RUAS-SASTech Journal 45 Vol. 16, Issue 1

Design of Mobile Cart for Food Streets in

Bangalore Dilip V.1, Monish Gowda M.H.2, * Kiran V.R.2

1PG Student, Faculty of Engineering and Technology, M. S. Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences, Bangalore 560 054

2Faculty of Engineering and Technology, M. S. Ramaiah University of Applied Sciences, Bangalore 560 054

*Contact Author e-mail: vrkiran.aae.et@msruas.ac.in

Abstract

The lifestyle of people in urban areas is growing faster and even the food preferences are changing day by day. At

present there are many food streets available in Bangalore selling variety of food. Customers tend to select food service

based on hygiene, quality and taste. The food street vendors use variety of customised carts based on the food they are

selling. Thus competition within street food vendors is increasing with a need to modify the available vehicles to suit the

requirements of the food cart. In this paper, existing Tata super ace was modified as a food cart for selling chats. From

ethnography survey, customer voice was converted to technical requirement using Quality Function Deployment (QFD).

Based on QFD and Product Data Specification (PDS) various concepts were developed, one was taken further in a product

development process. The concept was visualised using Alias virtual design tool and with a mock-up model to a scale of

1:10 using sun board material. And the design is validated using virtual ergonomic analysis tool for easy accessibility of

various food compartments within the cabin space. Also few mechanisms were incorporated in cart for easy opening/closing

of doors and portable chairs were visualized for the functional operation.

Key Words: Food Cart, Product Development Process, Ergonomic Analysis, Functional Operation

1. INTRODUCTION

At present there are many food streets available in

Bangalore. Nowadays people prefer to go to food streets

when compared to restaurants due to change in lifestyle.

Hence there is huge demand for street foods making

mobile food industry competitive [1, 2]. At present there

are various food trucks available to sell wide variety of

foods including chats, snacks, meals etc. Most of these

food cart vehicles have customised design based on what

type of food is served. At present most of the food cart

vehicles available in food streets, the customised design

is carried out by modifying the existing three

wheeler/four wheeler vehicles [3, 4]. In this paper,

existing Tata super ace vehicle was modified as a food

cart for the purpose of selling chats considering

packaging, ergonomics and aesthetics aspects.

A gemba study was carried out on the present day target

customers to understand the problems faced usually. The

survey results are analysed with the QFD to covert

customer voice to technical voice and the PDS was

formed to give detailed specification of the vehicle.

Concept sketches were drawn initially to meet the needs

of the customer. With the help of Pugh matrix, the final

concept was selected. The 3D model of the selected

concept was created using Alias tool. The same model

was imported to CATIA to perform ergonomic analysis.

Rula, reach and vision analysis were carried out to verify

the designed concept. The 3D model was then animated

to visualise the incorporated mechanisms as they

function in real world. Rendering of the final concept

was carried out and mock-up model was built to a scale

of 1:10 using sun board material.

2. LITERATURE REVIEW

The literature survey was carried out to understand the

available food cart vehicles, ergonomic aspects and

vehicles that can be modified as food carts.

Some of the existing food trucks used in Bangalore along

with the food street location is shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 1 Available food carts in Bangalore

In India, though they are no readily available food trucks.

The only option is to modify or customize an existing

vehicle of required size as per the requirements. Some of

the most commonly considered vehicles are classified as

shown in Fig. 2. Hence the vendor is free to choose from

the available vehicles based on the investment, space

required on board, the type of food served, number of

customers he is looking to address and the location of

service point.

Fig. 2 Common vehicles modified as food carts

RUAS-SASTech Journal 46 Vol. 16, Issue 1

Survey related to ergonomics was carried out to

understand the working heights and reaching distance of

hand for easy accessibility [5]. The recommended

working heights and reaching distance of hand for

performing specific tasks is shown in Fig. 3 and 4.

Fig. 3 Working heights for a specific tasks

Fig. 4 Recommend Reaching Distances

3. MARKET STUDY

The target customers/area selected were chat vendors

who sell chats on streets, shops and hotels. A survey was

formed to know the needs of them and the problems

faced by them in their business. Figure 5 shows an

interaction with one of the chat vendor.

Fig. 5 Interaction with chat vendor

3.1 Summary of the survey (Customer’s voice)

Initial investment cost should be less than 5 Lakhs

Weather protection is required

Maximum of 3 helpers/companions required at the

service point

Economical mini trucks are required for

modification

Simple design with proper packaging is required

Different types of containers required for storage

Ergonomic interiors and aesthetically good product

3.2 Quality Function Deployment (QFD)

Customers’ requirements are converted to technical

requirements using the QFD. The most important point

to be considered from the customer requirements side is

simple design with highest priority. The most important

point to be considered form the technical requirements is

overall product design having the highest priority.

3.3 Product Design Specification (PDS)

From QFD, PDS is arrived at and Table 1 shows all the

technical features of the product to be designed.

Table 1. PDS of a mobile food cart

Description Specification

Vehicle type Mid-size commercial

vehicle

Target cost 5 lakhs

Target customers Chat vendors

Vehicle dimensions 2630*1460*2000 (mm)

Aesthetics Simple design with good

exterior painting

Ergonomics Best posture with

comfortable working

environment

Reliability Usable in any weather

Materials Hygienic food storage

Product life span Easy maintenance

Cheaper vehicle Cheap and best

Layout Organizing of

components in vehicle

Manufacturing Single batch production

Market Design of product to

Indians (south)

Accessories Wash basin, billing

counter, napkin stand,

foldable chairs, water

can stand, all weather

protection and dust bins.

