"Artificial fruit" are an objective aid to test the suitability of processing technique under practical conditions. These devices are built similar to the real product - e.g. an apple fruit or a bulb onion - and has a measuring function to acquire and store measuring data on mechanical loads. An example of an artificial fruit is the Pressure Measuring Sphere PMS-60.
The measuring principle of the measuring sphere PMS-60 is based on the relation between external mechanical load and internal fluid pressure within the sphere.
Thiss micro-processor-controlled measuring system was developed by the Institute of Agricultural Engineering Bornim for testing of mechanical loads on onion, potatoes and apple fruit due to harvest and postharvest handling technique. By means of this system, the mechanical load history during run through the technique can be detailed analysed. Measured data allow to conclude what the user can do to reduce mechanical loads, e.g. to minimise critical drop heights or to cushion "hard" impact surfaces.
Scientific studies were carried out to determine the relations between measured by means of artificial fruit data and real damage losses of bulb onions. By using these relations it was possible to assess the extent of storage losses based on mechanical load data.
The measuring system is commercially available and advantageous for research and developmental work.