Fruit drop height
Move the number and see how fast the fruit arrives. Gravity does not know whether your belt runs fast or slow.
2.43 m/s
That is the speed it hits whatever is below, or 8.7 km/h. It takes 0.25 s to fall.
| Drop height | Impact speed | Fall time |
|---|---|---|
| 10 cm | 1.40 m/s | 0.14 s |
| 20 cm | 1.98 m/s | 0.20 s |
| 30 cm | 2.43 m/s | 0.25 s |
| 50 cm | 3.13 m/s | 0.32 s |
| 80 cm | 3.96 m/s | 0.40 s |
Free fall, v = √(2gh), ignoring air. That is the physics: how much it damages depends on the fruit, its ripeness and the surface it lands on.
Questions about drop height
What drop height can fruit take?
The drop height fruit can take depends on the fruit, on its ripeness and on what it lands on. For hard avocado, an Australian trade journal recommends drops under 15 cm. In Mexico, the most solid measured data comes from INIFAP, which places the hardest impacts on the dump belt.
How do I measure drop height on my line?
With a tape measure at every transfer point: from where the fruit is released to where it lands. To measure the hit, a wireless fruit-shaped sensor travels down the line and records every impact, like the one INIFAP used.
Why does it matter if the belt runs slower?
It matters little for the drop hit. The speed on arrival depends on the height, because gravity is the same. INIFAP measured that slowing the belt did not reduce dumping impacts.
Where does it hit hardest on your line?
Send us a video of your dumping area and we will review it with you.