Development of Seme-Automatic Rambutan Peeling and Seed Removing Machine

Abstract

This research objective was to develop, test and evaluate the prototype of semi-automatic Rambutan peeling and seed removing machine. Mechanical and physical properties of Rambutan fruit were studied and the important resulted were used to design the prototype machine. The prototype consists of seed puncher in vertical and peeling mechanism in horizontal. The compressed air was used as a power of system and mechanisms of prototype is driven by air cylinder. The PLC (Programmable logic controller) was selected to use in this design. Designed result found the proper speed of feed mechanism, peeling mechanism, seed puncher and fruit removing mechanism are 4 m s^-1, 1.67 m s^-1, 5 m s^-1 and 5 m s^-1 respectively. Continuous testing of Rambutan seed removing and peeling for size 1, 2 and mixed of size 1 and 2 found the efficiency of prototype, capacity and energy consumption are 65.39%, 17.51 kg h^-1 and 26.46 kgkWh^-1 respectively. The break even point of this prototype are 3,474.19 kg year^-1  when operate at 6.25 years  of working time.