VIBRATION TRANSMISSIBILITY OF THE COFFEE FRUIT-PEDUNCLE SYSTEM: A FORCED VIBRATION STUDY OF HIGH FREQUENCY AIMING MECHANICAL HARVESTING

ABSTRACT Semi-mechanized and mechanized harvesting use machines that promote the transference of vibrational energy and impact to achieve the detachment of coffee fruits. The aim of this study was to evaluate the vibration transmissibility in coffee fruit-peduncle systems, using high-speed cameras, submitted to high frequency harmonic excitation in different combinations between frequency and amplitude of vibration, identifying working ranges suitable to perform selective harvesting. Vibration transmissibility was determined for the coffee fruit-peduncle systems, for the maturation stages unripe and ripe that were subjected to a sinusoidal harmonic displacement, in which the input parameters were frequency (35, 45 and 55 Hz) and peak-to-peak amplitude (3.5, 5.0 and 6.5 mm). An experiment was used to study the effect of frequency and amplitude on vibration transmissibility in a completely randomized design in a factorial scheme 3 x 3 x 2, with three replications. The frequency of 35 Hz, associated with the amplitudes 3.5-6.5 mm, was the one that most influenced the results of vibration transmissibility. For the frequency of 55 Hz and amplitude of 6.5 mm, in the ripe maturation stage, the vibration transmissibility was higher than 1.0, which could be a suitable combination for selective coffee harvesting.