In　the　developed　countries　of　the　West,　the　greenhouse　vegetable　industry　has　become　highly　mechanized,　with　a　relatively　stable　mechanization　production　system　and　necessary　supporting　tools.　In　order　to　improve　the　efficiency　of　harvesting　greenhouse　vegetables,　Beijing　University　of　Technology　has　designed　an　innovative　vegetable　harvester.　The　cutting　tool　that　is　used　to　remove　vegetables　from　their　stems　is　a　critical　factor　in　greenhouse　vegetable　harvesting　and　must　be　optimized　to　ensure　that　greenhouse　vegetables　are　harvested　effectively.　The　designed　machine　can　have　a　better　harvest　effect　and　reduce　the　wear　of　cutting　tool　in　the　process　of　the　work.　At　present,　the　mechanical　properties　of　stem-cutting　factors　affecting　crops　have　been　extensively　studied　with　sugar　cane,　corn　stalk,　eulaliopsis　binata　stem　and　cabbage　in　China　and　abroad.　This　paper　detailed　the　design　and　study　of　the　SHQG-I　greenhouse　vegetable　harvest　cutting　experiment　platform,　which　used　a　response　surface　method　(RSM)　to　optimize　the　harvest　process　through　a　comprehensive　cutting　tool　that　removed　vegetables　from　their　stems.　The　study　object　of　this　paper　was　butter　lettuce;　the　experiment　was　carried　out　on　the　SHQG-I　greenhouse　vegetable　harvest　cutting　experiment　platform,　and　the　working　process　of　greenhouse　vegetable　harvester　was　analyzed.　According　to　the　butter　lettuce　growth　and　the　working　process　conditions,　6　parameters　of　the　harvest　cutting　process　were　analyzed:　cutting　position,　way　of　cutting,　cutting　speed,　cutting　angle,　clamping　distance　and　clamping　angle.　Determining　the　ways　in　which　these　parameters　affected　cutting　force　was　the　target　of　the　experiment.　The　working　range　of　these　factors,　which　could　be　adjusted　on　the　SHQG-I　greenhouse　vegetable　harvest　cutting　experiment　platform,　influenced　the　cutting　force.　For　the　RSM　employed　in　the　experiment,　generally　no　more　than　4　parameters　would　be　adjusted　at　a　time.　Therefore,　the　experiment　first　used　the　factor-screening　test　to　determine　the　cutting　position　and　cutting　way.　The　cutting　position　was　at　7　mm　and　the　smooth　cutting　angle　was　10°.　The　results　of　the　experiment　were　analyzed　with　the　Design-expert　software.　In　addition,　the　regression　equation　of　the　cutting　force　and　the　various　factors　were　determined,　and　lack　of　fit　of　the　regression　equation　was　found　to　be　insignificant.　Next,　variance　analysis　was　used　to　determine　the　significant　factors,　which　were　cutting　speed,　clamp　distance,　interaction　between　cutting　speed　and　cutting　angle,　and　interaction　between　cutting　speed　and　clamp　distance.　Then,　the　curve　diagram　of　significant　factors　and　the　response　surface　figure　were　drawn.　Ultimately,　the　optimal　working　parameters　were　determined:　cutting　speed　was　675　mm/s,　cutting　angle　was　4.85°,　clamping　distance　was　98.5　mm　and　clamping　angle　was　64.5°.　According　to　the　optimization　parameters,　the　expected　cutting　force　was　17.9　N,　and　the　actual　cutting　force　was　17.4　N　(2.8%　less　than　the　expected　force),　which　met　the　demand　of　the　test.　The　experiment　guaranteed　a　harvest　success　rate　of　100%　in　all　of　the　cases,　as　well　as　effectively　reduced　the　necessary　cutting　force　in　the　harvest　process.　After　optimization,　the　harvester　machine　was　in　good　condition,　it　produced　a　good　harvest,　and　the　cutting　fracture　was　smooth,　which　satisfied　the　engineering　requirement.　The　optimization　parameters　obtained　in　the　experiment　can　be　applied　for　the　improvement　of　the　actual　equipment　in　the　greenhouse　vegetable　industry　field.　©,　2015,　Chinese　Society　of　Agricultural　Engineering.　All　right　reserved.