Solutions for Agriculture
Simutron’s Solutions for Agriculture enable equipment manufacturers to simulate grain, fertiliser, and soil behaviour using EDEM for Agriculture. Powered by advanced Discrete Element Method (DEM) technology, Simutron helps engineering teams optimise performance, reduce wear, and validate designs before physical testing.
With this solution, you can:
- Optimise fertiliser spread patterns and grain flow uniformity
- Analyse soil resistance and reduce draft force in tillage equipment
- Identify high-wear zones caused by abrasive soil and granules
- Virtually test augers, seed drills, and spreaders before field trials
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Solutions for Agriculture
Engineering-Driven Bulk Material and Soil Simulation
Agricultural machinery operates in highly variable environments where bulk materials behave unpredictably. Grain, seed, fertiliser, soil, and crop residue respond differently to vibration, geometry changes, loading conditions, and moisture content. These material interactions directly affect distribution accuracy, mechanical wear, energy efficiency, and structural integrity.
Simutron’s Solutions for Agriculture use EDEM for Agriculture to simulate particle-level behaviour in a controlled digital environment. This allows engineering teams to analyse performance under real operating conditions, reduce design uncertainty, and optimise agricultural equipment before committing to manufacturing.
Solutions for Agriculture
Key Capabilities for Bulk Material and Soil Simulation
1. Predict and Optimise Grain and Fertiliser Flow
Uniform material distribution is critical for crop performance and resource efficiency. This solution simulates how granular materials move through spreaders, seed drills, hoppers, and augers under real operating speeds.
Engineering teams can:
Evaluate centrifugal spreader disc performance and particle trajectories
Analyse hopper discharge consistency under varying fill levels
Detect bridging and clogging risks in seed delivery systems
Compare spread width and distribution uniformity across configurations
Optimise internal geometry to reduce material segregation
This ensures accurate placement while reducing waste and over-application.
2. Simulate Soil–Tool Interaction and Draft Force Behaviour
Tillage and harvesting tools experience complex soil interaction forces. Solutions for Agriculture model how soil particles resist, displace, and compact around blades and engagement components.
With this capability, engineers can:
Quantify draft forces across different soil conditions
Compare blade angles and tine geometries for resistance reduction
Analyse soil displacement patterns during ploughing
Evaluate penetration depth consistency
Improve tool design for reduced fuel consumption
This results in more efficient soil engagement and improved field performance.
3. Analyse Abrasion, Impact and Wear Patterns
Soil aggregates and fertiliser granules create continuous impact and abrasion inside machinery. This solution tracks particle contact forces and collision intensity within assemblies.
Teams can:
Identify high-impact regions inside spreaders and conveyors
Predict liner wear caused by abrasive materials
Evaluate contact forces on rotating components
Assess long-term wear risk across operating cycles
Strengthen vulnerable surfaces before production
This reduces unplanned maintenance and extends equipment lifespan.
4. Validate Equipment Performance Before Field Trials
Seasonal field testing is costly and difficult to standardise. Solutions for Agriculture allow virtual validation under controlled digital conditions.
Engineering teams can simulate:
Moisture variation in soil and granular materials
Changes in fertiliser particle size distribution
Equipment performance at different operating speeds
Alternative rotor or blade configurations
Loading scenarios across terrain conditions
Digital testing reduces prototype iterations and accelerates time-to-market.
5. Model Realistic Agricultural Material Behaviour
Agricultural materials are rarely uniform or spherical. Seeds, fertiliser granules, soil clumps, and crop residue vary significantly in size, shape, and cohesion.
This solution supports:
Non-spherical particle modelling for seeds and aggregates
Custom particle size distribution calibration
Cohesion modelling for moist soil behaviour
Material parameter adjustment for real-world correlation
High-fidelity contact modelling between particles and surfaces
This increases simulation accuracy and improves predictive confidence.
6. Integrate Material Simulation into Broader Equipment Design
Agricultural equipment performance depends on multiple systems functioning together. Solutions for Agriculture integrate DEM simulation into wider engineering workflows.
Teams can:
Assess load transfer from bulk material to structural components
Evaluate system-level performance under operational stress
Support design comparisons across full assemblies
Incorporate simulation early in the design lifecycle
Enable data-driven optimisation across the entire machine
This ensures complete performance evaluation rather than isolated component testing.
Why choose simutron
Expert solutions with unmatched support
Simutron partners with Altair to offer powerful, flexible solutions tailored to meet the demands of modern engineering. With advanced technology, dedicated support, and flexible licensing, we equip your team with the tools needed to innovate, optimise processes, and stay competitive.
Expert Support Team
Receive guidance from engineering experts to maximise your tools.
Multi-Disciplinary Solutions
Benefit from solutions in structural, fluid, EM, and data analysis
Get in touch with us
Interested in learning more about how Simutron can support your engineering goals? Fill out our contact form, and one of our experts will reach out.
Get in touch with us
Interested in learning more about how Simutron can support your engineering goals? Fill out our contact form, and one of our experts will reach out.