Effect of expanded polyethylene (EPE) foam packing net design on the mechanical damage resistance of strawberry fruit during transportation

Abstract

Fresh strawberries are susceptible to mechanical damage during transportation, leading to high loss rates. This problem can be addressed through the development of appropriate packaging designs. The initial collision velocity of the fruit and the external packaging would also influence the mechanical damage resistance of the expanded polyethylene (EPE) foam packing net. The dynamic finite element method (FEM) was used to investigate the effect of EPE foam packing net on resisting mechanical damage to strawberry fruits. The results showed that the elastic modulus and diameter of the EPE foam packing net material, as well as the hole size of the net, were key factors affecting the maximum impact force and contact time of the collision process. The initial collision velocity of the fruit and the external packaging also influenced the mechanical damage resistance of the EPE foam packing net. Our results showed that the EPE foam packing net material should have a slightly smaller elastic modulus than that of the strawberry cortex tissue, and the hole size of the net should not be too large. Moreover, when the initial collision velocity and environmental temperature increased by 1 m·s−1 and 1 ℃, the collision damage volume of the fruit increased by 37.6433, and 6.4658 mm3, respectively. This study presents a numerical simulation method that evaluates the collision damage resistance of packed fresh fruit. The findings of this study can serve as a valuable guide for designing packaging solutions and optimizing transportation environments for the long-distance transport of fresh fruit.