ARQUIVO INT3D fruit digitization: packaging custom-tailored to each fruitARQUIVO INT
Returnable packaging, custom-tailored to properly hold fruit such as persimmons, mangos, papayas and strawberries, thus reducing losses in their shipment after harvest, was developed by the National Institute of Technology (INT) in partnership with the Center for Food Technology at the Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa). Losses of fruits and vegetables as a result of the systems currently in use, such as wooden, cardboard or plastic crates, is close to 39%, according to data from Embrapa. “We created the packaging according to the shape of the fruit,” says Marcos Henrique Garamvolgyi, project designer in the industrial design division of the INT. The process of developing the packaging involves making a digital image of the fruit using a 3D scanner and performing tests with samples printed on rapid prototype machines, allowing for the creation and testing of containers even outside of the fruit harvest periods. The packaging is made of plastic and vegetable fiber and its base is foldable so it can be returned to the producer. The tray is thin and the cavities are the exact size of the fruit.
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