Development and Performance Evaluation of Automated Cassava-Grating Machine

Abstract

Performance and economic returns of developed automated cassava-grating machine was investigated. The equipment has a realistic functional efficiency of 91.5% and 88.4% for manually and electrically powered operation with the discharge capacity 4.04 and 3.66 tons per day respectively. Simulation of its economic analysis shows between $2.6 and $3.0 could be saved while using automated cassava grater over manual system for 1-ton of cassava tuber. At 0.01 and 0.05 level of significance, it showed that the machine has a good economic potential over the convection method of grating. It saves time and labour requirements by a factor of 0.68. Design of a Cassava grating machine is dual-mode in operation; it is powered both manually and mechanically. This feature makes it useful in the rural areas where there is erratic or no power supply. Cassava is fed into machine through the hopper down to the granting drum, which rotates at a pre-set constant speed. Cassava is an important starchy root crop of the tropical world, the need to mechanize its growing and processing cannot be overemphasised.