Desarrollo de un modelo de equipo mecánico para partir los carozos de los frutales regionales, separando el hueso de la pepita.

Abstract

This project starts after observing different companies that work with fruits like drying companies and waste large amounts of organic material that is not used, because they direct their greatest effort towards the use of the pulp to produce food products with greater added value. In addition, these companies consider that the logistics of the stone fruit once the process is finished is an issue that can cause cross contamination in their final products, damaging them so they are open to other alternative uses of them. Peach, apricot and plum kernels contain seeds that are highly oleaginous, that means vegetable oil can be obtained from a suitable extraction procedure. Also its refining makes it a more stable oil, taking advantage of the possible added value that could be obtained from the seed. Stone fruit includes peaches, plums and apricots. In 2017, it represented 8.8% of the country's total fruits. Plum and peach are the most important with specific fresh and industrial varieties. Mendoza concentrates 83% of the country's production, due to its good climatic characteristics to cultivation. The South oasis (San Rafael and Gral. Alvear) is the one with the highest production (33 thousand hectares with fruit trees), in which the industry plum variety predominates. The development of a suitable technology for obtaining whole seeds from regional fruit pits will allow the production of products (body oils) from the raw material acquired. The focus of this project is to provide a new destination for the organic waste left mainly by the canning and drying industries, helping the environment and the regional economy. In Argentina, the technology for the use of these residues is not developed or commercialized. Currently, the cracking machines used for peach, plum and apricot are almond and nut machines, but adapted. But the performance obtained is very low (nearly the 60%). Our idea proposes assemble all the processes in one only machine, improving the productivity and performance. The use of these wastes represents an important challenge, to contribute with new ideas in the elaboration of products with a high nutritional value at a low cost, which can be used for human consumption and for industrial use.