Skip to main content
Log in

Improving the durability of tillage tools through surface modification—a review

  • Critical Review
  • Published:
The International Journal of Advanced Manufacturing Technology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Farming tools are often exposed to high wear rate in dry agricultural land areas. This makes the farming activity to have problems of recurrent labour, idle time, and the extra expenses in replacing the damaged implements like ploughshares. Damaged tools end up in poor tillage, poor planting efficiency, and higher fuel costs. The major phenomena responsible for this is their susceptibility to wear, corrosion, and tribo-corrosion. The engineers are seeking means of enhancing the wear characteristic of implements used for farming activities to increase their durability. Increasing durability emanates from an investigation of corrosion, wear, and tear model of machine parts during tillage operation. It helps to fabricate standard tillage material components to extend their operating life. In this regard, this article gives a brief review on the working conditions of tillage tools, abrasive wear mechanism and wear of tillage tools, factors influencing wear of tools, different technologies used in combating wear and corrosion in agriculture and other industries, and suggestion was made on the promising novel findings discovered in the field in recent times which suggest a prospective breakthrough towards wear and corrosion in agricultural industry.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12
Fig. 13
Fig. 14

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Notarnicola B, Tassielli G, Renzulli PA, Castellani V, Sala S (2017) Environmental impacts of food consumption in Europe. J Clean Prod 140:753–765

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Houmy K et al (2013) Agricultural mechanization in sub-Saharan Africa: guidelines for preparing a strategy. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO) 22

  3. Selvan M, Manian R, Kathirvel K (2002) Performance evaluation of basin lister cum-seeder attachment to tractor-drawn cultivator. AGRICULTURAL MECHANIZATION IN ASIA AFRICA AND LATIN AMERICA 33(1):15–19

    Google Scholar 

  4. Mahmoodi-Eshkaftaki M, Ebrahimi R, Ghanbarian D, Houshyar E (2017) Geometric characterization of moldboard plough using coupled close photography and surface fitting model. Soil Tillage Res 170:122–129

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. Cucinotta F, Scappaticci L, Sfravara F, Morelli F, Mariani F, Varani M, Mattetti M (2019) On the morphology of the abrasive wear on ploughshares by means of 3D scanning. Biosyst Eng 179:117–125

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Formato A, Faugno S, Paolillo G (2005) Numerical simulation of soil-plough mouldboard interaction. Biosyst Eng 92(3):309–316

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Horvat Z, Filipovic D, Kosutic S, Emert R (2008) Reduction of mouldboard plough share wear by a combination technique of hardfacing. Tribol Int 41(8):778–782

    Article  Google Scholar 

  8. Spakale PR, Tiwari G, Sharma AK (2016) Influence of surface hardening processes on wear characteristics of soil working tools-a review. International Journal of Engineering Science and Emerging Technologies 8(4):191–201

    Google Scholar 

  9. Allen C, Ball A (1996) A review of the performance of engineering materials under prevalent tribological and wear situations in south African industries. Tribol Int 29(2):105–116

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Aramide BP et al. (2020) Wear-resistant metals and composites, in Handbook of nanomaterials and nanocomposites for energy and environmental applications, O.V. Kharissova, L.M.T. Martínez, and B.I. Kharisov, Editors, Springer International Publishing: Cham. p. 1-25

  11. Linde GF (2016) Investigating the performance of thermal spray coatings on agriculture equipment. Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch

    Google Scholar 

  12. Kalácska Á, de Baets P, Fauconnier D, Schramm F, Frerichs L, Sukumaran J (2020) Abrasive wear behaviour of 27MnB5 steel used in agricultural tines. Wear 442-443:203107

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Bhole SD, Hejin YU (1992) Abrasive wear evaluation of tillage tool materials. Lubr Eng 48(12):925–934

    Google Scholar 

  14. González H, Cappelli NL, Toro A (2013) Wear of rotary plows operating in a tropical clay loam soil. Engenharia Agrícola 33(4):772–781

    Article  Google Scholar 

  15. Swanson PA (1993) Comparison of laboratory abrasion tests and field tests of materials used in tillage equipment, in tribology: wear test selection for design and application, ASTM International

