Development, fabrication, and assessment of durian dehusking machine’s gripper by direct metal laser sintering-powder bed fusion using AlSi10Mg

Various industries, including aerospace, health care, automotive, and manufacturing, have adopted Additive Manufacturing (AM) or 3D printing technologies due to their cost, speed, accuracy, and flexibility advantages. As AM technology constantly evolves with new materials, 3D printers, and methods, many industry sectors are adopting it. This paper demonstrates an application-based study that optimizes the existing design of a durian dehusking machine’s critical component, benefiting from AM’s advantages. The existing design of the gripper jaw was reverse-engineered using photogrammetry and metrology methods to obtain the 3D model. Then, the model was optimized using the Generative Design (GD) function of Autodesk® Fusion 360 to reduce weight while maintaining mechanical requirements. The new model was validated through simulation using the Finite Element Analysis (FEA) simulation function of Autodesk® Fusion 360, considering both stresses from fruit weight and applied forces by the dehusking head. The optimized design was fabricated using EOS M290, a Laser-Powder Bed Fusion (L-PBF) machine utilizing Direct Metal Laser Sintering (DMLS) technology capable of printing metallic materials such as AlSi10Mg. The weight of the gripper assembly was significantly reduced by 32.2% while maintaining mechanical strength in gripping the durian fruit while compressed by the dehusking head during the dehusking process. This work presents an effective method of reverse engineering and optimizing existing parts in industrial equipment using new materials, especially food processing equipment.