TS 3980

TS 3980 is a terminology standard for harvesting machinery. It brings together the names and definitions used for the mechanical operations involved in taking crops from the field and preparing them for handling, storage, or further processing, so that the same technical terms mean the same thing across documents and users.

The covered subject matter spans machinery used for hay crops, cereals, root and tuber crops, bulb crops, fibre crops, fruits, and vegetables, including operations such as cutting, lifting, collecting, chopping, bundling, baling, separating straw from grain, and peeling or cracking. As a terminology document, its value lies in standardizing language rather than specifying machine design requirements; that consistency matters in technical literature, procurement descriptions, training material, and maintenance instructions.

Why the terminology is divided into distinct operations

Harvesting and threshing are not single actions in practice. Cutting removes the crop from the plant; collecting gathers the material; threshing separates grain from straw or heads; baling compacts cut material into transportable packages; and peeling or cracking prepares certain produce for later processing. Defining these terms separately helps distinguish stages that may occur in one machine or across a machine line, and it reduces ambiguity when describing equipment functions.

What this standard covers and what it does not

• It provides terminology and definitions for harvesting machinery, not performance limits or design specifications.
• Its scope is broad enough to include both field crops and fruit and vegetable products.
• TS 3980 is associated with ISO 3339-0 equivalence and is now withdrawn.