CHAPTER 1

Introduction

1:1Background
Cashewnut is an overgreen tropic tree which produces a valuenut that is widely consumed as
snacks all over the world.The English name cashew is delivered from the Portuguese name
‘Caju’ which inturn come from the Indian world ‘Acaju’ though cashew originally belong to
Brazil.It is likely that Spanish sailors have taken the nut to Central American countries and
certain that the portugues brought the cashew to their territories in India and Africa.It is believed
that portugues brought cashew in Africa during the second half of XV1 centuries.Firstly on the
East Coast and then on the west and lasts the Islands. The cashew nut processing industry is
typically located in the rural and backward areas. The decorticating of cashew nuts means
breaking and complete removal of the shell and taking out the kernel without causing much
damage.
Decorticating process has always presented problem especially when steam roasting method is
employed in the processing of cashew nuts, this is because of irregular shape and brittleness of
the kernel. At present in most areas in Tanzania where cashewnut farming is practiced the
processing of cashewnut is mainly carried out manually by using hand or handle pedal operated
machine. The manual decorticating process is tedious, time consuming and labour intensive . On
such problem I have decided to propose a motorized decorticating mechanism of casshewnut
decorticatng machine which will recover the failors of manual operated decorticating
machine.The machine will improve an overall efficiency of processing cashewnut so as to
increase the production of cashewnut in case of the market target especially in Tanzania.

1:2 Problem Statement

Most areas in Tanzania especially in rural areas where cashewnut is cultivated face the problem
of market, because they sell cashewnut as raw material. This reduces selling cost of the
product.Sometimes they decorticate manual by using hand which is tedious,time consuming and
labour intensive.At the current state there are various machines which have being designed to
anticipate that problem of decorticating cashewnut. But most of the machines available
especially in Tanzania are costfully so it is difficult for the local people to afford the cost of that
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machine.Due to that problem I have decided to propose the project which will recover the
problem of decorticating cashewnut.Material used to manufacture that machine are less
expensive and easy available .So an overally cost of that machine is low and can be afforded
even by local people.

1.3 Objective of the Project

1.31 Main Objective
The main objective of this project is to manufacture decorticating mechanism for cashewnut
decorting machine

1.32 Specific Objectives

i. To study and existing decorticating mechanism and related literature
ii. To manufacture the decorticating mechanism for cashewnut decorticating machine
iii. To test the prototype decorticating mechanism for cashewnut decorting machine

1:4 Significance of decorticating mechanism of cashewnut decorticating machine

The decorticating mechanism of the machine that will be manufactured will possess the
following advantages over existing machine.

i. High production outputs per hour

ii. High efficience
iii. Reduction of some manual involvement in operating the machine by establishing semi
automatics mechanisms such as motorizing
iv. Reduction of time in decorticating cashew nut

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 CHAPTER 2

LITERATURE REVIEW
2:1Introduction
The literature reviewed on the methods and equipment that were being used in the past as well as
those that are presently being used for decorticating mechanism of cashew nut decorticating
machine.

2:2Cutting mechanisms
Thivavarnvongs, Okamoto designed manual cashew nut decorticating machinery, as shown in
Fig 2:1 bellow. The manual cashewnut decorticating machinery shown in Fig 2:1 bellow mainly
consisted of the base, post, bearing plate, lower blade holder, lower blade, upper blade, cutting
depth setter, press/twist axle, press/twist lever, ball bearing, and compression spring. The
operating principles of the manual cashewnut decorticating machinery as shown in Fig2:1 were
grouped into four major steps as mentioned

(a) Position nut onto lower blade

(b) Press lever down so that both upper and lower blades cut into nutshell

(c) Twist lever to right or left to open up nutshell

(d) Release lever and take out decorticated nut

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 Fig 2:1.Manual cashew-nut decorticating machine

[CITATION Fan15 \l 1033 ]

