Development of an Integrated Mobile Corn-Starch Processing Machine

Abstract

This study presents development of an integrated mobile corn-starch processing machine. Sieving and dehydrating operation in corn-starch production are mostly carried out locally thereby introducing drawbacks such as time-consuming, tedious, and inefficient. The existing machines for corn-starch processing, are primarily designed for industrial use, limiting accessibility for rural communities. This necessitate the development of an integrated corn-starch machine aims to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the corn-starch production process. The machine involved the streamlining the overall corn-starch process, thereby eliminating the need for multiple pieces of equipment. The performance of the machine was evaluated based on extraction efficiency, throughput rate, and mass of chaff separated. The evaluation was conducted through three processing test runs using the fabricated prototype and the results revealed an average extraction efficiency of 70.58% for the sieving process, with a throughput rate of 57.59 kg/hr and a mass of chaff separated amounting to 1.73 kg. Also, the grinding operation exhibited an average extraction rate of 80% for soaked grain, with a throughput rate of 25.16 kg/hr. The results show that the machine has the potential to improve the efficiency of corn-starch processing and contribute to the sustainable production of value-added products from corn. However, further modification of the machine's design and operating conditions are necessary to address its limitations and improve its sustainability and versatility.