Automated avocado processing system and related method
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current manual methods for splitting, depitting, and peeling avocados in commercial kitchens are inefficient, prone to injury, and result in inconsistent quality and yield, with existing automated solutions often contaminating the flesh with pit chips and requiring high forces.
Innovation Solution
An automated produce processing system that includes a modular design with singulation, cutting, depitting, and peeling stations, using motorized conveyors and sensors to efficiently process avocados, separate usable flesh from waste, and track metrics for efficiency and yield.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If manual methods are used for splitting, depitting, and peeling avocados, then flexibility and adaptability are maintained, but productivity is low and consistency is poor
Solution Approach 1:
The system allows operators to simply load avocados into the hopper, after which the machine autonomously performs singulation, cutting, depitting, and peeling operations without requiring continuous manual intervention or skilled labor
Solution Approach 2:
Manual mechanical operations are replaced with an automated mechanical system comprising conveyors, cutting blades, depitting mechanisms, and peeling rollers that consistently perform tasks previously done by hand
2Extent of automation
If existing automated solutions cut through the entirety of the avocado flesh and seed, then processing is automated, but the flesh becomes contaminated with pit chips
Solution Approach 1:
The system extracts and removes the pit from the avocado half before the peeling operation occurs, eliminating the source of contamination and allowing the peeling blade to process only the flesh without contact with the hard seed
Solution Approach 2:
The processing sequence is segmented into distinct stages: first cutting the avocado into halves, then removing the pit from one half, and finally peeling the flesh - ensuring that contamination-prone operations are separated and performed in the correct sequence
3Extent of automation
If higher forces are applied to cut the pit, then the automated cutting is more effective, but the system requires higher forces that are generally undesirable for in-kitchen solutions
Solution Approach 1:
Instead of forcing the cutting blade through the hard pit, the system extracts the pit from the avocado half using a dedicated depitting mechanism, eliminating the need for high-force cutting operations
Solution Approach 2:
Rather than attempting to cut through the pit directly, the system inverts the approach by removing the pit first and then processing the flesh, avoiding the force-intensive operation entirely
4Productivity
If flesh is extracted quickly to meet deliverables, then productivity increases, but flesh yield is compromised due to difficulty of adherence
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary actions including proper fixation of the avocado half and careful positioning before the peeling operation, ensuring optimal conditions for flesh extraction that maximize yield while maintaining speed
Solution Approach 2:
The peeling mechanism uses controlled parameters including blade angle, pressure, and speed to optimize the separation between flesh and skin, ensuring complete flesh extraction with minimal loss while maintaining high processing velocity
Data Source
AI summary
An automated avocado processing system for cutting an avocado in half, removing the pit, and extracting the flesh from the peel includes a plurality of functional assemblies arranged on a frame. Exemplary stations include a loading assembly, cutting assembly, peeling station, and food collection assembly. Computer and electronics are programmed and operable to control the automated stations. Related methods are described.