The cutting head body is the structural carrier of a vineyard pre-pruner: it holds the blade shaft bearings, the blade seat pockets, the drive input flange and the guard mounting faces. Ningbo Ruican casts it as a single net-shape body rather than a welded fabrication, which removes the heat-affected zones that crack when a rotor strikes a post or a cordon wire. Moreover, machined blade seat geometry keeps every blade at the same radial position. It also keeps so the machine cuts clean shoots instead of tearing bark and cordons.
Specifications
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Casting process | Silica sol investment casting (lost wax); water glass process for cost-optimised volumes |
| Material options | 42CrMo and 40Cr alloy steel, 45# carbon steel, 304 / 316L stainless steel, QT500-7 ductile iron |
| Dimensional tolerance (ISO 8062-3 CT grade) | CT5-CT6 (silica sol); CT7-CT8 (water glass) |
| Machining | 4-axis VMC and CNC lathe work: blade seat pocket milling, bearing bore boring, flange facing, dowel drilling, dynamic balance bosses |
| Surface finish (Ra) | Ra 1.6-3.2 micrometres as machined; Ra 0.8 micrometres on bearing seats; shot blast Sa 2.5 as cast |
| Weight range | 1.2-8.5 kg per head body |
| Typical lead time | Tooling 25-35 days; sample parts 15-20 days; production 30-40 days |
Scope and options
Key features
- One-piece net-shape casting replaces multi-plate weldments and removes fatigue-prone weld seams near the blade shaft.
- Moreover, CNC-machined blade seat pockets hold radial and axial blade position within 0.05 mm for a clean, repeatable cut.
- Cast-in bearing bosses and ribbing raise torsional stiffness so the head does not deflect under shock loads from posts or wires.
- Optional through-hardened 42CrMo or induction-hardened wear lands on the leading edges for long vineyard seasons.
- Balanced rotor mounting faces machined in the same set-up as the bearing bores, reducing finish balancing time at your assembly line.
- Consolidated design merges bracket, guard foot and flange into one part number, cutting your purchased component count.
Applications
- Trailed and semi-mounted vineyard pre-pruners, single and double row
- Front-mounted vine trimmers on narrow-track orchard tractors
- Orchard and hedge trimming booms with rotary cutting heads
- Grape harvester header cutting frames
- Vineyard multi-function carriers with pruning attachments
- Cordon and cane cutters for trellised vineyards and berry trellis systems
Quality & compliance
Every production batch is poured against a controlled melt with spectrometer-verified chemistry and delivered with an EN 10204 3.1 material certificate, heat treatment chart and mechanical test report. Dimensional conformance is documented with CMM reports against your drawing, including blade seat positions, bore concentricity and flange flatness. PPAP Level 3 and first article inspection packages are available on request, and all cutting head bodies are produced under IATF 16949 process control with controlled tooling life, in-process gauges and full lot traceability from melt to machining cell.
FAQ
Which casting process do you use for pre-pruner cutting head bodies?
Most cutting head bodies are produced with the silica sol lost wax process, which holds ISO 8062-3 CT5-CT6 and gives the surface quality needed around blade seats and bearing bosses. For larger, less visible parts we can switch to water glass investment casting at CT7-CT8 to reduce unit cost while keeping the same machining allowances and material specification. (58 words)
Can you machine the blade seats and bearing bores in house?
Yes. Ningbo Ruican operates its own CNC vertical machining centres and lathes, so blade seat pockets, bearing bores, flange faces and dowel holes are finished in one controlled set-up. Machining the bores and the rotor faces together keeps concentricity within 0.05 mm and removes the stack-up errors that appear when casting and machining are split between suppliers. (56 words)
What is the minimum order quantity for a new head body?
For a new tooled part the usual minimum is 300-500 pieces per order depending on casting size, with an annual volume commitment discussed case by case. Prototype and pre-series batches of 20-50 pieces can be produced from an existing tool or a soft tool so you can run field validation before committing to serial production. (54 words)
Can you reverse engineer an existing sample part?
Yes. Send a sample, a worn part or a 3D scan and our engineering team will produce a build-to-print model, add casting-specific draught and machining allowances, and return a DFM report. We confirm material by spectrometer and hardness testing, then re-quote the part as an investment casting with an expected weight and cost saving against the original fabrication. (57 words)
Do you supply PPAP and first article inspection documentation?
PPAP Level 3 and full first article inspection reports are available on request for every agricultural casting we produce. Documentation covers material certification, heat treatment records, dimensional layout against ballooned drawings, mechanical test results and process capability data on critical characteristics, all released under IATF 16949 controlled procedures before the first serial shipment. (52 words)
How do you help prevent impact cracking in the vineyard?
We cast the head body as one piece with generous radii at the blade root and flange junctions, then control quench and temper hardness so the part absorbs shock rather than cracking. Finite element review of your load cases is available during DFM, and we can add wear plates or hard-facing on the leading edges where the head regularly strikes posts, wires or trellis hardware. (58 words)
CTA
Send your drawing, 3D model or worn sample to Wendy She — sales@cnsandcasting.com — WhatsApp +86-13777124360 — for a casting and machining quotation, DFM feedback on your cutting head design and a tooling schedule returned within 48 hours.
