CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Preamble

Nigeria has rich and favorable climatic zones making her suitable for the
cultivation and production of a wide variety of vegetables. Majority of
Nigerians live in the rural areas and are predominantly engaged in
agriculture. Thus, to guarantee access to food, reduce rural-urban migration
and encourage sustainable development, the processing of agricultural
products like vegetables into more valuable products must be promoted and
encouraged.

Vegetables which are excellent sources of certain vitamins and minerals and often
the main source of dietary fiber consist of a large group of plants consumed as food
globally (Gave, 2008). Consumption of vegetables has increased significantly. The
increase in its consumption can be accounted for by the increased health
consciousness of the consumers. Vegetables can be perishable when fresh but able
to be preserved using a number of processing method such as blanching,
dehydrating, canning, freezing, fermenting and pickling, and irradiating (Gave,
2008). The perishable nature of the fresh produce has confined the international
trade in these products in the processed form. The classification of vegetables can
be done based on different criteria some of which are; by edible parts into root
(e.g., potatoes and carrots), stem (asparagus and celery), leaf(lettuce and spinach),
immature flower bud (broccoli and Brussels sprouts ), and fruit (tomatoes and
cucumbers (Neidhardt, 2008). Differences in the structure, size, shape, and rigidity
of the individual cells are dependent on the class of vegetable (Odior and others,

1
2009). The processing requirements and fresh market life are also different for
varying classes.

The variations in the sizes in which these products are obtained have made it
expedient for certain reduction techniques to be to be utilized. Reducing its size
either for further processing or to improve the eating quality or suitability for direct
food consumption becomes very necessary. Certain processes such as; cutting,
slicing, mincing and pulping has being utilized to ensure the size reduction of these
products. One of the processes commonly used is the slicing process. The slicing
process from time immemorial has involved the use of knives. But with the advent
of time, technology advances has being seen to be on an increase hence efforts
were being made to eradicate the inefficiencies posed by the use of knives which
are evident in the time wastage and injuries incurred during its use. The increased
consumption of vegetables either domestically or commercially has greatly
influenced the variations in the slicing technology, with the basic principle of the
action of shearing by blades and other types of cutters remaining the same. The
invent of the slicing technology has made the size reduction of the vegetables more
efficient. The vegetable slicing machine has being utilized in reducing the varying
sizes of vegetables. The machine consists of two cutting blades, a vegetable feeder
(hopper), a slicing/processing chamber, two electric motors, and a discharge unit.
Some certain factors such as safety, power consumption, economic value and
efficiency of cut have greatly informed the modification of this machine to meet up
with present demand. This machine is capable of automating the cutting process
increasing efficiency and enhancing the hygiene of slicing vegetable for both
domestic and commercial consumption.

2
1.2 Aim and Objectives

The aim of this project is to design and fabricate a Modified Vegetable Slicing
Machine. This aim is achieved through the following objectives:

Reduction of human effort in the process of vegetable slicing, as the machine

is designed to operate automatically using a set of motor and set of mechanisms,
enabling power/torque to be transmitted to the vegetable to be sliced

Allowing variation of slicing speed by the user based on the nature of the
vegetable to be sliced, as a variable speed motor is utilized.

Processing of different sizes of vegetable with the aid of the mechanical

components of the machine.

Ensuring safety of the user by employing standard design requirement.

Ensuring that a level of hygiene is maintained and the vegetable is safe for
consumption through proper selection of material.

1.3 Scope and limitation of study

The project will put into consideration basic design concept which will be limited
to material and stress analysis and specification for fabrication.
The design would cover some essential components of the machine such as the

Base/Machine frame

Cutter blade

Slicing chamber

The electric motor design will not be covered in this project however, proper
selection on the appropriate size required would be made.

3
1.4 Road map of study

This work is intended to improve an existing design of Vegetable Slicer. The

analysis was divided in parts. First, design considerations and material selection,
followed by design analysis on each component, economic analysis before
fabrication using basic design methods. AutoCAD was used for detailed geometry
of the design showing the various views, to also implement the design and enable
simulations by varying operating parameters and observing their effects on the
indices. While Computations of the design analysis was done using Microsoft
excel

4
 CHAPTER 2

LITERATURE REVIEW

This chapter presents a review of related past works. It is divided into two parts;
Section 2.1 reviews the history of slicing machines while section 2.2 reviews
recent works in which slicing machines have been applied.

