Design and construction of an improved groundnut pasting machine.

Abstract

Groundnut (Arachis hypogea) also known as peanut is one of the most important food crops grown and consumed in Uganda and other sub-Saharan countries (Okello et al 201.0a). They are locally known as ‘binyebwa' and is the second most important legume after beans in Uganda. In the groundnut value chain, the pasting process is done using the groundnut pasting machines such as; the batch model pasting machines, hand operated groundnut pasting machine. among others though in some: rural communities, the manual methods i.e. the mortar and pestle and. grinding stone are used for pasting groundnuts (Pathak, 2017). Pasting is done as a means of adding value before selling or final consumption. However, the existing machines have been rendered not efficient enough because they are mainly batch type and this consume a lot of time because the machine has to first be stopped in order for a ready batch to be emptied and another fed in and the generate a lot of heat due to the frequent switching off and on. Therefore, this study objective was to design and construct an improved groundnut pasting machine and enhance quality production of paste. The design of the various machine parts was carried out by analysing forces acting on them. Force analysis led to selection of proper materials to withstand the forces to avoid failure. Stainless steels of various grades were the main materials recommended to be used because they are food grade, strong and durable. Engineering drawings of the various components were drawn before the various components were constructed and then machine parts, fabricated. A fully functional prototype resulted after all the above operations. Testing of the prototype was carried out and the figures revealed that the machine was 73% efficient.