Influence of Contact Surface Type on the Mechanical Damages of Apples Under Impact Loads

This paper presents an analysis of mechanical damage carried out on ‘Golden Delicious’ apple variety, which was subjected to impact loads during free drop against various rigid plates. For this purpose, an analysis of the contact pressure based on determined contours and surface pressure distributio...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Food and bioprocess technology 2017-08, Vol.10 (8), p.1479-1494
Main Authors: Komarnicki, Piotr, Stopa, Roman, Szyjewicz, Daniel, Kuta, Łukasz, Klimza, Tomasz
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Agriculture
Biotechnology
Chemistry
Chemistry and Materials Science
Chemistry/Food Science
Contact pressure
Food Science
Fruits
Impact analysis
Impact damage
Impact loads
Impact tests
Original Paper
Plates
Polyethylene
Polyethylenes
Pressure
Pressure sensors
Production costs
Transport processes
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Summary:This paper presents an analysis of mechanical damage carried out on ‘Golden Delicious’ apple variety, which was subjected to impact loads during free drop against various rigid plates. For this purpose, an analysis of the contact pressure based on determined contours and surface pressure distributions at the contact point between the fruit dropped from various heights against fixed hard plates was performed. The impact test was conducted by means of Tekscan® system supported by computer verifying analysis. To obtain impact loads as well as their courses, the surface pressures and the bruise volumes were determined. Furthermore, use of ultra-thin pressure sensors allowed for determination of the characteristic shape of contact area and the impact of fruit onto rigid plate. The results showed that the impact of fruit against rigid surface (concrete, wood) generates high values of maximum surface pressure and the bruise volume, observed at dropping from 10 mm. A decrease in hardness of the test material (polyethylene foam) with decreasing maximum surface pressure approximately twice was noticed. The polyethylene foam is one of the best materials which protect fruit from mechanical damage, confirmed by the relation of bruise surface to contact surface, which did not exceed 35% during the impact at 150 mm. The results of proposed studies can contribute to developing of harvest, handling, and transport processes, aiming at reduction in losses among fruit growers and production costs, i.e., by improvement of transport method.
ISSN:1935-5130
1935-5149
DOI:10.1007/s11947-017-1918-z