Research progress in surface wear resistance strengthening of soil contact components in tillage and sowing agricultural machinery equipment

Cultivation and sowing agricultural machinery equipment plays a pivotal role in influencing the quality and efficiency of cultivation operations across 133 million hectares of arable land in China. The rapid advancement of agricultural mechanization has led to heightened demands for enhanced wear resistance and extended service life of soil-engaging components in cultivation and sowing agricultural machinery, including rotary tillers, plowshares, deep loosening shovels, rake blades, and trenchers. Consequently, there is a paramount need to bolster research efforts aimed at enhancing the surface wear resistance of soil-engaging components in agricultural machinery and equipment. Building upon this premise, this study provides a comprehensive overview of the current research status regarding the enhancement of surface wear resistance in soil-engaging components within agricultural machinery and equipment. Initially, the primary forms of wear and failure in soil-engaging components of agricultural machinery and equipment are elucidated, encompassing abrasive wear, fatigue wear, and corrosion wear. Concurrently, the wear mechanisms of soil-engaging components in agricultural machinery, influenced by external factors such as abrasive particle shape, external load, soil moisture content, and pH value, are delineated, alongside an overview of diverse research methodologies concerning these mechanisms. Subsequently, detailed elaboration is provided on the progress in research and development of surface treatment processes, including surface melting, welding, thermal spraying, laser surface strengthening, chemical heat treatment, and brazing. Furthermore, an exploration and analysis of the disparity in wear resistance and strengthening technology for soil-engaging components between China and foreign nations are conducted from four perspectives: wear mechanism, material research and development, structural design, and manufacturing processes. Although domestic enterprises and researchers have conducted significant research, a noticeable disparity persists between soil-engaging components in domestic tillage and broadcasting equipment and their foreign counterparts. The research and development system remains imperfect, and there is a misalignment between promotion and application, thus hindering the formation of an internationally competitive industry chain for wear-resistant soil-engaging components. Finally, addressing the current challenges and deficiencies in the failure mechanisms, materials, structures, and processes of soil-engaging components in tillage and sowing machinery, this paper discusses the research and development directions aimed at enhancing wear resistance in agricultural machinery and equipment. 1) Enhance research on the wear resistance of soil-engaging components in diverse operational environments of tillage and sowing machinery; 2) Utilizing tribological theory, analyze the interaction laws of "environment, component, and material," thereby intensifying the development and research of substrate and coating materials for soil-engaging components; 3) Improve the optimization design of soil-engaging component structures to fulfill requirements for wear resistance, longevity, drag reduction, and lightweight properties; 4) To ensure the synchronized attainment of precision, strength, toughness, wear resistance, and prolonged service life in soil-engaging components, research on the process system of such components will be fortified, thereby furnishing theoretical foundations and technical support for research and engineering applications pertaining to enhancing surface wear resistance.