Title: Development of a low-cost motorized cassava mesh-sieving machine for small-scale food processing industries in Nigeria
Authors: Benjamin Bernard Uzoejinwa, , Benjamin Okeke, Chidera L. Anioke, , Peace Chidindu Ifeanyi-Obiorah, Chukwunonso S. Ozokolie, and Ezeama Anthony Ositadinma.
Volume: 9
Issue: 3
Pages: 60-66
Publication Date: 2025/03/28
Abstract:
Sieving operation is a significant process during the transformation of dewatered cassava mesh into garri. The traditional sieving method practiced in Nigeria is a time and energy consuming process that requires human interaction with a minimal output than the mechanized method. The traditional sieving method is a manual process, which is usually associated with drudgery and fatigue. Thus, this study focused on the design, construction and performance evaluation of a low-cost motorized cassava mesh-sieving machine for small-scale food processing industries in Nigeria. Galvanized steel was employed in the fabrication of the parts that will be in contact with the cassava mesh such as the sieve, sieving chamber, collector, top concave cover and hopper, to avoid food contamination that could result from the use of mild steel. The sieving machine is powered through a belt and pulley system by an electric motor of 2-horsepower with 1400 revolutions per minute. The novelty of this machine is that it is easy-to-operate, and was implemented using locally available materials that are cheap, and hence it is cost-effective. The results of the performance evaluation unveiled that the developed cassava mesh-sieving machine can sieve 5.2kg of cassava mesh in 14 seconds with an output of 5.4725kg of sieved cassava mesh, which shows that the developed cassava mesh-sieving machine has a sieving capacity of 1337.14kg/hr and a sieving efficiency of 99.5%. The results also unveiled that the developed system is efficient, economical, eco-friendly, reduces drudgery and fatigue than the traditional cassava mesh-sieving methods commonly used in Nigeria by the rural farmers and small-scale food processing industries.