MECHANIZATION 	OF 	OLIVE 	FRUIT GRADING: 	A CYLINDRICAL GRADING MACHINE

EI- Sheikha,, M. A.; Abdalla, H. E.; Mohamed, S. E.

doi:10.21608/jssae.2004.243897

MECHANIZATION OF OLIVE FRUIT GRADING: A CYLINDRICAL GRADING MACHINE

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

¹ Dept. of Agric. Eng., Faculty of Agric., Mansoura University

² Research Inst. of desert Environ., Moniufya Univ.

10.21608/jssae.2004.243897

Abstract

Grading of olive fruits is important for export and local marketing. Grading
parameters were length, width, thickness, and weight of olive. The mechanical
grading, reduce the period needed to sort the olive varieties compared to manual
grading, and the olives price depend on its size.
The cylindrical grading machine for olive fruits was manufactured, and tested at the
Agricultural, Engineering Department, Faculty of Agriculture, EI-Mansoura University.
On the other hand, the experiment was carried out at Kafr-Awd, Aga, Dakahlia
Governorate. The machine was tested in grading of Agize, Manzanillo and Picual olive
varieties. The grading process was based on fruit parameters such as mass and
dimensions and machine parameters such as grading cylinder rotation speed, grading
cylinder slope and grading cylinder length. The grading efficiencies of all the olive fruit
varieties under study increased with increasing the length and decreasing the tilt
angle of grading mechanism. Result indicated the maximum grading efficiencies were
94 %, 92 % and 91 % for, Manzanillo, Agiza, Picual olives varieties, respectively.
These values were obtained at grading cylinder length of 600-mm, cylinder rotating
speed of 8 r.p.m, and grading cylinder tilt angle of O.0175Rad.