Development of Oil Palm Loose Fruit Collecting Machine with Elevated Discharge Mechanism (Mark Iii)

Abstract

The Loose Fruit Collecting Machine (MK IV) is a device where the loose fruits are collected into a cone shape barrel using a cyclonic vacuum concept. With its cone shape, it creates a cyclone atmosphere once the fruits are inside which could minimise bruise to skin of the fruit. The primary objective of this innovation is to utilise vacuum concept to draw in loose fruits into a container. The machine is maintaining the suction that as in previous model utilising vacuum cyclone concept. The loose fruits are sucked into a cylindrical shape of casing or barrel. As the fruits are circulating the barrel/chamber the ‘heavier’ fruits will fall to the bottom of the barrel while the lighter materials such as dried leaves will be sucked out of the system. This technology is also capable of separating the collected loose fruits and the debris into two layers in the vacuum chamber hence producing clean loose fruit at the bottom of the fruit barrel. The machine is easy to operate, fast operation and important to state that the operator will no longer having back-pain problem. The additional mechanism that has been improved are, the barrel which now is being functioned as a temporary storage area. The contents in the barrel occasionally say after the machine has visited 10 points collection or palms be emptied into another container that can hold up to 500 kg of fruits. Once the amount of fruits in the container reaches 500 kg, the operator will lift and unload them into mainline transport system either a waiting trailer, bin or sterilizer cage. The machine is capable of collecting on average of 1500 kg to 2000 kg of clean loose fruits in a day. With the proposed design, the machine is also well integrated with mainline transportation system i.e. the sterilizer cage system.