Automatic mango cutter.
Hahn F.
Author Affiliation: Centro de Investigación en Alimentación y Desarrollo, A.C., Pascual Orozco y Topolobampo 1603, 80170, Culiacán, Sinaloa, Mexico.
ASAE Annual International Meeting, Orlando, Florida, USA, 12-16 July, 1998. : 6 pp.
Abstract : The mango dehydration process requires stone extraction without damaging the two pulp cavities. Until now the cutting process was done manually with knives as mango size varies widely. Production costs are relatively high due to the amount of people needed. An automatic device is described which positions the mango in front of a stainless steel wire for cutting. The mango always arrives in the same position, aiding the sensor to align the cutter along the sides of the mango stone. X-ray imaging and laser scanning provide the cutter with a precise measure of the fruit. Spectral measurements can also provide information on the stone position. Results on the relationship of the stone dimensions to mango dimensions are presented but not for the efficiency of cutting.