  16. Zhang J, Kushwaha R (1995) Wear and draft of cultivator sweeps with hardened edges. Can Agric Eng 37(1):41–47

    Google Scholar 

  17. Karamis M (1987) Energy losses resulting from tillage tool wear in Turkish agricultural fields. in Conference proceedings of third international symposium on mechanization and energy in agriculture Izmir, Turkey, October

  18. Murthy NR Abrasive wear of cultivator shovel in soils. 1988, IIT, Kharagpur

  19. Bedolla P et al (2018) Combined experimental and numerical simulation of abrasive wear and its application to a tillage machine component. Tribol Int 127:122–128

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Wei M, Zhu L, Luo F, Zhang JW, Dong XW, Jen TC (2019) Share-soil interaction load and wear at various tillage conditions of a horizontally reversible plough. Comput Electron Agric 162:21–30

    Article  Google Scholar 

  21. Severnev MM (1986) Wear of Agricultural Machine Parts

  22. Yu H-J, Bhole S (1990) Development of a prototype abrasive wear tester for tillage tool materials. Tribol Int 23(5):309–316

    Article  Google Scholar 

  23. Kumi, F. (2011) Development and evaluation of an abrasive wear test equipment

  24. Ekpe U, Ebenso E, Ibok U (1994) Inhibitory action of Azadirachta indica leaves extract on the corrosion of mild steel in H2SO4. JW Afri Sci Assoc 37(3):13–30

    Google Scholar 

  25. Noor EA, Al-Moubaraki AH (2008) Thermodynamic study of metal corrosion and inhibitor adsorption processes in mild steel/1-methyl-44 (-X)-styryl pyridinium iodides/hydrochloric acid systems. Mater Chem Phys 110(1):145–154

    Article  Google Scholar 

  26. Gupta A et al (2004) Performance evaluation of different types of steel for duck foot sweep application. Biosyst Eng 88(1):63–74

    Article  Google Scholar 

  27. Spakale PR, Tiwari G (2017) Wear characteristics of reversible cultivator shovels. Contemporary Research in India 7(4):86–95

    Google Scholar 

  28. Nalbant M, Palali AT (2011) Effects of different material coatings on the wearing of plowshares in soil tillage. Turk J Agric For 35(3):215–223

    Google Scholar 

  29. Singh D et al (2010) Low stress abrasive wear response of boron steel under three body abrasion: effect of heat treatment and peening intensities. Indian. J Eng and Mater Sci 17:208–218

    Google Scholar 

  30. Pirowski Z et al (2013) Innovative construction of agricultural tools from modern casting materials. Teka Komisji Motoryzacji i Energetyki Rolnictwa 13(1)

  31. Singh D, Saha K, Pada Mondal D (2014) Effect of heat-treatment under changeable applied load on wear response of agricultural grade medium carbon steel: a multiple range analysis. Institute of Agricultural Engineerin Scientific Journal 4:1–10

    Google Scholar 

  32. Günther K, Bergmann JP (2020) Influencing microstructure of vanadium carbide reinforced FeCrVC hardfacing during gas metal arc welding. Metals 10(10):1345

    Article  Google Scholar 

  33. Chattopadhyay R (2001) Surface wear: analysis, treatment, and prevention: ASM international

  34. Calcante A, Fontanini L, Mazzetto F (2013) Repair and maintenance costs of 4WD tractors and self propelled combine harvesters in Italy. J Agric Eng

  35. Kragel’skiĭ IV (1965) Friction and wear [by] IV Kragelskiǐ: Translated from the Russian by Leo Ronson, in Collaboration with JK Lancaster: Butterworths

  36. Ferguson SA, Fielke JM, Riley TW (1998) Wear of cultivator shares in abrasive South Australian soils. J Agric Eng Res 69(2):99–105

    Article  Google Scholar 

  37. Subbaya K et al (2012) Multiple response optimization of three-body abrasive wear behaviour of graphite filled carbon-epoxy composites using grey-based Taguchi approach. J Miner Mater Charact Eng 11(09):876–884

    Google Scholar 

  38. Ahmed F et al. Effect of new hard facing materials of tillage tools on draft and roughness. 2016

  39. Owsiak Z (1997) Wear of symmetrical wedge-shaped tillage tools. Soil Tillage Res 43(3-4):295–308

    Article  Google Scholar 

  40. Natsis A, Petropoulos G, Pandazaras C (2008) Influence of local soil conditions on mouldboard ploughshare abrasive wear. Tribol Int 41(3):151–157

