Experimental protocol and results.

To improve the reliability and cost-efficiency of the grafting mechanism, this study proposes a novel butterfly-shaped polyethylene (PE) grafting clip and integrated cutting-type clip-feeding mechanism. The proposed system replaces traditional steel coil clips and vibration screen feeders with a lightweight, low-damage, and low-cost design capable of continuous clip feeding. The mechanical behavior of the PE clip material was characterized through tensile testing and modeled using the Johnson-Cook constitutive equation. A finite element model of the cutting process was established in Abaqus to investigate the effects of cutting force, speed, and angle on blade stress and clip deformation. Using the Box-Behnken response surface methodology, the cutting parameters were optimized to minimize stress concentration and material distortion. Simulation results showed that optimal performance was achieved at a cutting force of 110 N, a speed of 25.618 cm/s, and a cutting angle of 32.414°, yielding a maximum blade stress of 1.31 MPa and clip strain of 5.304%. Validation tests demonstrated that a 30°cutting angle produced the highest cutting quality, consistent with simulation predictions. Comparative performance evaluations with a commercial vibrating screen clip feeder confirmed the superiority of the proposed system in terms of reliability, energy efficiency, operational noise, and cost. The developed mechanism offers a compact and practical solution for automated grafting, particularly suitable for small and medium-sized seedling nurseries seeking affordable mechanization technologies.为提升嫁接机构的可靠性与成本效益，本研究提出一种新型蝶形聚乙烯（PE）嫁接夹及集成式剪切型送夹机构。该系统采用轻量化、低损伤、低成本的设计方案，可实现连续送夹，替代了传统钢质卷夹与振动筛式送夹装置。本研究通过拉伸试验表征了PE嫁接夹材料的力学行为，并采用Johnson-Cook本构方程对其进行建模。本研究在Abaqus中建立了剪切过程的有限元模型，以探究剪切力、剪切速度及剪切角度对刀刃应力与夹体变形的影响。本研究采用Box-Behnken响应面法对剪切参数进行优化，以最小化应力集中与材料畸变。仿真结果表明，当剪切力为110 N、剪切速度为25.618 cm/s、剪切角度为32.414°时，系统性能达到最优，此时刀刃最大应力为1.31 MPa，夹体应变为5.304%。验证试验表明，当剪切角度为30°时剪切质量最优，与仿真预测结果一致。通过与商用振动筛式送夹机的性能对比评估，证实了本研究提出的系统在可靠性、能效、作业噪音及成本方面均具有优势。本研究开发的机构为自动化嫁接提供了一种紧凑实用的解决方案，尤其适用于寻求经济实惠机械化技术的中小型育苗苗圃。