Performance analysis of a banana fruit leather spreading machine and determination of the optimum spreader clearance

Analisis kinerja mesin penyebar fruit leather pisang dan penentuan celah spreader optimum

Abstract

A fruit leather spreading machine (a device for producing thin fruit sheet products) represents one of the equipment innovations developed to support banana processing in Lampung Province. The quality of the resulting sheet is largely determined by the spreader gap setting, as this parameter directly

influences batter thickness, heat distribution, and the uniformity of the final product. This study aimed to determine the optimum spreader gap by analyzing its effect on dimensional accuracy, temperature distribution, spreading diameter stability, and spreading duration. Three spreader gap variations (5, 10, and 15 mm) were tested in three replications at 8 RPM, with measurements taken at three points along the shaft (base, middle, and tip). Results indicated that the 10 mm gap yielded the highest dimensional accuracy at the base point (100%) with a spreading time of 106.07 seconds. The 5 mm gap produced the highest surface temperature (59.2°C) and the greatest thermal non-uniformity (ΔT = 26.2°C), while all variations maintained a spreading diameter of approximately 20 cm with an accuracy of ≥97.5%. Analysis of variance revealed significant differences in spreading time (p < 0.001) and heat distribution (p < 0.001), but not in diameter stability. The 10 mm gap is suggested as the optimal setting as it demonstrated the best balance between dimensional precision, thermal safety, and time efficiency.