Problem
Design and develop a manually powered onion slicing system that delivers consistent slice thickness, minimizes preparation time, and reduces repetitive strain, while maintaining food safety standards for home and commercial kitchen use.
Method
• Created a modular slicer assembly in Fusion 360, incorporating an adjustable blade array to allow slice thickness variation from 1 mm to 5 mm.
• Engineered a hand-crank rotary feed system with a geared transmission to maintain a constant cutting speed regardless of operator input.
• Modeled and simulated the blade path and onion feed alignment to ensure uniformity in slice geometry and reduce deformation of soft layers.
• Designed food-safe housing and protective blade guards to meet safety requirements, integrating quick-release components for easy cleaning.
• Performed structural FEA on blade holders and rotary arms to ensure rigidity under high-torque operation, selecting stainless steel for durability and hygiene.
• Generated detailed exploded-view renders, part drawings, and manufacturing tolerances for CNC fabrication and injection-molded components.
• Optimized ergonomics by designing a contoured hand-crank handle and a non-slip base to ensure stable operation during continuous slicing cycles.
Result
Delivered a validated CAD prototype of a compact, user-friendly onion slicer that produces precision slices with minimal operator effort. The design improved kitchen workflow by reducing preparation time by an estimated 40% in simulations, while ensuring consistent slice thickness and compliance with food safety standards.