Design And Production Of Cassava Tubers Slicing Machine
Chapter One
Introduction
1.1 General Overview
The demand for processed cassava is likely to increase in Nigeria due to increase in urbanization and preference for fast foods. Cassava tubers are important source of energy in Nigeria diets, which plays a major role in alleviating food crises because of its efficient production of food energy, year round availability, and tolerance to extreme stress conditions. Considering that there is a sliced size cassava tubers peeling machine in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Uyo (Ette and Ebong, 2011) and an ongoing work in size sorter for sliced cassava tubers there is a need for a cassava slicing machine to increase output and eliminate laborious manual method. When fully enhanced the three machines can form an integrated cassava processing system.
There are many other slicing machines available, example: potato slicing machine, yam slicing machine but this research work uses a novel approach that considers already existing cassava processing machines in the University of Uyo. The design adopted for the slicing is based on blade carrying “rotary mechanism”. The rotary method is considered because components required will he easy to maintain and operate by an average farmer, considering the irregular shape of cassava. It is more efficient and has a high productivity with minimal cost. Details of the design are contained in this report as Appendix 1.
Slicing involves using sharp blades to reduce the cassava tubers into smaller thickness purposely meant to increase the surface area of the product for faster drying and for further processing. The physical properties of cassava tubers relevant to slicing are shape. size, length, weight. Shape and length depend on their various genetic make-up and species. Environmental factors such as soil structure, soil density, presence or absence of rocks and roots affect the physical characteristics of cassava tubers. Most cassava tubers are more or less cylindrical in shape with pointed or round lower end. The weights of cassava tubers depend on their moisture content; cassava tubers lose most of their weight during storage. Farmers slice their cassava tubers conventionally by placing the tubers on the table or on the ground and forcing sharp kitchen knife through the desired thickness. This method is injurious, laborious and unhygienic and produces non- uniform slices thereby giving poor end-products. Many cassava processing machines available are cost intensive and highly technical for rural arid peasant farmers, inefficient in terms of input and output ratio.
Furthermore since engineering is aimed at solving the problems of immediate environments, there is need for this project. The cassava tubers slicing machine is a simple workable and efficient device, which can be adopted to reduce labour input in cassava processing and also to improve the product quality. The machine will enhance the Federal Government efforts in achieving vision 2020 when integrated to other World Bank Step B. Projects of University accumulation of toxic substances that make it unfit for consumption. Processing therefore has been an integral part of the utilization. It has to be converted into some other forms for low moisture storage. Slicing and drying have been rated as the simplest mode of processing cassava tubers. The cassava tubers slicing machine will enhance the interest of farmers in cassava production, because the laborious manual method will be eliminated. The machine was produced in such a way that it will be easy to maintain, without special equipment. The machine is ideal for small and medium scale farmers. The developed automated cassava slicer will provide a relief of human labour, speed up slicing and produce uniform slices for better end product. The project therefore is aimed at developing a motorized cassava -slicing device to produce uniform cassava tubers that will enhance further processing and storage. The Nigerian Government through the Federal Ministry of Agriculture is driving massive cassava cultivation by sponsoring a bill before the National Assembly to make it mandatory for certain percentage of cassava flour to be used in confectioneries. This drive will increase the need for a better way of processing the cassava tubers.
The machine will prepare the farmers for these lofty ideas of the Federal Government of Nigeria. Many rural cassava farmers are still using manual labours and crude implements in cassava processing. This research work on Design and Production of cassava tubers slicing machine will afford them the opportunity to increase their productivity. The machine is cheap and affordable. It is designed in a way that it will be easy to operate and maintain.
1.2 Problem Statement
There is a World Bank step B project in the Faculty of Engineering, University of Uyo, for the development of integrated cassava tubers processing machine, Cassava tubers peeling machine has been produced already, which is not well utilized due to improper slicing. Considering that cassava tubers have irregular shapes and sizes. These characteristics hindered the peeling machine from functioning properly. Therefore there is a need to produce cassava tubers slicing machine that will slice the cassava tubers into uniform lengths that will he suitable for sorting before peeling for further processing.
Objectives of the Study
The main aim of this study is to design and construct a motorized cassava -slicing machine to produce uniform cassava tubers that will enhance further processing and storage.
The objective of the study also is to study the current situation in rural cassava processing, and bring a novel approach that will reduce bulkiness, losses, cost of transportation and drudgery in processing.
Also, the study seeks to determine the slicing efficiency and machine capacity of the slicer.
The Machine will cut cassava tubers into cylindrical pieces for size sorter before feeding of equal lengths of 25 mm to the peeling machine for further processing.
1.4 Significance of the Study
The research is significant in many perspectives because the slicing machine will produce a uniform length of cassava tubers that will further be processed by sorting and peeling machines.
1.5 Scope of the Project
This research work is limited to the design and production of cassava tubers slicing machine. The Motorized Cassava Slicing device was designed and developed to improve efficiency in cassava processing. The Machine consists of rotary blades, feeding chutes or hoppers and an electric motor. The efficiency and capacity of the device were determined after testing.
Leave a Comment