Study on Application of Netted Foam Covering Fruits Subjected to Impact Loading

Abstract

This research was to study the capability of neted foam when covering fruits and subjected to impact loading. The methodology comprised impact loading by meanse of ballistic pendulum against apples and guava, covered and not covered with netted foam at various incident angles (ie. 2ฝ , 5, 10,15, 25 and 35 degree respectiviely). There was data collection and analysis to determine (i) input, absorbed energy and bruise volume, (ii) physical characteristics of netted foam and the fruits. results showed that energy and bruise volume, (ii) physical characteristics of netted foam and the fruits. Results showed that
1. When the incident angle O > 5 and with apples covered and not covered with netted foam the bruise volum VB was directly proportional to input energy E1 and absorbed energy Eab (R2 > 0.80). At O = 2.5 Vb was not found.
2. When O > 10 and with guava covered and not covered with netted foam VB directly varied as E1 and Eab (R2>0.77). At O = 5 VB was not found.
3. Netted foam could reduce impact bruising of apples and guavas ranging from 40.84 to 39.56 and from 67.64 to 70.53%, respectively.
4. Hard netted foam could save up fruit bruising than soft netted foam due to better absorbing E1, resulting less energy impacting the fruits. For apples and guavas which covered with had form showed less bruise volume than those covered with soft foam at the amount of 8-30 and 21-31% respectively.