SKID STEER LOG SPLITTER ATTACHMENT

SKID STEER LOG SPLITTER ATTACHMENT A Baccalaureate thesis submitted to the Department of Mechanical and Materials Engineering College of Engineering and Applied Science University of Cincinnati In partial fulfillment of the Requirements for the degree of Bachelor of Science In Mechanical Engineering Technology By April 2014 Thesis Advisor: Professor Laura Caldwell

TABLE OF CONTENTS TABLE OF CONTENTS... II LIST OF FIGURES... III LIST OF TABLES... III ABSTRACT... IV INTRODUCTION AND RESEARCH... 1 PROBLEM STATEMENT... 1 INTERVIEWS... 1 RESEARCH... 2 SURVEY CUSTOMER NEEDS... 5 PRODUCT OBJECTIVES... 7 CONCEPT GENERATION AND SELECTION... 8 CONCEPT 1 TIRE TO TIRE... 8 CONCEPT 2 STRAIGHT OUT... 9 CONCEPT 3 VERTICAL MOUNT... 10 WEIGHTED OBJECTIVE MATRIX- CONCEPT SELECTION... 11 3D ASSEMBLY MODEL... 12 CALCULATIONS... 14 BEAM STRENGTH... 14 PIN SHEAR STRENGTH... 15 CYLINDER BRACKET TENSILE STRESS... 16 ATTACHMENT WEIGHT CONSIDERATION... 17 SPLIT TIME CALCULATION... 17 PLANNED FABRICATION... 18 SCHEDULE... 19 BUDGET... 20 TESTING... 21 CONCLUSION... 22 WORKS CITED... 23 APPENDIX A RESEARCH... 24 APPENDIX B- SURVEY... 31 APPENDIX C QUALITY FUNCTION DEPLOYMENT... 32 APPENDIX D PRODUCT OBJECTIVES... 33 APPENDIX E- SCHEDULE... 34 APPENDIX F BUDGET... 35 ii

LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1-30 Ton upside down... 2 Figure 2 Horizontal/Vertical... 3 Figure 3 Tire to Tire... 3 Figure 4 Horizontal Top Load... 4 Figure 5 Relative Weight... 5 Figure 6 Relative Importance... 6 Figure 7 Product Objectives... 7 Figure 8 Concept 1 Tire to Tire... 8 Figure 9 Concept 2 Straight Out... 9 Figure 10 Concept 3 Vertical Mount... 10 Figure 11 Weighted Objective Matrix... 11 Figure 12-3D Model Operator View... 12 Figure 13 3D Model Isometric View... 13 Figure 14 Assembly 2D... 13 Figure 15 Beam Strength... 14 Figure 16 Pin Shear Stress... 15 Figure 17 Cylinder Bracket Tensile Stress... 16 Figure 18 - BOM... 18 Figure 19 Schedule... 19 Figure 20 Testing... 21 Figure 21 Added benefit... 22 LIST OF TABLES Table 1 Budget 20 iii

ABSTRACT The rising cost of fuels has caused an increasing number of people to heat their homes using firewood rather than fuel oil, propane, electricity, etc. This has increased the demand for firewood and thus the demand for the capability to split wood. Many people in rural areas are heating their homes with wood burning furnaces and also own a Bobcat or other skid steer piece of equipment. To heat a home with firewood for an entire winter requires a very large amount of wood to be split which is an intense amount of physical labor when using a splitting maul or axe. There are hydraulic powered log splitters on the market, but there exists a need for an in expensive, easy to use, log splitter attachment for a skid steer. One that would allow the operator the ability to split an entire years worth of firewood without leaving the operators seat and run on the auxiliary hydraulic supply from the machine. The skid steer log splitter was designed to be safe, easy to use, in expensive compared to other log splitters, and easily attachable to a bobcat skid steer with the ability to operate from the auxiliary hydraulics. The frame was constructed from cold rolled rectangular steel tubing cut and welded in place per shop drawings. A 25 ton cylinder was used to supply the splitting force. After the concept selection was performed the goal of the design was determined to be a tire to tire orientation with a top mounted cylinder and bottom mounted wedge. The design was to offer excellent visibility to the action being performed. iv