2.1 Historical Background

The design and the production of a machinery as part of the technological

development of a country requires the acquisition of technology and development
of capacity in the three activities of design, fabrication or production and
engineering research and development. Engineering development and testing of
machinery and equipment is a compliment to any design and manufacturing
process. It is through such testing and subsequent development that operational
problems of the machines produced locally can be investigated and solved and the
quality of product maintained.

The invent of slicing technology can be dated back to the 1900s, with a number of
authors studying the principles of slicing and slicing machines. The first slicing
machine was invented by an American in 1873 (Hardin, 2001), the machine made
use of an oblique knife in a vertical slicing frame for slicing dry beef and it
worked the frame holding the meat while slicing against the cutting blade (Odior
and others, 2009). Otto Rohwedder designed and manufactured the first slicing
machine that would slice and wrap bread in 1925 (Frank, 2004). The machine
made use of an oblique knife in a vertical sliding frame for slicing dry beef and it
worked with the frame holding the meat while slicing it against the cutting blade.
The conventional slicing machine was originally designed to slice meat into pieces
of uniform thickness. It was also used for slicing cheese, vegetables, ham, onions
green peppers and sandwich ingredients.
5
Slicing technology has already been developed mature in the western world in
1970s, in the mid-eighties most of the slicers can process monocrystal with large
diameter up to 125 mm (5 inches), like the horizontal inside diameter slicing
machine manufactured by Mayer Bbu Geyer company in Switzerland which sliced
materials with the maximum diameter up to 304.8 mm (12 inches). During the
period of industrialization, automatic machines have proven to reduce the time
needed to do a specific task; hence they are essential part of human life.
Nowadays, human life becomes more competitive and faster than before. Slicing
vegetables are a risky and time-consuming task in our busy life.

In the mid-1980s, the slicing technology has experienced its peak of development,
many of the automatic multi-function slicers have been commercialized (Xie,
1996). Wire saw, a cutting machine was developed during this period. It had a
unique design and was totally different from the traditional slicing technology. It
uses a steel wire to coil the four guide wheels to form hundreds of saw bands.
When they operate in a high speed, the silicon carbide will be taken to the machine
to produce the effect of cutting. Its advantages are to cause less kerf, small
deviation, even cut surface, big quantity and less costs. Its application in the
st
market created a new chapter for the cutting technology in the 21 century (Huang
and others, 1996). The function of the slicer has been very complete, composite
and the way of slicing is diverse. The comb shape cutting machine in 1980s is not
new anymore. It has been replaced by the cutting and rotating one, surface grinding
one and the one with an air cushion which can prevent the blade from bending and
distorting, which can repair and maintain the blade automatically (Jiang, 2011).
The chip material can roll and grind by itself while cutting, which can reduce the
bending of the monocrystal.

6
2.2 Recent development

Current design consists basically of two cutting blades, a vegetable feeder

(hopper), a slicing/processing chamber, a control unit, two electric motors,
vegetable discharge unit. The machine was designed to enhance the hygienic
slicing of vegetable for both domestic and commercial consumption. It takes an
average of 10 seconds to cut a bunch of vegetables and one hour for 1,673 tonnes.

The traditional method of slicing plantain with a kitchen knife is laborious, time-
consuming and prone to injury, and can only be practiced on a very small scale of
production. (Obeng and others, 2004) developed a mechanized plantain slicer for
cutting of bulk plantains into chips. The mechanized slicer seeks to reduce the
drudgery associated with traditional cutting of large-scale plantains into chips. The
machine takes 5-7 seconds to slice a finger of an average-size plantain into chips of
2-3mm in thickness compared to the 40-80 seconds with a kitchen knife, which
gives non-uniform thickness of plantain chips. It was found to be very convenient,
and the average thickness of plantain chips produced with the slicer compares
favorably with commercial standards.

