Design, Fabrication and Evaluation of a Pitting Machine for Cornelian cherry Fruit

Introduction: Cornelian cherries are a horticultural product that can be effectively planned and invested in for processing due to their high nutrient value. However, this product undergoes various stages from harvest to consumption, and approximately 5 to 8 percent of the annual yield is lost for various reasons. A significant portion of these losses can be attributed to inadequate pitting and packaging techniques, though Cornelian cherry pitting in the country is still occasionally performed using traditional and manual methods. The pitting process is labor-intensive, and the presence of the product core can impede its processing and marketability, resulting in suboptimal sales outcomes. The pitting process is subject to variability in execution by workers, potentially influenced by factors such as fatigue and working conditions. This variability can lead to imperfect pitting, affecting the product's overall quality and marketability. The pitting process is a critical stage in the transformation and processing of agricultural products, such as fruits, with the aim of enhancing their quality and ease of consumption. This process renders the product more customer-friendly, facilitates regular distribution and supply, and offers farmers significant added value. In contemporary fruit markets, a substantial proportion of fruits are pitted and packaged for sale. In contrast, fruits in Iran are less frequently pitted, and cornelian cherries are not an exception to this trend. Consequently, the potential for cornelian cherry pitting in Iran is determined by factors such as new markets, cultural influences, new consumers, and the raw material for other products. Pitting is identified as a process that enhances the added value of cornelian cherries. Consequently, endeavours are underway to automate the pitting process, employing machinery to enhance the precision and consistency of the pitting quality. In this study, a Cornelian cherry pitting machine was designed and constructed based on the needs of gardeners and processing units.
Materials and Methods: The necessity of designing and manufacturing a high-quality Cornelian cherry pitting machine is underscored by various factors, including economic conditions, production, export, and added value. This research involved the design and fabrication of an efficient machine for pitting Cornelian cherries. The machine was engineered to core the cherries while preserving their physical appearance. To this end, a comprehensive examination of the prevailing factors in the design, encompassing design elements, operational conditions, and the physical and mechanical characteristics of Cornelian cherry, was undertaken. In addition, a thorough review of the extant literature was conducted, encompassing the global array of existing designs. A comprehensive analysis of diverse pitting machine processes, coupled with a meticulous examination of the physical and mechanical properties of Cornelian cherry, culminated in the selection and design of a Cornelian cherry pitting machine of the punch type, comprising a punch and matrix. This particular configuration was chosen as it is deemed to be the most technologically viable option, taking into account factors such as cost, technological level, and other pertinent considerations within the given nation. Following the finalization of the mechanisms, the design of the components for the various components of the Cornelian cherry pitting machine was undertaken. The design of various components was carried out with the objective of achieving the highest quality of fruit pitting, the desired capacity of the machine, the least losses, ease and cost-effectiveness of construction. After calculating the dimensions and general specifications of the pitting machine, as well as the necessary calculations for power sources and power transmission, the various parts and systems of the machine with specific sizes were mounted on top of each other with CATIA software, and the final model was produced. Subsequent to the culmination of all design stages, the material utilized in each component of the pitting machine was ascertained in accordance with food industry standards. The manufactured machine is capable of single-seed pitting, a function enabled by the power transmission system and the Geneva mechanism. The design of all components of the Cornelian cherry pitting machine was executed, and its design was prepared by CATIA software. The pitting machine for Cornelian cherry fruit was constructed from the designs extracted from the software.
Results and discussion: The evaluation of the machine involved the consideration of three primary criteria: product losses during pitting, the maintenance of the product's appearance post-pitting, and the
efficacy of the pitting operation. To assess these criteria, a experimental design was employed, incorporating two variables: the type of puncher and the moisture content of the Cornelian cherry fruit. Subsequent to modifying the effective variables in the experiment at the determined levels, variance analysis tables were formulated to ascertain the effect of the aforementioned variables on the output parameters. The significance or non-significance of each variable was then examined according to these tables. To conduct variance analysis, the F and Duncan tests with a 5% probability level were employed in the SPSS 26.0.0.1 program to assess the impact of six treatments (puncher - fruit moisture content) on the magnitude of losses, alterations in the length and diameter of the Cornelian cherry fruit. The efficiency of the machine was examined in three types of punchers: namely, simple, simple round blade, and three-feathered blade, and two moisture content levels of 70 and 75 percent in six treatments. The analysis of variance test demonstrated a statistically significant difference in the losses caused by the product and its final form across the six tested treatments.
Conclusion: The most efficient treatment was identified as the one with 75% moisture content and a three-feathered punch. Under these conditions, 93.33% of the product was successfully pitted, and the lowest meat losses were observed in this treatment