INTRODUCTION AND RESEARCH PROBLEM STATEMENT Many people who use wood to heat their homes, and live in rural areas, own a Bobcat or other skid steer equipment. Skid steer equipment has an auxiliary hydraulic supply line that can be utilized by the operator within the cab. It would be beneficial to these people to have an attachment which could pick up and split wood over a pile or trailer without the need for the operator to pick the wood up manually. This would allow a person to split a year s worth of wood by merely operating the controls within a skid steer. This product would also be beneficial in commercial use for anyone who sells cut and split firewood. INTERVIEWS Gary Wilson of Brookville Indiana is a heavy equipment operator who lives in a rural area and uses a wood stove to heat his home. Gary says that a log splitter attachment for a skid steer would be beneficial if it could pick the wood up and split it over a pile. The splitter must make splitting wood a one man operation so I do not have to rely on anyone else to help me. (1). Gary also mentioned he would like to see the splitter oriented in a side to side manner, which this paper will refer to as tire to tire rather than straight out for better visibility and maneuverability. Michelle Wilson of Brookville Indiana is the wife of Gary Wilson. She mentioned it would benefit her to be able to split wood while Gary is at work so he doesn t have to do all the work! Michelle is not able to split wood with an axe as her husband Gary can. A log splitter attachment for a skid steer would need to be easy enough for one person to install without requiring heavy lifting. (2). Michelle also mentioned she would not be able to load the splitter with heavy logs so it would need to be able to pick the logs up without requiring her to load it. Charlie Feller is a 68 year old farmer in Brookville Indiana. He heats his home with wood he cuts and splits from his farm. It would have to cut down on manual labor required with most common log splitters. (3). Please refer to Appendix A for complete interview information. 1

RESEARCH Wood Splitters Direct is a website that sells log splitter attachments for skid steers. The first model studied was a 30 Ton upside down splitter. Upside down mounting to allow picking logs from ground Figure 1 (4). The splitter s orientation was straight out. This is not ideal as it does not provide good visibility of the work being done. Maneuverability is decreased opposed to a splitter with tire to tire orientation. The long straight out orientation also introduces significant overhanging weight which could ultimately decrease life expectancy of the splitter. The cylinder opening range was the highest of the models studied at 32 inches. This splitter also had the capability of splitting logs either 2 or 4 ways. Price is $1900. Figure 1-30 Ton upside down 2

New River Firewood sells a horizontal-vertical 30 ton skid steer attachment log splitter, refer to Figure 2 Horizontal/Vertical. This splitter has an option for a vertical orientation which is not prefered for visibility, maneuvarability, and requires manual loading (not preferred). There is not an option for 4 way splitting, only 2 way. There are no hose guards. The is a great safety feature refered to as dead man switch which returns the splitter to it s original position when the operator let s go of the controls. The connecting beam does not appear to be very rigid. Cost is $1875. 26 maximum log length. Brass wear strips between ram and beam for added life. (5). Figure 2 Horizontal/Vertical Another splitter from Wood Splitters Direct found was a 20 ton tire to tire orientation with a 30 inches cylinder range. This is the first tire to tire found. Again the upside down design allows for logs to be picked from the ground. This splitter utilizes an I-beam for the main structure. There is no 4 way split capability. Hydraulic hoses are left exposed which could open the operator up to a safety concern as well as damage the hoses themselves during operation. The operator and the cylinder guards are nice features. Refer to Figure 3 below. Cost $2400. (6) Figure 3 Tire to Tire 3

A third splitter from Wood Splitter Direct, this one has a 30 ton cylinder and a horizontal orientation. It requires loading from the top and incorporates a straight out design see Figure 4 below. This particular splitter features a Dead Man switch which stops the ram when the handle is released. (7). The 30 ton cylinder splits logs up to 26 inches long. Built in relief valve protects the hydraulic system. Solid rectangular tube design. Top load not preferred as it requires manually loading. 2 way wedge only. Figure 4 Horizontal Top Load 4

SURVEY CUSTOMER NEEDS A list of features regarded to be key to the design of a log splitter attachment were included in a customer survey. The survey was used to rate the features on a scale of one to five with five being most important. A full customer survey can be found in Appendix B. The survey results were used to construct the relative weight calculations seen below in Figure 5. A design multiplier of 1.3 was chosen for safety as the relative weight was low for safety compared to the other features and it would have affected the absolute importance of the engineering characteristics associated with safety. It was decided this was unacceptable as safety is the most important feature to the designer. A designer s multiplier of 1.2 was added to the powered by skid steer hydraulics feature as the designer s main ambition for this product is to have it powered by a skid steer hydraulic system. Without this feature an auxiliary power supply would need developed as part of the product. A multiplier of.9 was added to the large cylinder opening range as this feature should not be considered as important as safety in the designer s opinion. Figure 5 Relative Weight 5

