Method Research and Structural Design of Segmented Shrimp Clamping

Clamping is the key factor that restricts the full-process mechanization of directional shrimp peeling. To solve the problem of difficult clamping caused by the uncertainty of shrimp position after orientation, a segmented shrimp clamping method was proposed by analyzing the relationship between shrimp conveying and clamping conditions. The contact force relationship on the shrimp meat was deduced based on mechanical analysis of the clamping process, and it was concluded that the number of segmented clamping units should be increased during the clamping process to reduce the pressure of the clamping units on the shrimp meat. A segmented shrimp clamping mechanism was designed for adaptive shrimp clamping, conveying and discharging. The profile curve model of the clamping surface was built by analyzing the shrimp section profile characteristics. According to ADAMS kinematics simulation analysis, no shrimp fell off or was damaged during the clamping process, which verified the design rationality of the segmented shrimp clamping mechanism. According to the single-factor test on a newly built shrimp clamping test bench, the optimal rotation speed range of the segmented clamping mechanism was found to be 10–20 r/min, the clamping success rate was over 92%, and the shrimp integrity rate was no less than 99%. The comparison test and performance test results showed that the segmented clamping mechanism had stronger adaptability and better clamping effect under the condition of variable interval feeding. Therefore, the segmented clamping mechanism is capable of practical application and can create stable clamping conditions for shrimp peeling.