Longitudinal and horizontal-aligned banana slicing machine

Abstract

This research was developed from the old version of the banana slicing machine for slices a banana in sheet-form longitudinal axis only by designed, constructed and tested a new version of the banana slicing machine for slices a banana in sheet-form longitudinal and horizontal axis in flat-shape and curly-shape and adjustable sheet-thickness at between 1-2 mm. The new version of the machine would consist of a pressure plate over the feeding channel. The feeding channel could support for 5 fruits of a banana in the longitudinal laying and support for 10 fruits in the horizontal laying. The blade was installed on a drum and the tray was inserted under the drum for finished products. Electric gear-motor was used to drive the drum. The overall dimensions of the machine ware 0.56m (width) 0.64m (Length) 1.38m (High). The experimental was sliced by the machine at 1.5 mm thick in flat-shape and curly-shape can be summarized; the average rate of slide was 167 kg/hr. The average tolerances of sliced was ±0.02 mm, the average deviations percentage of sliced was ±1.05 and the average power consumption of the machine was 0.23 kWh. The machines were used by targeted communities, with production costs of about 4.78 million baht/year will lead a net profit to 5.97 million baht/year and the payback period of about 0.82 years.