(Owolarafe and others, 2007) developed a manually operated ladys finger (okra)
(Abelmoschusesculentus) slicing device suitable for on-farm use. It was designed,
fabricated and tested based on the engineering properties of the vegetable. The
machine, simulates the traditional method of okra slicing, consists of the feeder,
slicer and receiver. It was made simple for ease of operation and maintenance. The
machine was tested with replicated experimental runs using 100, 200, 300, 400 and
500 g of okra. The thickness of the slices (about 10 mm) corresponds evenly to the
spacing of the cutting discs. The machine has a slicing efficiency of about 77.4%
and through put of about 8.4 kg/h.

7
(Megan, 2008) developed a Slicer featuring simplified controls, improved
geometry and enhanced carriage design and other innovations that make it easier to
use with clean and deliver improved slice quality. With a 50-degree cutting plane
and glass-bead-finished gauge plate and top knife cover, the slicers have a
smoother glide against the knife while improving visibility of the sliced product. A
lighter tray makes repeated loading and unloading easier. (Neidhardt, 2008)
developed the tomato slicer, equipped with a disposable blade cartridge. Features
include Razor-sharp blades cut with trouble-free precision, thanks to a unique self-
lubricating track material that resists misalignment problems that cause nick sand
broken blades. Vertical handle and protective guards improve user comfort and
safety.

(Gave, 2008) developed a vegetable cutter which uses 40 different cutting discs to
replicate most hand-cutting styles. Features include a large hopper opening, -hp
gear-driven motor, stainless-steel body and base, removable hopper head, and a
food pusher, which has antimicrobial protection.

(Suryanto and others, 2009) developed a chopper for chopping bunches of palm
into small pieces using knife blades and an experimental cylinder-type chopping
machine. The knife edge angle had a significant effect on the specific cutting force
and the cutting energy. For the impact cutting, the specific torque requirement was
affected by the peripheral cutting speed. Increasing the speed from 5.3 to 14.3 m s-
1 reduced the cutting torque by 14.3%. An experimental chopping machine with a
capacity of 3540 kg h-1 has been developed and tested for the empty fruit bunches

(Azizet and others, 2011) developed a Slicing machine for fresh cut Pineapple.
Intensive research had been conducted in developing a suitable slicing machine to
cater for the needs of the local pineapple processors. The development of the
slicing machine was based on two systems, namely rotary and centrifugal type

8
working condition. This paper emphasizes machine development and its operating
system. At normal rate, the slicing machine is capable of processing 360 fruits per
hour. The slicing machine is easy to operate, of simple design, cost effective and
easy to clean.

The present existing designs of vegetable slicing machine is too numerous to

mention in this work, however, these machines operate on similar principles with a
difference in the methods of cutting/slicing. The two broad methods of slicing are
identified as; rotary slicing method and reciprocating slicing method.

The rotary slicing method is achieved with the use of electric motor. Here, the
cutter blade is attached directly to the electric motor. The slicing effect of the food
is achieved via the rotation of the cutter blade attached to the motor. The
reciprocating method is usually manual or semi-automated. It is of a lower
efficiency compared to the rotary method which is fully automated.

2.3 Expected Contributions Due to Knowledge Gaps

From the literatures reviewed it was discovered that the different machines utilized
different slicing techniques such as the reciprocating and rotary slicing method.
They also had different blade designs, varying power consumption and different
material selection which had an overall effect on the machines performance. These
performances include the time required for cutting, the power consumption and the
cutting efficiency. Our design proposes to improve on the existing performance
characteristics of the machine. This will be achieved through the use of improved
blade design, proper motor and material selection. The fact that little effort is
required makes the machine efficient. Above all, the process is highly hygienic
time saving and promotes the cause of ergonomics.

9
 CHAPTER THREE

DESIGN ANALYSIS

In this section all design concepts developed are discussed and based on evaluation
criteria and process developed, and a final design was chosen. However, some
features of the selected design were modified to further enhance the functionality
of the design. The modifications are also discussed. The equations and formulas
used were also presented in sequence. Detailed drawings and CAD presentations
were made.

3.1 Operating Principle

The vegetable slicing machine was redesigned to slice fresh vegetable into finer
finishes and improved performance. The vegetable slicing machine uses rotary
motion transferred by the motors to the blades to cut the vegetable. It is made up of
a frame with electric motor, the slicing/processing chamber, the wedge bar, the
vegetable feeder/hopper, the tray which stores the sliced vegetable after the slicing
process in the slicing chamber. It consists of three cutting blades which are spaced
120 degree from each other to give a slice thickness of 0.2mm.