A list of the engineering characteristics and associated importance is below in Figure 6. Skid steer cab operation is a crucial component to the design of a skid steer log splitter attachment while a dead man switch, which only minimally adds to safety, is not considered a crucial characteristic. The complete quality function deployment can be found in Appendix C. Engineering Characteristics Relative Importance Skid steer cab operation 11.3% Design factor consistent with loading conditions 10.8% I-beam/solid steel construction 9.6% "Tire to Tire" orientation 8.5% Bottom mounted wedge 6.1% Rated hydraulic components 5.7% Non-obstructed wedge view 5.7% Guards 5.1% Warning labels 5.1% Hydraulic hoses connect to aux supply of skid steer 4.8% 30 inch or greater cylinder opening range 4.5% 2500 psi operating pressure 4.3% Interchangable wedges 4.2% Cost 25% less than compariable splitters 3.6% 16'' depth 2.8% Removable mounting bracket 2.8% Top mounted cylinder 1.8% Relief valve 1.7% Dead man switch 1.7% Figure 6 Relative Importance 6

PRODUCT OBJECTIVES The list of product objectives found below in Figure 7 is arranged in descending order of importance safety is the highest weighted feature at 14% while small storage footprint is the lowest weighted feature at 8%. The full product objectives document can be found in Appendix D. Figure 7 Product Objectives 7

CONCEPT GENERATION AND SELECTION CONCEPT 1 TIRE TO TIRE The first concept referred to as tire to tire seen below in Figure 8 features a tube steel frame oriented from left to right according to the skid steer operator s perspective, a top mounted cylinder, a slider, and a bottom mounted wedge. This concept offers great operator visibility, outstanding maneuverability, and a very rigid structure. Figure 8 Concept 1 Tire to Tire 8

CONCEPT 2 STRAIGHT OUT The second concept referred to as straight out seen below in Figure 9 features an I- beam construction oriented straight out from the operator s perspective, a top mount cylinder, and a top mount wedge. This concept is safe, rigid, simple, and offers a small storage footprint. It does not provide easy maneuverability or clear visibility of the splitting action. Figure 9 Concept 2 Straight Out 9

CONCEPT 3 VERTICAL MOUNT The third concept referred to as vertical mount seen below in Figure 10 features an I- beam construction oriented up and down. This concept offers a simple, rigid design, and a small storage footprint. This concept does not provide the ability to split wood while operating the skid steer from the operator controls. Figure 10 Concept 3 Vertical Mount 10

WEIGHTED OBJECTIVE MATRIX- CONCEPT SELECTION After the concepts were generated each was compared to the product features and rated using a weighted objective matrix. Each feature was given a score of zero, one, three, or five with zero being inadequate and five being high. A relative weight, taken from Figure 5 page 5, was applied to each score. The average adjusted score of the three concepts was used to decide which concept would best suit the design of a skid steer log splitter. The weighted objective matrix can be seen below in Figure 11. It was determined the side to side orientation concept was the best choice for the design. Concept Objectives Weight rating Side to side Straight out Vertical Safety 0.14 5 5 3 Rigid construction 0.14 5 3 3 Simple design and operation 0.12 5 5 3 Powered by skid steer hydraulics 0.12 5 5 5 Large cylinder opening range 0.11 3 3 5 Clear view of wedge & cylinder 0.10 5 1 1 Low cost 0.10 3 3 3 2 or 4 way split capability 0.10 1 1 1 Small storage footprint 0.08 1 3 3 Score 0-1 - 3-5 1 3.90 3.37 3.07 Figure 11 Weighted Objective Matrix 11

3D ASSEMBLY MODEL This skid steer log splitter is designed to be used as a commercial or residential splitting machine. The operator can stay inside the skid steer control cab at all times. Clear view of the splitting action provides both safety and ease of use. A 25 ton cylinder and optimized wedge design provide the capability to split up to 24 inch diameter logs. A top mounted cylinder provides protection from the ground and debris during splitting. See below in Figures 12 and 13 for a 3D representation of the skid steer log splitter. Figure 12-3D Model Operator View 12

Figure 13 3D Model Isometric View Figure 14 Assembly 2D As you can see in Figure 14 above, the splitter is 22x38x83 inches providing a nice storage footprint against a garage wall. 13