    Article  Google Scholar 

  41. Fielke JM, Riley TW, Slattery MG, Fitzpatrick RW (1993) Comparison of tillage forces and wear rates of pressed and cast cultivator shares. Soil Tillage Res 25(4):317–328

    Article  Google Scholar 

  42. Singh J, Chatha SS, Sidhu BS (2020) Abrasive wear behavior of newly developed weld overlaid tillage tools in laboratory and in actual field conditions. J Manuf Process 55:143–152

    Article  Google Scholar 

  43. Goel, G.S. A numerical study of tillage tool wear during plowing of sandy soil. (2013), Doctoral dissertation, The University of North Carolina at Charlotte

  44. Stabryła J (2007) Research on the degradation process of agricultural tools in soil. Problemy Eksploatacji:223–232

  45. Luyckx S, Love A (2004) The relationship between the abrasion resistance and the hardness of WC-Co alloys. Journal of the South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy 104(10):579–582

    Google Scholar 

  46. Hutchings, I. and P. Shipway (2017) 6 - Wear by hard particles, in Tribology (Second Edition), I. Hutchings and P. Shipway, Editors. , Butterworth-Heinemann. p. 165-236

  47. Chintha AR (2019) Metallurgical aspects of steels designed to resist abrasion, and impact-abrasion wear. Mater Sci Technol 35(10):1133–1148

    Article  Google Scholar 

  48. Ismail S, Ahsan Q, Haseeb ASMA (2017) 2.7 Recent advances in mechanical surface treatment, in comprehensive materials finishing, M.S.J. Hashmi, Editor, Elsevier: Oxford. p. 171-179

  49. Singh D, Mondal D (2014) Effect of quenching and tempering processes and shot peening intensity on wear behaviour of SAE-6150 steel. Indian. J Eng Mater Sci 21:168–178

    Google Scholar 

  50. Mondal D et al (2008) High stress abrasive wear behaviour of shot peened AA2014 Al-alloy. Indian. J Eng Mater Sci 15:41–50

    Google Scholar 

  51. Hashemi B, Rezaee Yazdi M, Azar V (2011) The wear and corrosion resistance of shot peened–nitrided 316L austenitic stainless steel. Mater Des 32(6):3287–3292

    Article  Google Scholar 

  52. Sun BL, Wang YJ, Xiao JY, Gao GQ, Qiao MJ, Xiao XD (2014) Evolution of microstructure and properties of 2196 Al-Li alloy induced by shot peening. Procedia Eng 81:1043–1048

    Article  Google Scholar 

  53. Braisted W, Brockman R (1999) Finite element simulation of laser shock peening. Int J Fatigue 21(7):719–724

    Article  Google Scholar 

  54. Sundar R et al (2019) Laser shock peening and its applications: a review. Lasers in Manuf Mater Process 6(4):424–463

    Article  Google Scholar 

  55. Nalla RK, Altenberger I, Noster U, Liu GY, Scholtes B, Ritchie RO (2003) On the influence of mechanical surface treatments—deep rolling and laser shock peening—on the fatigue behavior of Ti–6Al–4V at ambient and elevated temperatures. Mater Sci Eng A 355(1):216–230

    Article  Google Scholar 

  56. Gencalp Irizalp S, Saklakoglu N (2017) In: Hashmi MSJ (ed) 1.14 Laser peening of metallic materials, in Comprehensive materials finishing. Elsevier, Oxford, pp 408–440

    Chapter  Google Scholar 

  57. Lu JZ, Luo KY, Dai FZ, Zhong JW, Xu LZ, Yang CJ, Zhang L, Wang QW, Zhong JS, Yang DK, Zhang YK (2012) Effects of multiple laser shock processing (LSP) impacts on mechanical properties and wear behaviors of AISI 8620 steel. Mater Sci Eng A 536:57–63

    Article  Google Scholar 

  58. Molian P (1986) Engineering applications and analysis of hardening data for laser heat treated ferrous alloys. Surf Eng 2(1):19–28

    Article  Google Scholar 

  59. Sutrisno B. Soegijono (2014) Surface hardening of St41 low carbon steel by using the hot-pressing powder-pack boriding method. in AIP Conference Proceedings. American Institute of Physics

