American Journal of Food Science and Technology, 2010
ISSN 1557-4571
2010 Academic Journal Inc.
Fruit and vegetable grating and peeling machinery Design and R&D
Abstract: In order to save time on grating and peeling fruits, fruit graters and peelers are needed during fruit processing. A grater is particularly important when making salads or garnishing (if on a plate). In the specific decoration process, a suitable grater is needed. This is very important for food (processing) companies to run their companies with minimal costs. Hand peeling wastes time and may require several workers to perform the job, thereby increasing company operating costs. Therefore, in this research project, a machine device was designed that includes both grating and peeling functions. This new machine is suitable for home use because it is small, lightweight, and easy to carry and store. Its components include clamps, graters, paring blades, mobile handles, and a pair of end cutters. Through experiments on automatic peeling and manual peeling of selected fruits, the results show that the machine can peel a variety of fruits and vegetables and can save 94% of the time compared with manual peeling. .
Keywords: Fruit grating and peeling machine, grating, peeling, fruits, vegetables
Foreword
Grating fruits or vegetables is essential for obtaining excellent quality The crushing products are very important. In the current market, there are many kinds of graters in different shapes and sizes. Each grater contains several different blades. Choosing the right size blade is critical for the specific purpose of the machine. According to the views expressed by Sharon and Christine in 2000, the larger the round hole, the better the working effect. However, a 2007 CIA report concluded that the smaller the hole, the better the end product. The best side of the machine is used for grating and should be used for grating solid, hard and textured foods (raw materials). The grater design currently available on the market is a box-type grater, which has four sides of different sizes, and each side has a different shape. A flat grater is a great choice for preparing pot roasts or salads directly. Flat graters or curved graters with several rows of cut surfaces on the surface are widely known types of graters. Generally speaking, this kind of tool has a metal surface with many sharp holes or is equipped with cutting grooves to cut food materials into pieces (Better Homes and Gardens, 2003). Graters on the market for processing fruits and vegetables are usually manual.
Peering a fruit involves separating the usually protective skin from the pulp. The traditional method is to use a sharp knife, the blade of which is forced between the flesh and skin, and then separate them. Different fruits have different shapes and sizes, and different types of machines are needed to process these fruits respectively. Therefore, processing specific fruits requires the use of specific machines to maximize processing efficiency, such as peeling oranges. Use a peeler to peel off the shell (there will be some pulp). As we all know, in the peeling process, two corresponding blades are used to ensure and circulate movement to ensure the average size of the fruit slices. Machinery and equipment used to peel apples, pears and other fruits have been known to people for a long time, and they come in different shapes. Fruit peelers available on the market today are used to peel smooth-skinned fruits, such as oranges and watermelons.
According to Martin's research (2000), some peeling machines are equipped with movable screw clamps, which have a pair of pliers used to clamp the fruit or vegetable, and the cup-shaped blade moves on the contour of the fruit. , peel off the skin. Askari (2005) stated that although the thickness of the peels of most fruits is approximately the same, there are some peels that vary in thickness, such as oranges, where the thickness of the exocarp and mesocarp start from the pedicle to their corresponding There is a gradual change at the pole pedicle, and this change in thickness may reach 2-4 mm.
There have been many designs to mechanize peeling, mainly using machine tools to process fruits: the fruit is placed in the middle of the splint, and one or more fixed or rotating tools perform peeling work on the surface of the fruit. , just like manual peeling, to separate the skin. There are many similar machines invented for industrial use, suitable for peeling citrus fruits such as oranges. Some inventions are suitable for peeling pineapples, melons and mangoes.
There are also inventions that are not only suitable for peeling a specific fruit, but are also suitable for peeling a variety of fruits.
For small and medium-sized peeling machines, the two ends of the fruit or vegetable are stuck between the slewing support point and the base, and are pulled back and forth by the motor. The rotating blades on the carriage arms are also pulled by this same engine. Moreover, the blade moves back and forth on the surface of the fruit or vegetable so that the blade edge comes into contact with the surface of the fruit or vegetable (in order to peel off the skin). This type of peeling machine cannot cut off both ends of fruits or vegetables when peeling and crushing them. The user needs to manually cut them off with a knife, thus increasing the workload. A more practical approach is to install a pair of end cutting blades for fruits or vegetables. After the peeling is completed, there is no need to remove the peeled vegetables or fruits separately for end cutting. In addition, this type of peeler does not contain any specially structured grating device. Pitaya, an exotic fruit that is becoming increasingly popular, has a scaly skin that is difficult to peel with peelers on the market. As this fruit attracts the attention of many consumers, the processing of this fruit and the production of beverages from this fruit are becoming popular. Therefore, a suitable peeling machine is needed to ensure the completion of the peeling work of dragon fruit.