From the figure 2:1 above the written numbers represents the followings parts of the machine 1-
base,2- post,3 – bearing plate,4-lower blade holder,5-lower blade,6-upper blade,7-cutting depth
setter,8-press or twist axle,9-press or twist level,10-ball bearing,11-compression spring

Other category of cashew-nut decorticating machine is that shown in Fig2:2 bellow. Fig 2:2
shows an automatic cashew decorticating system, which mainly involved the vibrating cashew
feeder, conveyor belts, rollers, cashew milling cutter, and cashew shell splitter. To begin with,
cashew nuts were placed between a pair of conveyor belts. And then, cashew nuts were
transported into the position between the upper and lower cutters by using the conveyor belt.
Finally, a splitter was utilized to remove the shells from the kernels.

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 1-Vibrating cashew feed

2-conveyor belt

3-Rollers

4-cashew milling cutter

5-cashew shell
splitter
figure 2:2 cashew-nut
decorticating machine

[ CITATION FuY152 \l
1033 ]

In general literatures categories cashew-nut decorticating machines into three different groups.
Decorticating machines were selected for study based on availability in respective industry in
decorticating process. The machines were improved automatic cashew-nut decorticating
machine, traditional automatic cashew-nut decorticating machine and manually operated
cashewnut decorticating machine. As described earlier the manual decorticating machine was
used for small size cashew nut, improved and traditional machine were used for medium and big
size cashew nut.The manual operated machine consisted of MS. material body, which was
operated by pedal and hand (fig 2:3(a)). The automatic power operate traditional decorticating
machine consisted of hopper, picking unit, cutting blade, belt,pulley power transmission, 0.5 hp
electric motor (44 rpm) and having capacity of 20 kg/hr (fig 2:3(b)). The automatic improved
power operated decorticating machine also consists of hopper,picking unit, cutting blade and
electric motor (0.5 HP) with speed reduction gear unit (50 rpm) and having capacity 30 kg/hr.
The working principal of both traditional and improved machine was same, the major differences
between these two machines was power transmission system and modified frame work

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Consider an illustration bellow

Figure 2: 3(a)manually operated decorticating machine

[CITATION Ali072 \l 1033 ]

Figure 2: 3(b)Automatic improved power operated decorticating machine

[CITATION Ali071 \l 1033 ]

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 Fig 2: 3(c)Automatic traditional power operated decorticating machine

[CITATION Ali07 \l 1033 ]

2:3Barriers of the decorticating mechanism for cashew-nut decorticating technology

Apparts from their advantageous the followings are the barriers for different technologies for
manufacturing of decorticating mechanism of cashew-nut decorticating machine,

i. With the limitation of the current technology, the whole kernel recovery of cashew nuts
is still low.
ii. In terms of the automatic level, cashew decorticating machines are still remaining at a
low level.
iii. The advanced pretreatment machines for shelling cashew nuts should be designed and
manufactured, aiming at replacing old devices used in the per-shelling treatment of the
cashew nut.
iv. The systematically theoretical researches regarding the cashew shelling technology are
rarely reported.

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2:4Future research and prospects
i. The cashew decorticating cutter should be further enhanced to ensure anti-wear ability.
ii. The mathematical model of the decorticating theory of the cashew nut should be
established to provide some valuable guidance for the design of novel cashew-nut
decorticating machines.
iii. The future research should focus on the automatic cashewnut decorticating machine to
guarantee the production efficiency of the cashew nut.
iv. The research on the production line of processing the cashew nut should be executed in
the future.

2:5Current proposal
According to those references I have decided to manufacture the decorticating mechanism of
cashew-nut decorticating machine which is motorized so as to increase the efficiency of the
overall machine by reducing decorticating time. Also this system will increase an overall
production as it can decorticate a large amount of cashew nut in short time. The system consisted
of longitudinal bar or blades rotating against fixed edges at a preset clearance. A longitudinal bar
was connected with a shaft which was coupled with an Ac motor by means of pulley,which
impart the rotation motion of the bar. The clearance between rotating bar and fixed edge was not
too small because it would lead the damage of kernel. Also was not too large as if the clearance
is too large there would no decortication can be made. The clearance was designed according to
the size of cashew-nut. This method is advantageous because the decortication was not
depending more on speed of the motor but the clearance between two cutter this reduce the
power cost.