CALCULATIONS BEAM STRENGTH The main support beam undergoes a combination of bending and tensile stress. The 25 ton cylinder supplies a substantial amount of force so care was taken and a design factor of 2 was used in sizing the beam. The stress was determined using the equation below in Figure 15. Once it was determined a 6x6x ½ inch beam would be suitable with a five inch tall wedge the equation was set-up to maximize the wedge height while maintaining a design factor of 2. The free body diagram and equations used can be found in Figure 12 below. Figure 15 Beam Strength 14

PIN SHEAR STRENGTH The slider is connected to the ram via dowel pin. This pin undergoes a high sheer force during operation. Utilizing a hardened machine dowel pin with a yield strength of 130,000 psi, the minimum pin diameter was determined with a design factor of 2. The equation(s) utilized can be found in Figure 16 below. Figure 16 Pin Shear Stress 15

CYLINDER BRACKET TENSILE STRESS The bracket that holds the cylinder and the pusher undergoes a tensile force applied to the cross section found below in Figure 17. The minimum cross sectional area was determined taking into consideration the stress concentration factor caused by the dowel pin hole and a design factor of 2. The method can be seen below in Figure 17. Figure 17 Cylinder Bracket Tensile Stress 16

ATTACHMENT WEIGHT CONSIDERATION Although the official approved weight for an attachment could not be found, the estimated weight of the skid steer log splitter was compared to the weight of a common attachment list on the manufacturer s website. Based on 1018 carbon steel the skid steer attachment was estimated to weigh 675 lbs. While the lightest approved dozer blade attachment weighs 900 lbs. (8). SPLIT TIME CALCULATION The time required for the pusher to travel the full 30 inches of cylinder length was determined by applying a 16.9 GPM flow rate, machine operating specs (9), over a 30 inch long 5 inch diameter cylinder. The volume of the cylinder was determined to be 2.55 gallons. (2.55 Gallons / 16.9 GPM) * 60 seconds= 9 seconds to split. 17

FABRICATION Tube steel will be ordered for the frame components, cut in the fabrication shop according to the detail drawings and welded in place according to the assembly drawing BOM drawing below in Figure 18. The mounting bracket will be constructed of 4x4x.375 inch tube steel, the connecting arms will be 2x4x.375, the slider is a 7x7x.375 square tubing section, and the splitter beam is 6x6x.5 inch square tubing. The wedge is sharpened and welded.25 inch thick plate steel. The cylinder is a refurbished 25 ton dozer cylinder. Figure 18 - BOM 18

SCHEDULE The project begins September 29 th with a content review and ends April 16 th with a presentation of the final report. There is a design freeze on December 14 th. Fabrication begins December 15 th through February 5 th with assembly completing February 12 th. A snapshot of the schedule can be found below in Figure 11. A full copy of the schedule can be found in Appendix E. Sep 29-Oct 5 Oct 6-12 TASKS Content review (advisor) 9 Oct 13-19 Oct 20-26 Oct 27 - Nov 2 Nov 3 - Nov 9 Nov 10-16 Nov 17-23 Nov 24-30 Dec 1-7 Dec 8-14 Dec 15-21 Dec 22-28 Dec 29 - Jan 4 Jan 5- Jan 11 Jan12-18 Jan 19-25 Jan 26 - Feb 1 Feb 2-8 Feb 9-15 Feb 16-22 Feb 23 - Mar 1 Mar 2-8 Mar 9-15 Mar 16-22 Mar 23-29 Mar 30 - Apr 5 Apr 6-12 Proof of Design Agree (advisor) 16 Concepts/Selection (advisor) 16 Report Due 16 3D Model - (Frame) 30 3D Model - (Cylinder mount) 6 3D Model - (Wedge & Pusher) 27 Design calculations 4 Design freeze 14 Bill of materials 8 Shop drawing 8 Order parts 8 Report due to advisor 27 Oral report 29 Fabrication 5 done Assembly 12 done Testing 19 done Modification 5 not needed Final testing done 12 Expo Presentation to faculty 14 Figure 19 Schedule 19

BUDGET A preliminary budget was developed based on research and a goal of keeping the cost within the customer desired cost determined during the survey. A budget of $1200 leaves margin for $700 profit/labor if the sale price is the peak average customer survey desired price of $1900. As the project progresses actual cost will be input to track spending. The budget can be found below in Table 1. A copy of the budget is also included in Appendix F. Table 1 Budget 20