The vegetable is separated from the stem and introduced into the machine via the
hopper. The quantity of leaves to be introduced at a time depends on the size and
texture of the leave. The leave is then cut into smaller sizes by three rotating knife
blades spaced at120 degrees. A wedge bar place just beneath the rotating blades
traps the vegetable for a while for slicing action to take place before allowing the
cut leave to fall into a collector just below the slicing chamber. The speed of the
motor can be regulated depending on the size of the slices desired by the operator
and the operator may also re-introduce the sliced leaves into the hopper for a finer
and better slice

10
The machine is designed to produce fine and hygienic slices. It consists of the
following main components;

1. Stainless steel cutter blades(rotating)

2. Slicing/processing chamber with a Wedge bar attached to the side plate
3. Feeder/hopper,
4. Slide plate
5. Electric motor and control unit.

3.2 Design Considerations

The importance of this device has made it necessary for some proper design
Considerations to be made. Some of those considerations made during the design
and fabrication of the Vegetable slicing machine are;

a. The Functionality and Manufacturability of the design

b. Economic viability, that is general cost implication of materials and
fabrication techniques employed.
c. The durability and maintainability of the machine.
d. The potential of the machine for modification, Safety and Ergonomics

The strength required of each element was also used as a factor in determining the
geometry and the dimensions of that element to avoid failure of components. Also,
the height of the column and the area of base were designed and materials carefully
selected for rigidity, stability and portability of the machine. To ensure an
improvement in the shape of the machine, the Aesthetics design was also put into
consideration. Finally, ergonomics principle was considered in this design for
convenience of the operator.

11
3.3 Component Parts of the Machine

To ease design effort, the system is divided into the following subsystems which
include:

a. Frame
b. Rotating Disc Cutter
c. Slide Plate/Tray Carriage
d. Hopper
e. Motor and Regulator

Frame

The frame is a carriage (the skeleton of the system) which serves as a support for
the occupant and the other components to be added on. The frame is made of
stainless steel. The only modification to be carried out on this frame is the
geometric changes from Rectangular to cylindrical shape, and the base of the
platform which will be joined with bolts and nuts for easy maintenance.

Tripod Stand

The machine is being placed on this component. It is made of cast iron and serves
as a support to the weight of the machine. The top has a circular design that fits the
shape of the machine, with its leg equally spaced 120 to maintain a perfect
balance. Also for easy mobility and to curb any form of vibration that may occur,
tires are attached to the legs.

The Rotating Disc Cutter

The rotating cutter blade is a tapered flat disc made of stainless steel material. It is
130mm in length. The cutter blade fixed at one end of the electric motor, is a tiny
flat metal bar and razor sharp. The blade upon receiving a rotational motion slices

12
the vegetable into edible sizes. The blade rotates at a speed of 1500 revolutions per
minute.

The Slide Plate / Tray Carriage

The slide plate or tray carriage is the steel component that conveys the sliced
vegetable from the slicing chamber to the outlet. In modifying this component, a
moveable tray carriage is adopted in the place of a framed one. This modification
aids in reducing vegetable wastage due to the compactness of the design.
Hopper
The hopper is the part through which the vegetables to be sliced are fed towards
the blade in the slicing chamber. For safety purpose, there is a considerable
distance from the top of the hopper to the point where the blade performs the
slicing action. It is made of stainless steel.

Electric Motor

This produces the torque/power which is transmitted via the spindle connecting the
cutter blade of the machine. The continuous rotary motion of the blade ensures
continuous slicing of the vegetable in the slicing chamber of the machine.

Regulator

It regulates the speed of the cutter blade. The regulator allows variation of different
cutting speeds to be applied to the vegetables to be sliced. The current coming
from the power source is split between the regulator and motor.

3.4 Material Selection

The knowledge of engineering material properties is of great importance to a

design engineer. The machine components should be made of materials which
have properties suitable for the operating conditions. Besides, the designer must be

13
familiar with the effects which the manufacturing processes and heat treatment
have on the properties of the materials.