  60. Babu PD, Buvanashekaran G, Balasubramanian KR (2012) Experimental studies on the microstructure and hardness of laser transformation hardening of low alloy steel. Trans Can Soc Mech Eng 36(3):241–258

    Article  Google Scholar 

  61. Hamood AF (2010) Influence of annealing, normalizing hardening followed by tempering and laser treatments on some of the static and dynamic mechanical properties of medium carbon steel. Eng Technol J 28(21)

  62. El-Mahdy G et al (2012) Influence of heat and laser treatments on the corrodibility of the reinforced carbon steel. Int J Electrochem Sci 7:6677–6692

    Google Scholar 

  63. Ashiru O, Shirokoff J (1996) Electrodeposition and characterization of tin-zinc alloy coatings. Appl Surf Sci 103(2):159–169

    Article  Google Scholar 

  64. Bepari MMA 2.3 Carburizing: A Method of Case Hardening of Steel, in Comprehensive Materials Finishing, M.S.J. Hashmi, Editor. 2017, Elsevier: Oxford. p. 71-106

  65. Yazici A (2011) Wear behavior of carbonitride-treated ploughshares produced from 30MnB5 steel for soil tillage applications. Metal Sci Heat Treat 53(5-6):248–253

    Article  Google Scholar 

  66. Bell T, Bergmann HW, Lanagan J, Morton PH, Staines AM (1986) Surface engineering of titanium with nitrogen. Surf Eng 2(2):133–143

    Article  Google Scholar 

  67. Farokhzadeh K Edrisy A, 2.4 Surface hardening by gas nitriding, in comprehensive materials finishing, M.S.J. Hashmi, Editor. 2017, Elsevier: Oxford. p. 107-136

  68. Rahman M et al (2009) Morphology and properties of electrodeposited Zn-Ni alloy coatings on mild steel. J Mech Eng 40(1):9–14

    Article  Google Scholar 

  69. Katsamas A, Haidemenopoulos G (1999) Surface hardening of low-alloy 15CrNi6 steel by CO2 laser beam. Surf Coat Technol 115(2-3):249–255

    Article  Google Scholar 

  70. Praveen B, Venkatesha T (2008) Electrodeposition and properties of Zn-nanosized TiO2 composite coatings. Appl Surf Sci 254(8):2418–2424

    Article  Google Scholar 

  71. Popoola A et al (2011) Quantitative study of the hardness property of laser surface alloyed aluminium AA1200. J South Afr Inst Min Metall 111(5):335–344

    Google Scholar 

  72. Hrabě P, Müller M, Hadač V (2015) Evaluation of techniques for ploughshare lifetime increase. Res Agric Eng 61(2):72–79

    Article  Google Scholar 

  73. Scholl M, Devanathan R, Clayton P (1990) Abrasive and dry sliding wear resistance of Fe-Mo-Ni-Si and Fe-Mo-Ni-Si-C weld hardfacing alloys. Wear 135(2):355–368

    Article  Google Scholar 

  74. Kang AS, Grewal JS, Cheema GS (2017) Effect of thermal spray coatings on wear behavior of high tensile steel applicable for tiller blades. Mater Today: Proc 4(2):95–103

    Google Scholar 

  75. Hrabě P, Müller M (2013) Research of overlays influence on ploughshare lifetime. Res Agric Eng 59(4):147–152

    Article  Google Scholar 

  76. Horvat Z et al (2018) Influence of ploughshare surface layers on ploughing efficiency. Metalurgija 57(1-2):125–127

    Google Scholar 

  77. Bartkowski D, Bartkowska A (2017) Wear resistance in the soil of Stellite-6/WC coatings produced using laser cladding method. Int J Refract Met Hard Mater 64:20–26

    Article  Google Scholar 

  78. Ibrahim I, Mohamed F, Lavernia E (1991) Particulate reinforced metal matrix composites—a review. J Mater Sci 26(5):1137–1156

    Article  Google Scholar 

  79. Kim Y, Lee J, Yeom MS, Shin JW, Kim H, Cui Y, Kysar JW, Hone J, Jung Y, Jeon S, Han SM (2013) Strengthening effect of single-atomic-layer graphene in metal–graphene nanolayered composites. Nat Commun 4:2114

    Article  Google Scholar 

  80. Toyserkani E, Khajepour A, Corbin SF Laser cladding. 2004: CRC press

  81. Mazumder J, Dutta D, Kikuchi N, Ghosh A (2000) Closed loop direct metal deposition: art to part. Opt Lasers Eng 34(4-6):397–414

    Article  Google Scholar 

  82. Vilar R (1999) Laser cladding. J Laser Appl 11(2):64–79

    Article  Google Scholar 

  83. Islam MU, Xue L, McGregor G (2001) Process for manufacturing or repairing turbine engine or compressor components, Google Patents.

