PARAMETER OPTIMISATION AND EXPERIMENT ON THE COMBING OF Cerasus humilis.

In this paper, the mechanical injury evaluation standard of Cerasus humilis was established based on extrusion deformation energy and fruit storage days. The key factors affecting extrusion deformation were determined by analysing the contact force during combing. The single-factor test and three-factor, three-level quadratic regression orthogonal test were carried out by using the fruit removal rate and damage rate as the evaluation indices and the comb distance, combing speed and comb rod radius as the influencing factors. Results showed that the fruit removal rate decreased and the damage rate initially decreased and then increased with the increase in comb distance; with the increase in combing speed, the fruit removal rate remained unchanged and the damage rate increased; with the increase in comb rod radius, the fruit removal rate initially increased and then decreased, while the damage rate initially decreased and then increased. The order of influence on the fruit removal rate was comb rod radius > comb distance > combing speed. The order of influence on the damage rate was combing speed > comb distance > comb rod radius. Response surface methodology obtained the following optimal parameters: comb distance of 9 mm, combing speed of 340 mm/s and comb rod radius of 8 mm. A validation test was carried out on a combing test bench under the optimised parameters. The fruit removal rate was 96.89% and the damage rate was 6.36%. These values were consistent with the results of optimum parameters; thus, the regression model was reliable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]