Design and development of a tomato-packaging container using Acrilonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene (ABS) plastic sheets

Autor: A. S. Kovo, Peter A. Idah, Taofiq O Olanrewaju, Z D Osunde
Rok vydání: 2020
Předmět:
Zdroj: IOP Conference Series: Earth and Environmental Science. 445:012008
ISSN: 1755-1315
1755-1307
DOI: 10.1088/1755-1315/445/1/012008
Popis: Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is a vegetable crop reported as one of the most popular crops in the world. Producing tomatoes in many developing African countries is plagued with numerous postharvest challenges. Handling and packaging of harvested tomatoes is one of the main challenges faced in Africa. Packaging provides a means of ensuring safe delivery of a product to the ultimate user in a sound condition, at a minimum overall cost. In order to reduce post-harvest losses resulting from packaging and transportation of fresh tomato fruits, an alternative tomato-packaging container using Acrilonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene (ABS) plastic sheet was developed. The drawing was produced using automated computer aided design (AUTO-CAD). The drawing was simulated using 3-dimensional solid works software. The Finite Element Analysis (FEA) was run on the software to determine the tolerable stresses on the base and handles, drop test, buckling test and stack test. Also, design calculations were done for aerodynamics requirement, heat stress, container thickness, packaging ventilations and ergonomics. The container was developed using vacuum forming method from ABS sheet. A compression test was carried out in the strength of materials laboratory. Results revealed that the packaging container can accommodate a maximum load of 0.903 kN, implying that 3 containers when filled with fresh tomato fruits can be stacked on one another. The developed tomato-packaging container is collapsible and easy to maintain by cleaning with water. Ultimately, the tendency of the plastic packaging container to be stacked on top of one another makes it better than the conventional baskets currently used for packaging and transporting fresh tomato fruits.
Databáze: OpenAIRE
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