Optimizing Vibratory Sorting Machine of Crickets: Effects of Surface Friction, Oscillation Dynamics, and Energy Consumption

This study presents a two-stage, mechanics-based method for optimizing vibratory sorting machine of adult crickets for post-harvest size grading. In the first stage, the static coefficient of friction (<i>COF</i>) was measured for three cricket size classes across seven tray surface conditions to quantify cricket-substrate interactions relevant to vibratory transport. <i>COF</i> varied significantly with both morphology and surface microtexture (<i>p</i> < 0.0001), with intermediate roughness levels generating higher friction than smooth or highly rough surfaces. In the second stage, a factorial experiment evaluated the effects of oscillating speed (300-350 rpm), tray inclination (2°-3°), and surface roughness (G0-G5) on sorting efficiency, throughput, batch sorting time, and specific energy consumption (<i>SEC</i>). All main factors and most interactions significantly influenced sorting performance (<i>p</i> < 0.0001). The optimal operating condition-350 rpm, 2° inclination, and G2 roughness-achieved 95% sorting accuracy, 39 crickets·min^-1 throughput, and the lowest <i>SEC</i> (0.37 Wh·cricket^-1). The results demonstrate that friction-vibration coupling governs cricket transport on vibrating surfaces and provide an engineering framework for designing scalable, energy-efficient sorting systems for insect rearing and processing.