TESTING After the splitter was manufactured a series of structural and functional tests were performed. Various size logs were gathered to prove whether the operator could successfully split the logs without leaving the cab and whether the frame and structure of the splitter was designed properly as to not allow bending and to allow smooth operation. The time to split was verified to be under nine seconds for a 30 inch long log. The operator was challenged to lift logs over a pick-up truck bed and split the logs into the bed. All without leaving the operator seat. The finished splitter can be seen below in Figure 20. Figure 20 Testing 21

CONCLUSION For a person living in a rural area who owns a skid steer and heats with wood this splitter is a necessity. The equipment performed very well and proved to allow an operator the ability to split wood safely, efficiently, and easily without leaving the seat of the skid steer. The operator was able to fill a pick-up truck bed full of split wood in under an hour. There was no diameter log that proved to be too big for the splitter to handle (the largest log split was 26 inches in diameter and 27 inches long). While testing it was determined this splitter had another benefit which was not originally intended during the design. The operator was able to lift a 15 foot long log from the field and carry it suspended to a safe place for another person to cut the log as shown in figure 21 below. This is a very big benefit as cutting a log into furnace length pieces is a very difficult task while the log is laying in a field. Figure 21 Added benefit 22

WORKS CITED 1. Wilson, Gary. [interv.]. Brookville, 08 26, 2013. 2. Wilson, Michelle. [interv.]. Brookville, 08 26, 2013. 3. Feller, Charlie. Farmer. [interv.]. Brookville, 08 26, 2013. 4. 30 Ton Upside Down Skid Steer Load Splitter Attachment. Wood Splitters Direct. [Online] [Cited: 08 30, 2013.] http://www.woodsplitterdirect.com/30-ton-upside-downskid-steer-log-splitter-attachment/?gclid=cogi7_dypbkcfay-mgodsd0aug. 5. Horizontal-Vertical 30 Ton Skid Steer Attachment Log Splitter. New River Firewood. [Online] [Cited: 08 30, 2013.] http://www.newriverfirewood.com/horizontal-vertical- 30-Ton-Skid-Steer-Attachment-Log-Splitter-RLS-Skid30HV.htm. 6. Skid Steer 30'' Open "Tire to Tire" Log Splitter 20-ton. Wood Splitters Direct. [Online] [Cited: 08 30, 2013.] http://www.woodsplittersdirect.com/skid-steer-bobcat- Splitters/20-Ton-Skid-Steer-Log-Splitters/30-Open-Tire-To-Tire-Skid-Steer-Log- Splitter-20-Ton. 7. Wood Splitters Direct. 30-Ton Horizontal Skid Loader Log Splitter. [Online] [Cited: 08 30, 2013.] http://www.woodsplittersdirect.com/skid-steer-bobcat-splitters/30-ton- Skid-Steer-Log-Splitters/Skid-Steer-Horizontal-Log-Splitter-Attachment-30-Ton. 8. Bobcat. Bobcat dozer blade attachment. Bobcat. [Online] Bobcat, April 20th, 2014. [Cited: April 20th, 2014.] http://www.bobcat.com/attachments/dozer_blade. 9. Bobcat Skid Steer Specifications. [Online] [Cited: 04 20, 2014.] http://www.bobcat.com/loaders/models/skidsteer/s550. 23

APPENDIX A RESEARCH Interview with potential user. Gary Wilson: heavy equipment operator who lives in a rural area. 16047 Feller Road. Brookville, Indiana 47012. 08/26/2013. Gary has been a heavy equipment operator for 20 years and was a logger before that. He has spent a lot of time splitting wood as well as running equipment. He heats his home primarily with wood he cuts and splits himself. A log splitter attachment for a skid steer would benefit Gary if it could pick the wood up-split the wood-drop it over his pile (or trailer). Thus, eliminating any lifting once the wood was cut into lengths suitable for his furnace. Gary would like it if the log splitter made splitting wood a one man operation. Gary now owns a bobcat 563 (skid steer). He would like the splitter to be oriented in a side to side view from the cab rather than straight out for visibility and maneuverability. Interview with potential user. Michelle Wilson: Retired flight attendant now foster parent living in rural area (married to Gary interview 1). 16047 Feller Road. Brookville, Indiana 47012. 08/26/2013. Michelle would like to be able to split wood while she is home so Gary doesn t have to do all the work. Michelle is not able to split wood with an axe as her husband Gary can. A log splitter attachment for a skid steer would need to be easy enough for one person to install without requiring heavy lifting. Log splitter attachment would need to be easy enough to operate for less experienced equipment operator(s). Have the ability to pick the log(s) up to split over a pile. No lifting heavy logs and placing onto splitter. Interview with potential user. Charlie Feller: Farmer: 16047 Feller Road. Brookville, Indiana 47012. Charlie is a 68 year old farmer in Indiana. He heats his home with wood he cuts and splits off of his farm. A log splitter attachment would need to be capable of splitting wood without requiring the operator to manually load the logs. Split the logs over a trailer so they can be hauled back home once split. Cut down on manual labor required with common log splitters. Be small enough to allow the skid steer to maneuver through terrain (woods). Charlie would like to see an attachment for either skid steer or tractor with bucket attachment capability. He would like to see the splitter arranged side to side to keep the footprint small and offer more visibility. 24