Selection of the most suitable material for a given component is one of the greatest
challenges in engineering design, as such careful and enduring attention was
exercised to ensure that material chosen for a given element is one which serves
the desired objective at the minimum cost.

Most engineering works are involved with materials on a daily basis in

manufacturing, processing, design and construction of components and structures.
The materials selected to be incorporated into any design must withstand failure
analysis, (Hedge, 1995). In ensuring adequacy of design certain considerations
were being made some of which are;
a. Whether the material can consistently be machined to
dimensional tolerance and maintain form in use.
b. Ease of joining with other parts of an assembly.
c. Whether material can be machined economically to save
costs.
The materials used in this project includes: Mild steel for the frame, the hopper, the
carriage tray and the rotating disc cutter, the base, and other parts of this machine
will all use this material.

The choice of the materials used were influenced by some of the under listed
factors

Availability of the material.

Suitability of the material for the working conditions in service.
The cost of the material.
The important properties which determine the utility of the material are its
physical, chemical and mechanical properties. The physical properties of the

14
material include luster, color, size and shape, density, electric and thermal
conductivity, and melting point.

The mechanical properties of the material are its strength, stiffness, elasticity,
plasticity, ductility, brittleness, malleability, toughness, resilience, creep and
hardness. While the material chemical properties reveal among others, its ability to
resist corrosion.

3.4.1 Material for Base and Machine Frames

The base and column material require properties such as high compressive
strength, good damping characteristics, machinability, rigidity and fluidity. As
such, grey cast iron is selected while plastic was selected as the damper which
helps to reduce vibration.

3.4.2 Material for Cutter Blade and Slicing / Processing Chamber

One of the most important properties required of any metal used as cutting tool in
food processing is high resistance to corrosion. Within the limit of cost and
availability, austenitic stainless steel is selected because it is not poisonous.

3.4.3 Summary of material selection

The adequate material selection for the various parts of the machine can be
summarized in the table below;

Table 3.1 materials for machine components

Machine components Manufacturing materials

Base and Machine Frame Grey cast iron

Cutter blade Austenitic stainless steel

15
Food Slicing/Processing Chamber Austenitic stainless steel

Vegetable Feed/Hopper Austenitic stainless steel

Tray Carriage Austenitic stainless steel

Tripod stand Cast iron

3.5 Analysis of Machine Components

In order to ensure that this design is not only efficient but also cost effective,
detailed analytical estimation of size/capacity of the desired elements was carried
out. The results of the analytical processes were compared with established
standard stock values and adjusted where necessary, to ensure that during
manufacturing, special cutters and other manufacturing equipment will not be
made.

3.5.1 Analysis of electric motor

For this work, the motor analysis was restricted only to motor selection. The
actual motor design was not considered. This selection was being made based on
the following criteria;

Increased torque

Low weight

Adequate power

3.5.2 Shaft design

A shaft is a rotating machine element which is used to transmit power from one
place to another. The power is delivered to the shaft by some tangential force and

16
the resultant torque (or twisting moment) set up within the shaft permits the power
to be transferred to various machines linked up to the shaft. The shaft adopted for
this design is a transmission shaft which has a steel cutter blade attached to its end.
The design of the Shaft is based on strength, rigidity and stiffness. The following
stresses are induced in the shaft:
Shear stress due to transmission of torque
Bending stress due to the forces acting on the shaft (the weight of the cutter
blade)
Stresses due to combined torsional and bending loads
3.5.3 Analysis of Transmitted Torque

The torque transferred to the cutting blade due to transmitted power from the
electric motor can be estimated using the relationship below;

60
= (3.1)
2

Where;

T = Transmitted torque (Nm),

P = Power of electric motor (watt),

N = Rotational speed of motor (rpm),

= pi (constant).

3.5.4 Analysis of Bending Moment

The shaft is subjected to a load at the end. According to Negan (1977), the density
of a material is given as

= (3.2a)

17
i.e mass per unit volume

From equation 3.2,

m=xv (3.2b)

The weight of the cutter blade, = V g (3.3)

But the volume of the blade is,

V = x (3.4)

Substituting this into equation 3.3 yields

= g (3.5)

Where;

Wc = Weight of cutter blade (kgm/s2)

= Density of cutter blade (N/m2)

Ac = Area of cross-seection of cutter blade (m2)

Lc = Length of cutter blade (m)

g = Acceleration due to gravity (m/s2)

Hence, the maximum bending moment of the shaft can be gotten from the
expression below;

M = (3.6)

Where;

M = Maximum bending moment (Nm)

L = Length of the shaft/spindle (m).

