This article mainly describes the application of 3d modeling and prototyping in design thinking process especially in kitchenware product, EZpeel. EZpeel is a tool for peeling vegetables that are bulb-shaped such as potatoes and onions quite quickly and effortlessly. It is able to process a lot of vegetables simultaneously with the motion of energy produced by human foot so that it is environmentally friendly. The technologies involved in this occasion are Autodesk Inventor for 3D modeling and 3D Printer for 3D printing. EZpeel basically assembled by five main parts: main body, base, rotary blade, lid, and pedal mechanism. The main material is Plastic Polycarbonate which food grade and water resistant. In making the prototype (main body, base, and rotary blade), 3d printer is chosen because of time and cost saving and one of the prototyping material in the 3D printer is PLA. The main processing challenge is the size of the 3d printer that is not able to accommodate the size of the prototype, parts that need support, etc.
In this creative industry era, all forms of industry have become very diverse and varied. Among several industrial sectors, the food and beverage industry is one of the projections that sustain the growth of manufacturing and the national economy in the past few years and into the future. Based on data from the Ministry of Industry in 2018, the food and beverage industry grew by 8.67% and surpassed the national economic growth of 5.27%. Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) contributed to the largest gross domestic income with an increase of up to 60.34% in the last 5 years and employment of 97.22% in the same period. So that it can be seen that food and beverage SMEs are potential industrial sector.
There are many problems in producing food and beverages such as:
1. The process that is generally occurred in producing food and beverage products is preparing tools and materials, one of those processes is peeling. Peeling is one of the most frequently carried out processes and the process is quite time-consuming in processing raw foods and/or beverages.
2. Based on work safety statistics in the food and beverage processing environment, there were 100,000 people experience accidents including burning, accidents caused by knives, electrocuted electric equipment, and lack of attention to sanitation problems often causing accidents or health problems each year. In a study conducted by Jitco in 2014, the most frequent occupational accidents occurred in the food preparation process where 40% were sliced or cut. Those risk stated by Jitco is a concern for improvement.
3. The peeling process requires a lot of workers and place in the SME. Commonly, manual peeling position is unergonomic for workers. These method is simply carried out by peeling one by one the vegetables that will be used. Complaints from many workers are pains and aches over the upper and lower arm bones. In addition, workers sit in a lower position so they have to bend.
According to those problems, designers attempt to design new product. EZpeel is a tool for peeling vegetables that are bulb-shape such as potatoes and onions quite quickly and effortlessly. It is able to process a lot of vegetables simultaneously with the motion of energy produced by human foot so that it is environmentally friendly.
By 3d modeling, the Product Development Processes carried out and 3d prototype has been created. The prototype was made to evaluate and develop the prototype that has been made.
In ideation phases, it is a necessary to generate several alternatives to solve problems. 3d modeling functions to communicate ideas and transform them into the sketches. 3D models are used to visualize ideas in 3D images so that they are easy to understand, realistic, and easier correction. Using the 3d modeling software, it would be easier to re-model, resize, and explain to other parts. Autodesk Inventor is used to create the 3D model. The main parts of this product are as follow.
A. Main Body
The main body part of EZpeel is designed to be quite large because it serves to accommodate approximately 2kg of potatoes to peel. Right in the center, there is a part extruded as an important shaft in the assembly with the base part and keeps the balance of the plate while rotating.
Dimension: Inner diameter 302 mm, Outer diameter 310 mm, Height 260 mm.
B. Base
The base part of EZpeel has the main support function to support the main body with the assembly on the extruded shaft. The base will be between the plates with the pedals connected through the shaft.
Dimension: Inner diameter 310 mm, Outer diameter 320 mm, Height 150 mm.
C. Rotary Blade
Plate parts is made from ABS plastic while the Knife is made from stainless. The main function of this section is clearly as the peeler of EZpeel. This part is placed in the body and the shaft of the part will be connected to the pedal mechanism which will rotate the plate.
Dimension: Diameter 300 mm, Height 100 mm.
D. Lid
The Lid part is designed to cover EZpeel while it is operating. The lid is made from glass or transparent plastic material so that the peeling process can be clearly seen whether it is done or not.
Dimension: Diameter 310 mm.
E. Pedal Mechanism
The Pedal part is the most important part of EZpeel’s operation, with the force from human power on the pedals to be transformed into more power using the gear on the mechanism and then provide a strong rotation to the plate.
Dimension: Length 150 mm, Width 75 mm, Height 140.
How to use:
1. Put the vegetables into the main body.
2. At the base, there is a rotating plate designed covered with stainless steel blades to help the rotation.
3. Before turning, add adequate water, then close the container with the lid.
4. Press the pedal with the foot. The force incurred by leg will rotate the gear in the pedal so that the plate on the base rotates. By the friction inside the EZpeel, the skin will be peeled off.
5. After completion, the water and waste produced are poured out and the vegetables are completely peeled.
In design thinking process, the main phases are problem definition, need finding, ideation, prototyping, and testing. In particular, 3D modeling is used in the ideation process and 3D prototyping is used in the prototyping process. For EZpeel, 3d modeling is used to create 5 parts, namely main body, base, rotary blade, lid, and pedal mechanism. The software used is Autodesk Inventor. With 3d modeling software, Ezpeel parts can be visualized and made the size that fits the needs of consumers. For Ezpeel testing to find out the response of the community, prototyping needs to be done. Some parts such as the main body, base, and rotary blade are created using 3d printer. The knife, lid, and pedal mechanism are purchased in the market.