Development of Weight Sensing Unit of Fruit Weight Grader Using Load Cell

중량선과기(重量選果機)의 중량감지부(重量感知部) 개선(改善)에 관(關)한 연구(硏究)

In Korea, fruit grading has been mainly done manually, and manual grading depends on human sense. Thus it is subjected to human error and is not always as consistent as would be desired. Therefore, a study on the development of fruit grader was initiated to improve the consistency of fruit grading. The sensitivity for fruit weight of the conventional spring type weight grader has a tendency to decrease by physical characteristics of spring which is used as a weight sensing unit. This study was carried out to develop weight measuring device for establishing the base of weight sensing unit of electronic weight grader. This device consists of a weight sensor using load cell, data acquisition system, and a microcomputer containing program to calculate fruit weight. The weight measuring device using load cell was developed to increase sensitivity of fruit weight. The result of this study showed that the weight sensing unit of electronic weight grader contributed to the improvement of performance of weight measuring device.