Evaluation of the Banana Slicing Machine Structure Design.

In the product planning procedure of a machine tool, mature designers consider various kinds of customers' requirements, while simultaneously conducting the necessary information processing, so as to finally determine the most suitable product specifications. In order to systematize this procedure, it is necessary and indispensable to clarify the decision-making process as well as knowledge of a mature designer in detail, and to analyses design information used in the product planning. In this study, a banana slicing machine development methodology, characteristics of design information related to the product specification have been analyzed using a simple survey analysis method. Actual design information used in this analysis is obtained from focused interviews and questionnaire investigations. Furthermore, the validity and effectiveness of the proposed method have been verified using the results of these investigations. Finite simulation also been carried out to analyze the structure and it was found the design is very robust which has a 4.4 safety factor. It was found the new machine design is able to contribute up to 12% cost reduction without any jeopardizing the performance of the banana chip production. The analysis also demonstrates the machine is able to produce 84 kg/hr which is significant increment compared to previous report. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]