Evaluation of the bruising of citrus fruits during post-harvest processing through the use of computerized equipment

This work intends to provide a contribution to the study of the stress to which fruits and vegetable produce are subjected to during harvest and subsequent post-harvest operations. The research, although having been carried out with reference to materials that are typically used in citrus packing lines, can easily be extended, with some additional work, to cover other packing lines. To record the stress two impact measurement devices present on the international market from some years were used: the IS100 and the PMS-60. The work carries the results of a series of experimental trials consisting of repeatedly dropping the two devices from known heights on preselected materials, as well as on a layer of oranges in order to simulate the impact as it occurs between two fruits. In particular, the regression curve of the peak acceleration or of the maximum force in respect of the height of the drop is provided for each material considered, so as to be able to compare the response of the two devices to equal stress as well as the characteristic curves for the impact surfaces, which were determined by opportune interpolation of the measured data. Reference is also made to some preliminary trials in which the two spheres were inserted into a citrus packing line.