Enhancing Value and Efficiency in Calamansi and Banana Processing: A Study on Waste Utilization and Chopping Machine Development

Mindoro Island is renowned as the “Calamansi King” and “Banana King” in the Philippines. However, the traditional manual slicing method employed during the processing of these commodities proves to be time-consuming, laborious, and taxing on the wrists and arms of workers. Thus, the study aimed to develop a specialized chopping machine for efficiently processing Calamansi peel and rag, as well as banana pulp for making banana chips. The experiment utilized Banana pulp, Calamansi peel, and rags as test materials, subjecting them to different speeds (573, 1146, and 1720rpm) using a completely randomized design (CRD). The results demonstrated that the highest shredding input capacity of 105.54 kg/hr was achieved at a shaft speed of 1720rpm, boasting an impressive 94.55% chopping efficiency. However, the machine faced inefficiencies due to the amount of crushed chip materials and had an energy demand of 0.372 kW-hr/kg. The chipped product exhibited a vertical orientation with a 1mm thickness. Cost analysis revealed that the machine needed to process a total of 16,832.67 kg of bananas at a custom rate of Php2/kg to break even. Remarkably, the machine could generate an additional income of Php260,154.86/yr for processors, with a 0.4-year payback period and a 209.78% rate of return, making it a highly cost-efficient device. By introducing this innovative chopping machine, Mindoro Island’s processing of its flagship commodities can be significantly improved, reducing manual labor, enhancing efficiency, and offering greater economic benefits to the processors..