  84. Gaumann M et al (1998) Single crystal turbine components repaired by epitaxial laser metal forming. Mater Advanced Powder Eng 1479:1–6

    Google Scholar 

  85. Pei Y, De Hosson JTM (2000) Producing functionally graded coatings by laser-powder cladding. J Min Metals and Mater Soc 50(1):641–647

    Google Scholar 

  86. Ensz MT, Griffith ML, Reckaway DE (2002) Critical issues for functionally graded material deposition by laser engineered net shaping (LENS). in Proceedings of the 2002 MPIF laser metal deposition conference. San Antonio: TX.

  87. Li X, Golnas A, Prinz FB (2000) Shape deposition manufacturing of smart metallic structures with embedded sensors. in Smart structures and materials 2000: sensory phenomena and measurement instrumentation for smart structures and materials. International Society for Optics and Photonics.

  88. Tseng W, Aoh J (2013) Simulation study on laser cladding on preplaced powder layer with a tailored laser heat source. Opt Laser Technol 48:141–152

    Article  Google Scholar 

  89. Emamian A, Corbin SF, Khajepour A (2010) Effect of laser cladding process parameters on clad quality and in-situ formed microstructure of Fe–TiC composite coatings. Surf Coat Technol 205(7):2007–2015

    Article  Google Scholar 

  90. Xue Y, Wang H (2009) Microstructure and dry sliding wear resistance of CoTi intermetallic alloy. Intermetallics 17(3):89–97

    Article  Google Scholar 

  91. Fang L et al (2011) Effect of laser power on the cladding temperature field and the heat affected zone. J Iron Steel Res Int 18(1):73–78

    Article  Google Scholar 

  92. Sobiyi K, Akinlabi ET (2017) Microstructure and wear properties of laser-cladded cBN/Ti3 Al on pure titanium. Arab J Sci Eng 42(11):4597–4604

    Article  Google Scholar 

  93. Adesina OS, Popoola API (2017) A study on the influence of laser power on microstructural evolution and tribological functionality of metallic coatings deposited on Ti-6Al-4V alloy. Tribol-Mater, Surfaces & Interfaces 11(3):145–155

    Article  Google Scholar 

  94. Ion J (2005) Laser Processing of engineering materials: principles, procedure and industrial application: Elsevier.

  95. Li H et al (2015) Effect of CeO2 and Y2O3 on microstructure, bioactivity and degradability of laser cladding CaO–SiO2 coating on titanium alloy. Colloids Surf B: Biointerfaces 127:15–21

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors acknowledge the support from Tshwane University of Technology (TUT), Pretoria, South Africa, without which this work would not have been possible.

Availability of data and materials

Not applicable.

Code availability

Not applicable.

Funding

This work is funded by the Tshwane University of Technology, Pretoria, South Africa.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Contributions

Basiru Aramide conceptualized the idea, formulated the research goals, and aims developed the design methodology and the creation of models, designed the study, and wrote the original draft of the manuscript.

Sisa Pityana supervised and assisted with the technicality of the work.

Rotimi Sadiku supervised and assisted with the provision of study materials, editing and reviewing the original draft of the manuscript.

Tamba Jamiru supervised and helped with the editing and reviewing of the draft.

Patricia Popoola supervised, taught, and managed the literature review searches and the investigation processes.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Basiru Aramide.

Ethics declarations

Ethics approval

Not applicable.

Consent to participate

Not applicable.

Competing interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

Additional information

Publisher’s note

Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Aramide, B., Pityana, S., Sadiku, R. et al. Improving the durability of tillage tools through surface modification—a review. Int J Adv Manuf Technol 116, 83–98 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00170-021-07487-4

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00170-021-07487-4

Keywords

Navigation