Development of a Mini Compression Test Machine using Arduino Microcontroller as Texture Analyzer Prototype

Putri Angelica (Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Technology, Sampoerna University, Jakarta, Indonesia)
Musafri Yetti (Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Technology, Sampoerna University, Jakarta, Indonesia)
Farid Triawan (Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Technology, Sampoerna University, Jakarta, Indonesia)
Ignatius Budi Sutanto Hadisujoto (Department of Mechanical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering and Technology, Sampoerna University, Jakarta, Indonesia)
Ida Hamidah (Department of Mechanical Engineering Education, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, Bandung, Indonesia)

Jurnal Otomasi Kontrol dan Instrumentasi
Vol 15 No 1 (2023): Jurnal Otomasi Kontrol dan Instrumentasi

A texture analyzer is a standard device to measure food texture properties. This study aims to develop a mini compression test machine prototype that can function as a texture analyzer with simple operation and portability. The components and materials were chosen based on: low cost, manufacturability, and availability in the local Indonesian market. The prototype dimension was 375 × 215 × 450 mm, and used a linear ball screw slider for the translation movement with a 200 mm effective sliding distance. For obtaining the compression load, a 10 kg load cell was used, and it was replaceable by a load cell with a lower capacity if a higher measurement accuracy was required. After calibration, the linear vertical displacement and load cell had ±0.1 mm and ±1 g of accuracy, respectively. The prototype was tested to measure the texture properties of potato chops. As a result, the machine could successfully measure the load and displacement data and detect a crack phenomenon, verifying its usability as a food texture analyzer.