Development of Dried Apple Slicing Machine Design and Prototype

In this study, a prototype machine was designed and manufactured for slicing apple which is one of the pre-drying stages. the work efficiency, apple slice thickness, power consumption, noise level, and product losses were determined at 3 different cycles and 3 different blades of the prototype. according to the results of the trial average work efficiency; it was found to be 192.40 kg/h at 300 rpm, 213.40 kg/h at 350 rpm and 237.20 kg/h at 400 rpm. the thickness of the apple slices, where the prototype formed the same cycle, was found to be 4.70 mm with a 20 mm blade distance, 8.09 mm with a 30 mm blade distance and 9.92 mm with a 40 mm blade distance. when the prototype is operated without vegetable material at the same cycles, the average power consumption of 0,184 kw/h and power consumption of 0,238 kw/h were determined at load. according to international standards, sounds of 85 dba or more are harmful to the hearing system. therefore the prototype trials while the average noise level of 64.66 dba measured without plant material, the data has reached the level of 68.33 dba noise when operated at loads of vegetable material. after the product trials, the product losses occurred in the machine were weighed, an average of 4.6% of the 20 mm blade distance, 4.7% of the 30 mm blade distance, and 7.1% of the average product loss of 40 mm blade distance.