.
• A harvesting rate of up to 0.3 ha/hour was recorded.

TECHNOLOGY STATUS

• PADITRAK is suitable for land cultivation in soft padi soil areas provided there is dry headland at the end of each plot for turning.
• It is suitable for infield transportation and bulk handling of paddy to complement and increase the efficiency of the current large combine harvesters.
• The design and fabrication of PADITRAK was completed with the assistance of Howard Alatpertanian in 1989.
• Further development work is still needed to overcome the problem of the track coming out and the lack of PTO power.
• The performance of the harvester implement is not very satisfactory. Threshed grains has more than 10% impurities.

ECONOMIC FEASIBILITY

Economic evaluation of PADITRAK utilisation

• Owning and operating cost of PADITRAK-Tractor
• Owning and operating cost of PADITRAK-Combine

Economic evaluation of PADITRAK manufacture

• Parts and material costs of PADITRAK