WOOD SPLITTERS DIRECT 30 Ton Upside Down Skid Steer Log Splitter Attachment brand ram splitter Straight out orientation is not preferred by interviewees. Does not provide good visibility of work. Does not provide easy maneuverability through terrain. Cost is $1900. Long design with considerable overhanging weight could decrease life expectancy. 2500 psi operating pressure is ideal. 4 way wedge is ideal. Upside down mounting to allow picking logs from ground. 30 tons of ram force allows for splitting of large logs. For a limited time hoses and disconnects are provided. American made. Operating pressure is 2500psi. Customizable: 4 way wedge: splits logs into 4 pieces. 2 way wedge: splits logs into 2 pieces. 32 opening: splits 32 long logs. 25

New River Firewood Horizontal-Vertical 30 Ton Skid Steer Attachment Log Splitter Vertical orientation not preferred for visibility or maneuverability. Only offers 2 way splitting wedge. 2500psi operating range ideal. Dead man switch and relief valve nice safety features. Brass wear strips would increase life of splitter. Cost is $1875. Connecting beam looks frail. Vertical orientation. 2500psi. operating pressure. 26 maximum log length. 5 cylinder 24 ram stroke 2 tail rod. Dead man switch automatically returns ram to start position. Built in relief valve. Brass wear strips between ram and beam for added life. Heavy construction bobcat universal mounting plate. Available in John Deere Green, Ford Blue, Kubota Orange. 26

WOOD SPLITTERS DIRECT SKID STEER 30" Open "Tire To Tire" Log Splitter 20-Ton First side to side design found. Does not have 4 way wedge. Cost $2400. Rigid I-beam construction. Cylinder protection guard. Hydraulic hoses exposed could cause hazard Operator cover guard is a good safety component. Upside down design so logs can be picked up from the ground. Tire to tire design offers great visibility and maneuverability. 30 opening offers capability to split long logs. 4 Inch Cylinder has a 1.75 Inch Tail Rod with 30 Inch Ram Stroke 12 Inch Splitting wedge Heavy Duty 8" Beam Heavy Construction Universal Mounting Plate 2-way splitting wedge 27

New River Firewood Horizontal-Vertical 30 Ton Skid Steer Attachment Log Splitter Vertical orientation not preferred for visibility or maneuverability. Only offers 2 way splitting wedge. 2500psi operating range ideal. Dead man switch and relief valve nice safety features. Brass wear strips would increase life of splitter. Cost is $1875. Connecting beam looks frail. Vertical orientation. 2500psi. operating pressure. 26 maximum log length. 5 cylinder 24 ram stroke 2 tail rod. Dead man switch automatically returns ram to start position. Built in relief valve. Brass wear strips between ram and beam for added life. Heavy construction bobcat universal mounting plate. Available in John Deere Green, Ford Blue, Kubota Orange. 28

WOOD SPLITTERS DIRECT SKID STEER 30" Open "Tire To Tire" Log Splitter 20-Ton First side to side design found. Does not have 4 way wedge. Cost $2400. Rigid I-beam construction. Cylinder protection guard. Hydraulic hoses exposed could cause hazard Operator cover guard is a good safety component. Upside down design so logs can be picked up from the ground. Tire to tire design offers great visibility and maneuverability. 30 opening offers capability to split long logs. 4 Inch Cylinder has a 1.75 Inch Tail Rod with 30 Inch Ram Stroke 12 Inch Splitting wedge Heavy Duty 8" Beam Heavy Construction Universal Mounting Plate 2-way splitting wedge 29