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 Fig 2:4,motorized cashew nut decorticating machine[ CITATION
DRS91 \l 1033 ]

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 CHAPTER 3

METHODOLOGY
3:1 Introduction
This chapter implies varius techniques and methods which general solve the specific objectives
so as to reach on the target goals.

3.2 selection of materials

Material selected for manufacturing cutting mechanism in cashewnut decorticating machine is
mild steel due to its relative low cost and its mechanical properties suit the cutting process.

3:3Design and calculation

The followings are some formulas which will help me on designing perspectives of various
components involved in decorticating mechanism of cashew-nut decorticating machine

i. Power

Power is obtained by taking the product of the torque generated and the angular velocity.

�=�.�

Where �=2𝜋�/60 rad/s is the angular velocity of the roller

ii. Rotational speed

The rotational speed of the roller is given by the formula bellow

Nr=30w/ 𝜋

Where Nr is rotational speed of roller,w is angular velocity of the roller

iii. Torque
This is the product of force times its radius
Mathematically can be expressed as
T=Fr
Where F=force,T=torque, r= radius

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3.5Preparation of details and assembling drawing of the machine to be fabricated

Designing software such as Auto-CAD and solid works were used to prepare the drawings in
different views.

3.6 Manufacturing the decorticating mechanism of cashew nut decorticating machine

In decorticating mechanism of cashew-nut decorticating machine by means of motorizing. I am
expecting the machine will be successfully in case of construction and implement ion. In this
system roasted cashew-nut was felled from the hopper into the shelling chamber which
consisted of rotating bar and fixed edge which were placed closer to each other with a preset
clearance. As the bar was rotated it spine nuts towards the clearance between fixed edge and
rotating bar. At that instant the bar was to compress slight the cashew-nut with the knives cutter
along its peripheral to decorticate the cashew-nut.

3.7 Testing the decorticating mechanism of cashewnut decorticating machine

After completion of manufacturing of decorticating mechanism of cashewnut decorticating
machine start to test the machine if working under desired objective

Cost estimation (Table 1)

S/N Component Ammount Cost(Tshs)

01 Bearings 2@8,500/= 17,000/=
02 Impeller 1.5m thickness, 5m 8,000/=
length of galvanized
sheet
03 Shaft 25mm@8,000/= 8,000/=
04 Shelling chamber 1.5 thickness,8m of 12,000/=
galvanized sheet
05 Bolts and nuts 17@300/= 5,100/=
Total 50,100/=

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Schedule of activities(Table 2)

ACTIVITIES WEEKS

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

Literature review

Data collection
Information
analysis
Specification
writings

Machine design

Prototype
manufacturing
and testing
Documentation,
report
completion and
submission.

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 REFERENCES

Petunia J.A, A. O., 2007. Multi variety analysis of cashew germ plasm in Nigeria. Myocardium
occidental L, 56(2007-2008), pp. 3-4.

DRUSI, P. G. M. a. C., 1991. Decortication of tropic oil seeds and edible nuts. Greenwich
Academic literature Archive , 13(ARI-Bulletein No 42), pp. 123-128.

D, B., 2006. Improving whole cashew nut processing specific to Nigeria nuts. Agricultural
mechanization in Asia,Africa and Latin America, 37(2006-2007), pp. 58-64.

Fu Y .F, G. J. D. y. H. M., 2015. A type of feeding device for cashewnut shelling machinery.
American journal of engineering and applied sciences, 8(no 4), pp. 648-658.

Gong j, F. Y. H. I. Y. ,. D., 2015. Fatigue damage of cutter used for cutting cashewnut under
random load. Applied mechanics and materials, 748(2015-2016), pp. 49-58

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