PROJECT
Data
The ever-increasing demand for products such as cherries has created very favorable conditions for the development of a new product that will concern their sorting, classification and their intermediate transport using high technology for a basic agricultural product such as cherries. The main reasons could be summarized as follows:
- The agricultural product - cherry - that will be processed by the new system concerns a dynamic crop characterized by upward trends in production over the last decade, relative precociousness compared to other countries, intense export character with corresponding upward trends and finally a high price in comparison with other similar agricultural products.
- The export orientation of the cherry, but also its distribution in the domestic market mainly as a packaged product, combined with its special characteristics, reinforce the need for management (sorting – classification and packaging) based on high quality standards with the possibility of further usage even higher. It is a very delicate fruit and therefore special attention should be given to the process, so that it is not injured both externally and not visually controlled internally at any stage. In addition, there are several varieties of cherry with variations in the shape, the thickness of the outer peel, as well as in its external and internal texture and finally in the color of both the peel and its interior.
The above factors form a very favorable environment for the manifestation of significant demand for cherry sorting, classification and packaging system. Considering that the cherry is an important crop and indeed with upward trends in neighboring countries, such as Turkey which is the first country in cherry production in the world market, Italy and Spain (2nd and 3rd respectively in the EU in 2017), favorable conditions appear for modern cherry control, sorting and classification systems using high technology.
According to data from Incofruit-Hellas, the main export destinations for Greek cherries are the following: the Netherlands, Serbia which also functions as a re-export market to third countries, Germany, Romania and finally Bulgaria. Finally, significant quantities are exported to Egypt and other countries in the Middle East (Andronikakis A., 2018).
An additional factor for the production of such a system is that the counterparts that are manufactured at the moment either present significant technological weaknesses mainly in terms of the integration into the production line of the electronic classification of cherries as well as the implementation of reliable classification systems and product sorting or their technological perfection is presented with small qualitative deviations between them, but their purchase cost is very high, which in the case of small packaging companies with a correspondingly small volume of production, their purchase is prohibitive, (Hatzicharisis I. and Kazantzis K., 2014) which results in their non-supply with a negative impact in the cherry sorting and classification process.
This gap is to be filled with the design and construction of the present system which will be able to classify the product according to its shape, its color, as well as to distinguish its quality or non-quality texture while ensuring that, at every step of the process a single fruit will pass so as to ensure its correct classification.
Description of the project
The proposed project concerns the research, design and construction of cherry sorting - classification - packing machine.
Purpose of the project
An important factor for the production of a cherry sorting-classification-packing machine is that the machines manufactured by Greek companies present significant technological weaknesses, mainly in terms of the integration into the production line of the electronic classification of the fruits, as well as the implementation of reliable classification systems and product sorting.
The imported machines, mainly from Italy and Spain, with small quality exclusions between them, show technological excellence but the cost is very high, which in the case of small packaging companies with a small production volume, their purchase is prohibitive.
OLYMPIAS, through research, will end up designing and manufacturing a standard cherry machine that will be able to classify the product according to shape and color through a system of specialized cameras, as well as distinguish the quality texture of the fruit.
In addition, it will be ensured that at every step of the process a single fruit will pass so as to ensure its correct classification.
Finally, a software study will be done so that it is fully functional and easy to use by the end user.
Project approach
The proposed project concerns the research, design and construction of cherry sorting - classification - packing machine. The project involves solving complex problems that arise in the process – route of the cherry from its introduction into the machine to its export as a final packaged product. The issues to be resolved, which due to the particular characteristics of the fruit become more difficult, are related to the number of varieties, its color, its texture, the size of the fruit, the size of the stem and finally the degree of sugars it contains, elements that they ultimately determine the quality of the cherry. In this context, an integrated production line will be designed and developed and particular points and functions of the machine will be researched that will ensure the perfect operation of the entire production line and the desired result for the final product being processed.
Objectives of the research project:
- To ensure the continuous flow of fruit in the sections of the line without injuries and to study the installation of an air system to separate the twin cherries.
- To carry out the installation of a closed box in which the special surveillance cameras - the LENS and LEDS - as well as all the electronic equipment required for fruit inspection will be placed.
- To carry out the installation of an air system in the area where the sorting belts (exits) will be through which the cherries will pass according to the separation selected by the system and sending the cherries to the appropriate exit belt.
- To carry out the installation of an electronic control center of the entire line in which all information will be collected, examined from the database that will be developed and the corresponding signal will be given for the route.
Machine systems diagram
As shown in the diagram, the machine will consist of 6 different areas:
· The first is the insertion of the cherries into the machine. An insertion will be developed (either internally in the machinery itself, or externally with the use of auxiliary equipment) such that, while it will not injure the fruits their flow will be continuous. Then we pass to the second area in which there are the V-shaped feeding belts. They will consist of several belts with different slopes between them in order to achieve the optimal feeding of the cherries in the next stage which is one of the most critical.
· In the third area there will be the rolling cherry conveyor system that will be studied and designed specifically for cherries, as well as the air system for the separation of double fruit (a system that will also be studied).
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· In the fourth area the closed box will be placed inside which the special surveillance cameras – LENS and LEDS will be placed as well as all the electronic equipment required to monitor the fruits.
· In the fifth area there will be sorting belts (exits) through which the cherries will pass according to the separation selected by the system. The separation of the cherries, to which exit belt they will be sent, is done using an air system that will be studied.
· The sixth area includes the return belts of the twin cherries at the beginning of the machine so that they pass back to the production line, (V feed belts).
The whole system will be electronically controlled by the line control center in which all information will be collected, examined from the database that will be developed and thus the corresponding signal willnbe given for the progress of the production.