Competition Presently not much

Safety Portable fire

extinguisher

The vehicle considered for modification was Tata Super

Ace and its specification is as shown in Table 2.

Table 2. Tata Super Ace vehicle specification

Overall vehicle length

(mm)

4340

Load body length (mm) 2630

Load body width (mm) 1460

Load body height (mm) 2000

Payload (Kg) 1000

Turning radius (m) 5.1

4. CONCEPT GENERATION

Based on the QFD and PDS various concepts were

generated.

4.1 Concept Design

Each concept is unique in its own way and the packaging

varies from one concept to the other. Five different

concepts were sketched as shown in Fig. 6.

RUAS-SASTech Journal 47 Vol. 16, Issue 1

4.2 Concept Selection

All 5 concepts were shown to the users and their

requirements were weighed using Pugh matrix

method as shown in Table 3.

Fig. 6 Concept generation

Table 3. Pugh Matrix for Concept Selection

Concept 5 (Fig. 7) was finalized based on better

packaging and ergonomic requirements.

Fig. 7 Finalized concept

5. VIRTUAL MODEL DEVELOPMENT

The virtual 3D concept model was built using Alias tool

for surface modelling and CATIA V5 R19 for

mechanism modelling.

5.1 Concept Modelling

The selected finalized concept sketch is modelled using

Alias tool. The exterior surface model is shown in Fig. 8

and the interior surface detailing is shown in Fig. 9.

Fig. 8 Exterior surface model

Fig. 9 Interior surface detailing

5.2 Ergonomic Analysis

Ergonomic analysis like reach, Rapid Upper Limb

Assessment (RULA) and vision were checked to

maximize the user’s occupational health, productivity

and ease of use. The Indian male 95th percentile

anthropometric dimensions is considered for analysis.

Fig. 10 shows reach and vision analysis.

Fig. 10 Reach bubble for storage options and water

can

Hence the results from the ergonomic analysis proves

that the product is well within the comfort zone of the

vendor and the customers. Thus ensures that the vendor

has good productivity, efficiency and comfort in his

work place.

6. PRODUCT VISUALISATION

6.1 Mechanism Visualization

For animation of mechanisms the assembled models are

imported to Adams view tool. Joints and motions are

applied and simulation were carried out. The animation

sequence of portable chair and side door is shown in Fig.

11 & 12.

RUAS-SASTech Journal 48 Vol. 16, Issue 1

Fig. 11 Portable chair animation

Fig. 12 Side door animation

6.2 Final Product Visualization

Overall dimension of the car is shown in Fig.13. Realistic

render is given using visualization tool and model

appears to be as in real world as shown in Fig. 14.

Fig. 13 Overall dimension of the model

Fig. 14 Food cart in photorealistic environment

6.3 Unique Features of the Product

Unique features incorporated in the product is shown in

Fig. 15.

Fig. 15 Unique features of product

6.4 Mock-up Model Preparation

Preparation of mock-up model is done to a scale of 1:10

and the model was prepared using sun board of 3mm

thickness. Firstly a print out of the draft copy of the full

scale model was taken and according to the dimension.

The panels for the food cart was cut. Then they were

painted with base white to get better finish, later they

were painted according to the rendering style. The

painted panels are bonded together with adhesive and

paper tape. The whole process of scaled mock-up model

preparation is as shown in the Fig. 16.

7. CONCLUSION

Vehicle was designed with proper packaging

which usually lacks in the present day carts.

The cabin interior is ergonomically designed and

spacious. So that the operator can comfortably

reach the required with ease.

Existing vehicle was modified to accommodate

modern features with some mechanisms so that

there is less stress on the vendor at the service

point for setup and pack up.

A scale down mock-up model was built to a scale

1:10 for better visualisation of a product.

Fig. 16 Mock-Up model preparation

REFERENCES

[1] Chandni Sahgal, (2014) Opportunities in The Indian

Food Service Market, Retrieved from

http://www.slideshare.net/chandnisahgal/opportuniti

es-in-the-indian-food-service-market

[2] Theresa Ehrlich (2010) Mobile Food Vendors, Small

Business Development Center Network, Small

Business Market Research Reports, Retrieved from

http://www.sbdcnet.org/small-business-research-

reports/sbdcnet-connections-issue-55-mobile-food-

vendors

[3] Expert Market Admin, (2015) Food Truck Business

Plan In India, Retrieved from http://www.expert-

market.com/food-truck-business-plan-in-india/

[4] Manan, (2015) Low Investment Start-up Business.

Retrieved from

http://silverspoonfoodtrucks.com/blogs/LowInvestm

entStartupBusiness.aspx

[5] Chris Engst, Rick Hall, Aaron Miller, Justin

LoChang, Sarah Manske and Annalee Yassi (2003)

An Ergonomics Guide for Kitchens in healthcare, by

Occupational Health and Safety Agency for

Healtcare (OHSAH), Available at

www.mtpinnacle.com/pdfs/kitchen-ergonomics.pdf

[accessed Feb. 2, 2016]