The goal of this scientific and technological research is to develop a shred peeling machine suitable for home use, which is small in size, light in weight, and easy to carry and store. The aim was also to develop a cheap but far-reaching machine for the systematic processing of small and medium-sized fruits or vegetables.
Materials and Methods
This research and development design started in 2008 and was completed in 2009.
Design method and principle
This machine is designed to grate and peel fruits or vegetables. It is small in size, light in texture, easy to carry and store, and suitable for home use.
Design concept
This invention is about a fruit or vegetable grating and peeling machine. It is a multifunctional machine that can grate, peel and cut fruits or vegetables. vegetable. The combination of these three functions makes it different from other graters or peelers on the market. No matter whether the skin of the melon and fruit has scaly thorns or not, and no matter whether the shape of the melon and fruit is spherical or oval, this machine can peel off the skin without using hand tools, saving time and energy.
Special machine components are designed to grate fruits or vegetables, or both, and can be used to make crushed or shredded fruits and vegetables, such as carrots and papayas respectively. Shredded, useful for making salads and food garnishes. In addition to its function of grating and peeling fruits and vegetables, this machine is cheap and has far-reaching uses for the systematic processing of small and medium-sized fruits or vegetables.
The integration of the three functions of grating, peeling and cutting can help reduce processing time. The purpose of combining these several processing procedures into one process is to reduce operating costs.
Concept selection process
Table 1 illustrates the specific design method of combining the three functions.
Machine equipment research and development and operational research
In the research and development of this kind of machine, two important research steps need to be established. One is the manufacturing and assembly of machinery and equipment, and the other is the operational research of assembled machines.
Assembly of the equipment
The front view of the machine and equipment is shown in Figure 1. Its parts include trident, push rod, grater, paring knife, handle and terminal cutting knife. . The detailed design description of these main components is shown in Table 1. The entire machine is made of stainless steel (SUS316).
Its structure is briefly introduced below:
Table 1: Detailed design description of the combined process
The functions and functions of the required process components
Wire wiping The machine shreds the melons and fruits
The peeling knife peels the melons and fruits
The cutting end is rubbed and peeled by the cutting knife and then the melons and fruits are cut
Picture 1 : Front view of the machine (front view) 1: Push rod 2: Trident 3: Skin grinder 4: Peeling knife 5: End cutting knife 6: Switch 7: Safety cover 8: Arm bar
Three prongs Frame: The trident is placed inside the fuselage. The trident holds the fruit to be ground and peeled, and then the fruit rotates on the trident.
Push rod: The push rod and the tripod are located on the same axis column. It is located at the other end of the axis column opposite the tripod. The push rod can move up and down through the nut adjuster. The push rod pushes the fruit close to the trident to ensure that the fruit rotates normally on the trident.
Grater: The grater is installed on a movable rod. One of its functions is to grate fruits or vegetables, or fruits and vegetables, into shreds for use as a decorative embellishment for food.
Paring Knife: A paring knife is mounted on an arm and its function is to peel off fruits and vegetables.
Arm: The arm is located on a sliding column and moves parallel to the fruit rotation axis. One end of the arm is equipped with a peeling knife, which is used to peel fruits. Use the elastic mechanism to make the arm, and let the arm gently touch the fruit, so that the peeling knife is close to the fruit. The arm ensures that the peeling knife moves along the outer contour of the fruit so that the skin is completely removed.
End cutter: The end cutter is installed on another operating lever, and its function is to cut off the ends of the fruit.
Power device: This machine uses electric motor power.
Operational study
The fruit is placed in the center of the trident, and the push rod is pressed against the center point of the upper end of the fruit to protect the fruit. Then, turn on the switch and start the machine. Turn the switch button left to start the grating machine; turn the switch button right to start the peeler. Once the machine is started, the lower gripper will rotate to the fruit, and at the same time the grater or paring knife begins to move parallel to the upright axis of the fruit, ensuring that the blade is in contact with the fruit skin.
