CMIC

The classical opening machine for young-coconut-fruit was designed by Mr. Bundit Jarimopas from Kasetsart University, Kamphaengsaen, Nakohn Pathom and Mr. Pramote Kuson from Department of Agricultural Engineering, King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, Bangkok, Thailand. And the prototype machine was brought to demonstrate to post harving training participants at KU, Kamphaengsaen. According to their published, the design concept of the prototype machine was that a trimmed coconut could be opened by causing a small sharp knife to gradually move and shear off a circular section of the husk and shell at the top of the rotating fruit. The prototype consisted of a fruit holder, a height control mechanism, a knife and its feed controller and a power transmission system. In operation, the small stainless-steel knife slowly penetrates through the husk and the shell of the turning fruit in a direction approximately perpendicular to its surface. The rotation of the fruit causes the husk and shell to be cut by the sharp edge of the knife, which results in the formation of the circular opening at the top of the fruit. Based on this design parameters, a commercial prototype was manufactured and tested. The prototype had the capacity to open an item of fruit at an average time of 30 s. A 58-mm-diameter opening was cut and a mean 0,2% of the juice was spilled, while the juice that remained contained 0.2 g of fine pieces of shell and husk. The mechanically opened coconuts were well received by consumers. (http:www.sc.direct)