Wood Splitters Direct 30-Ton Horizontal Skid Loader Log Splitter Straight out design not preferred. Top load not preferred as logs cannot be picked up from the ground. 2 way wedge. Dead man switch is a nice safety feature. Relief valve to protect hydraulics is a nice feature. Single color availability not preferred. Cost $2000. Operates on 2500 psi hydraulic pressure. Splits logs up to 26 inches long. Up to 60,000 lbs. of force. 5 Inch Cylinder has a 2 Inch Tail Rod with 24 Inch Ram Stroke. Deadman switch stops the ram when the handle is released. Control Valve automatically returns to the start position. Built in Relief valve protects the hydraulic system. Solid Rectangular Tube Design eliminates twisting and bending. Wear strips between the ram and the beam for added life. Available in yellow only. Heavy Construction Bobcat Universal Mounting Plate. 30

APPENDIX B- SURVEY SKID STEER LOG SPLITTER ATTACHMENT CUSTOMER SURVEY Many people in rural areas own a bobcat or other skid steer equipment. Most of them also split wood either to sell or use to heat their home. Having an attachment for their skid steer which would allow them to split wood faster and with less effort would benefit them in many ways. The purpose of this survey is to determine which features are most important to the design of a skid steer log splitter attachment. How important is each feature to you for the design of a Skid Steer Log Splitter Attachment? Please circle the appropriate answer. 1 = low 5 = high Avg. Safety 1 2(1) 3 4(1) 5(8) N/A 4.6 Rigid Construction 1 2 3 4(4) 5(6) N/A 4.6 Clear view of wedge & cylinder 1 2(1) 3(1) 4(5) 5(3) N/A 4.0 Small storage footprint 1(1) 2(5) 3 4(4) 5 N/A 2.7 2 or 4 way split capability 1 2(1) 3(4) 4(3) 5(2) N/A 3.6 Simple design & operation 1 2 3(1) 4(6) 5(3) N/A 4.2 Large cylinder opening range 1 2 3 4(6) 5(4) N/A 4.4 Powered by skid steer hydraulics 1 2 3(3) 4(2) 5(5) N/A 4.2 Low cost 1 2 3(3) 4(3) 5(4) N/A 4.1 How satisfied are you with the current Skid Steer Log Splitter Attachments? Please circle the appropriate answer. 1 = very Unsatisfied 5 = very satisfied Safety 1 2 3 4(1) 5 N/A Avg. Rigid Construction 1 2 3(1) 4 5 N/A 4.0 Clear view of wedge & cylinder 1 2(1) 3 4 5 N/A 3.0 Small storage footprint 1 2(1) 3 4 5 N/A 2.0 2 or 4 way split capability 1 2(1) 3 4 5 N/A 2.0 Simple design & operation 1 2(1) 3 4 5 N/A 2.0 Large cylinder opening range 1 2(1) 3 4 5 N/A 2.0 Powered by skid steer hydraulics 1 2 3 4(1) 5 N/A 4.0 Low cost 1 2 3(1) 4 5 N/A 3.0 How much would you be willing to pay for a Skid Steer Log Splitter Attachment? $500-$1000(3) $1000-$2000(6) $2000-$4000(1) $4000-$6000 Avg. ($950-$1900) Thank you for your time. 31

APPENDIX C QUALITY FUNCTION DEPLOYMENT Skid Steer Log Splitter Attachment 9 = Strong 3 = Moderate 1 = Weak Guards Relief valve Warning labels Rated hydraulic components Dead man switch Skid steer cap operation I-beam/solid steel construction Design factor consistent with loading conditions "Tire to Tire" orientation Top mounted cylinder Bottom mounted wedge Safety 9 3 9 9 3 9 3 9 1 1 1 1 4.6 1.30 4 5 1.3 7.5 0.14 14% Rigid Construction 1 9 9 4.6 1.00 3 5 1.7 7.7 0.14 14% Clear view of wedge & cylinder 1 9 3 3 9 4 1.00 3 4 1.3 5.3 0.10 10% Small storage footprint 9 9 2.7 1.00 2 3 1.5 4.1 0.08 8% 2 or 4 way split capability 9 3.6 1.00 2 3 1.5 5.4 0.10 10% Simple design and operation 9 3 9 3 1 1 1 4.2 1.00 2 3 1.5 6.3 0.12 12% Large cylinder opening range 9 4.4 0.90 2 3 1.5 5.9 0.11 11% Powered by skid steer hydraulics 3 9 9 4.2 1.20 4 5 1.3 6.3 0.12 12% Low cost 3 1 9 4 1.00 3 4 1.3 5.3 0.10 10% Abs. importance 1.25 0.42 1.25 1.39 0.42 2.75 2.35 2.63 2.09 0.44 0.44 1.38 0.68 0.68 1.02 1.11 1.05 1.17 0.89 23.4 53.8 1.0 1.0 Rel. importance 0.05 0.02 0.05 0.06 0.02 0.12 0.10 0.11 0.09 0.02 0.02 0.06 0.03 0.03 0.04 0.05 0.05 0.05 0.04 1.0 Non-obstructed wedge view 16'' depth Removable mounting bracket Interchangable wedges 30 inch or greater cylinder opening range 2500 psi operating pressure Hydraulic hoses connect to aux supply of skid steer Cost 25% less than compariable splitters Customer importance Designer's Multiplier Current Satisfaction Planned Satisfaction Improvement ratio Modified Importance Relative weight Relative weight % 32

