In 1992, Xie Jinquan conducted a preliminary study on the working components of a chain-driven trencher, pointing out that specific work (i.e., power consumption per unit cubic meter of work) is the main technical performance indicator for trencher design. He calculated that the specific work is relatively small when the cutting feed distance is 3 cm, the working tilt angle is 40°, and the chain tooth linear speed is 0.356 m/s. In 1998, Yang Yougang et al. developed the 1KLQ-80 chain-driven trencher suitable for the confined working space of orchards. This machine is equipped with an 11 kW power supply, with a maximum trenching depth and width of 800 mm and 650 mm, respectively, and a production efficiency of 125 m/h. In 2002, Liu Changrong et al. modified a chain-driven trencher to meet the needs of trenching and fertilization in vineyards, matching it with an 8.8 kW walking tractor. This machine has a trenching depth of 400 mm, a width of 400 mm, an efficiency of 1 km/h, and performed well in performance testing. In 2009, the 1KF-500 orchard ditching and fertilizing machine developed by Xinjiang Zhongshou Agricultural and Livestock Machinery Company underwent trials in Aksu and Kashgar. Results showed that all performance indicators met design requirements. This machine uses an independent hydraulic system to control the ditching depth and requires a power output of at least 30 kW. In 2013, Wu Tiansong completed the design and finite element analysis of the ditching device for a chain ditching machine at Jilin University. He conducted structural static, modal, and harmonic response analyses of the ditching device, providing a theoretical basis for its optimized design.
