Development of a Small Scale Machine for Recovering Bush Mango Kernel from Bush Mango Nut

摘要

A small scale machine for recovering bush mango kernel from bush mango nut was designed, constructed and tested. Consideration was given to the techno-economic status of the micro and small scale bush mango processors living in the rural communities who are the intended users of the machine. The functional parts of the machine included feeding unit, cracking unit, winnowing unit and frame. The machine was tested with processed and unprocessed bush mango nuts and results showed that average cracking efficiency of 57.3 % and 19.3 % respectively were obtained. Powered by a 3 hp single-phase electric motor, the machine was constructed with readily available materials. It is recommended that, before cracking, bush mango should be processed by completely removing the fibrous mesocarp as this improves the efficiency of cracking and separation.