The Design Of Belt Conveyer Grading Platform For Kiwifruit

Most areas of kiwifruit-growing in China grade fruits artificially which takes lots of labor. Farmers’ use of mechanical equipments is rarely. On the other hand, considering of the economic and space constraint, most of the farmers cannot afford the high cost of equipment, also they have no place to set the equipment, so the farmers don’t participate in the postpartum classification. The researchers in China has made some achievements of grading equipment. But mostly, the size of the equipment are medium or large, and they are suitable for fruit company.Those grading equipment were in single model and lack of small and low cost equipment.Belt conveyer grading platform is an infrastructure for the kiwifruit grading system and a key executive mechanism during the process of transportation, separation and collection. Belt conveyer grading platform for kiwifruit based on machine vision is a small automatic grading device. Compared with the large classification equipment, this one is much cheaper, smaller and more convenient to move. With the control of machine vision system, the grading platform could complete the preliminary grading of fruit. The main contents of the paper are as follows:(1) Determination of design schemes about belt conveyer grading platform for kiwifruit. The mode of transportation of fruit, the separation of fruit and transportation agency were important factors to the whole grading platform which determined the structure and implementation of transportation and separation agency. According to the background and purpose for kiwifruit grading requirements, different ways of grading were proposed. Thus, different schemes were put forward and analyze to determine the optimal design.(2) Study on the physical properties of kiwifruit. The size and friction angle of kiwifruit were the theoretical basis of the design parameters for inclined transportation agencies, separation mechanism and fruit guide groove. We used Hayward, umbilical Qi Hong, Xu Xiang and other Kiwi species as study object in this thesis. To design the height of the conveyor belt, separation agencies and fruit guide groove parameters, we measured the sizes of kiwifruit. Maximum angle of sliding friction for kiwifruit was studied through tilt experiment.(3) The design of belt conveyer grading platform for kiwifruit. This study adopted inclined moving band mechanism and rotary magnet separation mechanism to realize the basic function of kiwifruit grading platform and fruits’ transportation and separation. In addition, this part of the platform support and other ancillary components(such as fruit guide groove, test cases, etc.). Finally, according to the work requirements of grading platform, select the appropriate control scheme, design platform control system.(4) The trial manufacture and experiments on kiwifruit grading platform. After the complete of Kiwifruit grading platform design, using Pro/E to render hierarchical platform assembly drawing, and to model and simulate assembly of parts, management of design data. For the processing of parts for assembly, manufacture of conveyor kiwi fruit grading platform prototype. In order to study the performance of the belt conveyer grading platform for kiwifruit, evaluation tests for fruit transportation effects and separation success rate were proceed by the belt conveyer grading platform for kiwifruit prototype. Finally, the design of prototype was improved through the study and analysis on the errors during the transportation and separation process, and analysis of errors in the process.The design of kiwi fruit grading platform as well as the experiment and study, provides data support and theoretical basis for the improvement of the automatic classification system.