Design and fabrication of a sugarcane abrasive peeling machine

Abstract

Sugarcane peeling is an integral process in the production of fresh sugarcane juice. Conventional methods involve manual peeling using a fruit peeler knife, which result in considerable sugarcane loss and limited production capacity. Therefore, the objective of this research is to design and fabricate a sugarcane abrasive peeling machine to overcome these challenges. The proposed machine utilizes a rotating metallic wire brush to achieve surface abrasion, and it consists of essential components such as the main frame, power supply unit, transmission unit, and metallic wire brush unit. The study primarily focuses on investigating the influence of wire brush speed on the abrasive area. Three different speeds were examined: 650, 750, and 850 RPM. The results demonstrate that the optimal condition for sugarcane peeling is achieved at a wire brush speed of 850 RPM. This speed effectively removes 60.99%, 92.99%, and 97.38% of the total surface area during the first, second, and third rounds of the abrasive process, respectively. In continuous operation testing, the machine demonstrates an average capacity of 122.44 kg/h, with the total flesh loss rate of 4.52% by weight. Notably, this abrasive peeling method yields a juice extraction rate 29.4% higher than the traditional manual method, while preserving the desired color and taste characteristics of fresh sugarcane juice, as observed in the traditional manual peeling process. Furthermore, the overall operational competence of the machine received a score of 4.6 on a 5-point scale rating. The estimated break-even point is 6,929 kg/year, which corresponds to a period of 0.60 years. This indicates the time required to recover the initial investment. Furthermore, the projected return period is 0.03 years for a production volume of 120,000 kg/year.