The grating of fruits or vegetables is done using a grating machine with holes on the surface, while the peeling is done by combining the functions of the arm and the peeling knife to ensure that the entire shape of the fruit is completed. After a fruit or vegetable has been successfully peeled or shredded, both ends of the fruit are cut off by a moving end-cutting blade. To complete this process, the grater should be in contact with the surface of the rotating fruit or vegetable.
Experimental test
Fruits and vegetables
Many fruits can be bought in the local market in Selangor, Malaysia, such as papaya, apple, orange, pear, lemon, Red or white dragon fruit is available, and many vegetables are also available, such as cucumbers, potatoes and carrots. The fruits and vegetables were grated and peeled (experimental test) and the efficacy of the peeler (only the peeling blade in this article) was evaluated.
Sample size
The sample is determined based on its height (in centimeters) and diameter (in centimeters).
Peeling time test
The machine was used to peel selected fruits and vegetables, and the peeling time required for each sample was tested. At the same time, a knife was also used for manual peeling in order to compare the time required for the two peeling methods. All time-consuming indices are the average of the three tests.
Machine Test
This fruit machine has been tested for grating, peeling and cutting.
Results and Discussion
Grapping
This is a machine that can automatically grate fruits or vegetables into shreds, regardless of whether the fruit has a skin or not. Figures 3 and 4a-c show some fruits and vegetables that can be shredded by this machine, such as papaya, carrots and cucumbers.
Picture 3: Shredded cucumber
Picture 4: Shredded: (a) Shredded cucumber (b) Shredded carrot (c) Shredded papaya
Picture 5 : Results after peeling: (a) Papaya (b) Papaya pulp (c) Papaya peel
As can be seen from Figure 3, this machine can successfully make cucumber into shredded or silk-like products . The grating time varies depending on the shape and size of the raw material. If the diameter of the raw material is between four and ten centimeters, the wiping time will be three to eight seconds (depending on the height of the raw material). The wiping process can be continued as long as necessary.
Peeling and peeling are time-consuming
This is a machine that can automatically peel fruits or vegetables, regardless of whether the fruit is round (ball row) or oval shape. Many fruits and vegetables can be peeled with this machine, such as papaya. Mango and potatoes. Figure 5a-c are some examples of peeling.
Test results show that compared with manual peeling, this machine can save 94% of the peeling time (see Figure 6). This is very useful for processing fruits and vegetables. Of course, the peeling time also depends on the size and texture of the skin. Small-volume fruits are peeled faster than large-volume fruits. For example, potatoes are peeled faster than oranges because potatoes are smaller, as shown in Table 2. shown. Hand peeling of fruits and vegetables is slower than machine peeling. Therefore, by using this machine, the peeling time saved on apples, lemons and potatoes was greater than those with less than 92%, which may be due to the difference in hardness of the skins. Compared with pitayas, which have significantly softer skins, this new machine is more efficient at peeling fruits with harder skins, such as apples.
Machine Features
Currently existing fruit and vegetable peeling and grating machines are designed and invented as two separate machines. Table 3 shows some grating machines and peeling machines disclosed in US patent applications, and Table 4 describes some similar technological features when comparing them with this newly designed machine. In 2008, this new design was filed as a patent in Malaysia. It shows that this new machine design combines the functions of a grater, peeler and cutter, and there is no such machine currently available on the market. This new machine makes peeling fruits or vegetables efficient. For example, fruits are shredded immediately after peeling, and both processes are completed in the same machine. Table 4 also clearly shows the difference between the two machines. This new grated peeler simplifies many of its advantages.
Conclusion
A new fruit and vegetable peeling machine has been designed and assembled. After testing, the device has the ability to peel small and medium-sized fruits and vegetables. Effects such as apples, oranges, cucumbers, papayas and potatoes. This machine can successfully and automatically cut fruits or vegetables into shreds or slices, and it has also been found that the selected fruits and vegetables can be peeled satisfactorily. However, there are still some aspects that need to be improved, such as adding sensitive detection instruments to the cutting process. Further modifications and improvements will allow it to exert new potential in commercial operations as a universal grating peeler to promote the improvement of processes. Due to its small size and light weight, the new machine is also suitable for domestic use and food supply industries, such as hotels.
Acknowledgments
References