Research & Development Department
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
