Propuesta de una planta piloto para el procesamiento de hortalizas en la FCP – ESPOCH.

Abstract

The Faculty of Animal Sciences at ESPOCH lacks a pilot plant for vegetable processing, which limits the practical application of students' theoretical knowledge. After considering this issue, this research aims to propose a pilot plant for vegetable processing at the Faculty of Animal Sciences, ESPOCH. The design outlines each process stage, from raw material reception to storage, using engineering and management diagrams. The mass balance determined the installed capacity, a key parameter for the machinery selection and equipment. The Guerchet and SLP were methods employed to dimension and distribute the plant's physical space. Also, the FlexSim software was useful for simulating the design and analysing resource performance and utilization. The study concludes that nine machines are required for vegetable processing, distributed over an area of 142.31 m². The estimated machinery cost is $27,440, and the construction cost is $300 per square meter for an installed capacity of 100 kg.