Engineering World
E-ISSN: 2692-5079 An Open Access, Peer Reviewed Journal of Selected Publications in Engineering and Applied Sciences
Volume 6, 2024
Development and Evaluation of a Low-cost Rice Milling Machine
Authors: ,
Abstract: A low-cost rice milling machine was designed, fabricated and evaluated to reduce post-harvest
loss being faced by the peasant farmers using traditional methods and to meet up with the demand for
high quality and well processed rice at a cheaper and avoidable price. The machine was designed to dehusk
paddy rice, separate the husk and remove unwanted foreign materials. It consists of a hopper,
sheller, cleaner, separator (sieve), delivery unit and the frame. The machine operates on the principle of
impact using centrifugal force. Four cylinder speeds of 400 rpm, 450 rpm, 500 rpm and 550 rpm as well
as four feed weights of 1 kg, 2 kg, 3 kg and 4 kg were used for performance testing. Results of the
performance evaluation carried out on the machine showed the highest milling efficiency of 88% and
cleaning efficiency of 91% at a speed of 550 rpm, while the highest seed loss of 27% was obtained at a
speed of 400 rpm. The effectiveness of the machine was dependent on the paddy conditions, drum speed
and milling duration.
Search Articles
Pages: 35-43
DOI: 10.37394/232025.2024.6.6