APPENDIX D PRODUCT OBJECTIVES Objectives The following list of features was determined to be important based on a customer survey. These features will be incorporated in the design of a skid steer log splitter attachment. The bold list contains the features, underneath are the engineering characteristics followed by the method or objective that will be used for the design. Percentages will be added based on the customer importance rating obtained during the customer survey. The higher the percentage the higher the importance. Safety 14% Operator guards covering crush zones, moving parts, and preventing thrown material Hose guards Built in relief valve Danger Crush Zone identification Appropriately rated and tested hydraulic supply hoses and fittings Dead man switch will stop cylinder when operator lets go Skid steer cab operation Rigid Construction 14% I-beam construction Solid steel components Design factor consistent with loading conditions in expected use Simple design & operation 12% I-beam constructed frame Operate using skid steer controls inside cab Cylinder will be the only moving part Powered by skid steer hydraulics 12% Hydraulic cylinder 2500 psi operating pressure Hydraulic hoses for cylinder operation connect to auxiliary hydraulic lines of skid Large cylinder opening range 11% 30 inch or greater cylinder operating range Clear view of wedge & cylinder 10% Tire to tire cylinder orientation Top mount cylinder Bottom mount wedge Non-obstructed wedge view Low cost 10% The attachment will cost at least 25% less than comparable log splitter equipment 2 or 4 way split capability 10% Interchangeable wedge(s) Small storage footprint 8% Splitter depth no larger than 16 inches Removable mounting bracket 33

APPENDIX E- SCHEDULE Skid Steer Log Splitter Attachment TASKS Content review (advisor) 9 Proof of Design Agree (advisor) 16 Concepts/Selection (advisor) 16 Report Due 16 3D Model - (Frame) 30 3D Model - (Cylinder mount) 6 3D Model - (Wedge & Pusher) 27 Design calculations 4 Sep 29-Oct 5 Oct 6-12 Oct 13-19 Oct 20-26 Oct 27 - Nov 2 Nov 3 - Nov 9 Nov 10-16 Nov 17-23 Nov 24-30 Dec 1-7 Dec 8-14 Dec 15-21 Dec 22-28 Dec 29 - Jan 4 Jan 5- Jan 11 Jan12-18 Jan 19-25 Jan 26 - Feb 1 Feb 2-8 Feb 9-15 Feb 16-22 Feb 23 - Mar 1 Mar 2-8 Mar 9-15 Mar 16-22 Mar 23-29 Mar 30 - Apr 5 Apr 6-12 Apr 13-19 Apr 20-26 Design freeze 14 Bill of materials 8 Shop drawing 8 Order parts 8 Report due to advisor 22 Oral report 22 Fabrication 5 Assembly 12 Testing 19 Modification 5 Final testing 12 Advisor demo 26 Expo 3 Presentation to faculty 9 Project report to advisor 16 Library PDF file in BB 23 34

APPENDIX F BUDGET Materials & Components Estimated $ Actual $ Frame ( 6'' I-Beam) $12/foot $180.00 $380.00 <=7x7x.5 tube steel + 6x6x.5 tube steel Cylinder (re claimed) $400.00 $0.00 <=Valued at $400 Hydraulic hoses $200.00 $100.00 Hydraulic Fittings $75.00 $80.00.25'' steel plate $150.00 $0.00 <= valued $100 Misc. parts $200.00 $100.00 Total: $1,205.00 $660.00 Total valued at $1160 35