18
3.5.5 Analysis of Shaft/Spindle Diameter

In designing the adequate shaft diameter that can withstand the stresses that acts on
them, considerations would be made for the various stress conditions. The larger
diameter would be chosen.

For a shaft subjected to twisting moment (or torque) only, then the diameter of the
shaft may be obtained by using the torsion equation.

According to Khurmi and Gupta (2005)

= (3.7)

Where;
T = Twisting moment (or torque) acting upon the shaft (Nm),
J = Polar moment of inertia of the shaft about the axis of rotation (m4),
= Torsional shear stress (pa),
r = Distance from neutral axis to the outer most fibre (m), but r = d / 2
Where; d is the diameter of the shaft (m),

For a round solid shaft, the polar moment of inertia is given as;

J = d4 (3.8)
32
Re-writing equation 3.6 yields
(3.9)
T= d3
16

For a shaft subjected to bending moment only, the maximum stress (tensile or

Compressive) is given by the bending equation below;

= (3.10)

Where,

19
 M = Bending moment (Nm),

I = Moment of inertia of cross-sectional area of the shaft about the

axis of rotation (m4),
= Bending stress (Pa), and

y = Distance from neutral axis to the outer-most fibre (m)

For a round solid shaft, the moment of inertia is given as;

I= d4 (3.11)
64

Rewriting equation 3.8 yield

(3.12)
M= d3
32

For shaft subjected to combined twisting and bending moment, the maximum shear
stress theorem is applicable. From this theory, the maximum shear stress in the
shaft is;

1
max = 2 + 4 2 (3.13)
2

Putting equation 3.8 and 3.11 into 3.12 the allowable or working shear can be
given by the expression;

max 16
=

=
3
2 + 2 (3.14)

Where;

= working shear stress (Pa)

max = maximum allowable shear stress (Pa)

Fos = Factor of safety

20
From Maximum normal stress theorem, the maximum normal stress in the shaft is,

1 1
max =
2
+
2
2 + 4 2 (3.15)

max 32 1
= = [ { + 2 + 2 }] (3.16)
3 2

Where;

max Maximum normal stress (pa)

= working normal stress (pa)

3.5.6 Analysis of Angular Deflection of Shaft

For the angular deflection of shaft;

= (3.17)

Where;

= Angular deflection (rad),

G = modulus of rigidity (N/m2)

3.5.7 Analysis of Equivalent Torque and Bending Moment

The equivalent torque (Te) which the shaft is subjected to is given as;

= 2 + 2 (3.18)

The equivalent Bending moment (Me) is also given as;

1
= 2
( + ) (3.19)

21
3.5.8 Cutting force of the blade

The force required to produce shearing action can be gotten from the expression;

P=FV ` (3.20a)

From the equation above,

F= (3.20b)

Where;

F = cutting or impact force on the blade (N)

V = cutting velocity of blade or cutter (m/s)

3.5.9 Cutting velocity of blade

This is the velocity at which the applied shearing force produces a cutting action. it
depends on the diameter of the blade and also on the speed of the motor i.e;

V=
60

Where;

V = cutting velocity of blade (m/s)

D = blade diameter (m) (3.21)

The cutting force of the blade can be gotten using the following relations

3.6 Machine Efficiency

The efficiency of the machine can be estimated by weighing different fraction of

sliced, partially sliced, vegetables not sliced and losses. Considering continuous
feed without any halt, the theoretical efficiency can be gotten from;

22

= 100 (3.22)

Where;

E = Efficiency of the machine

= Average weight of slices from one vegetable

= Average weight of vegetable

23
 CHAPTER FOUR

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

The presentation of the input and output data are being made in this section. The
results are obtained using MICROSOFT EXCEL environment based on the
evaluation of the design models previously presented. Tables are utilized in
presenting the input and output data for more clarity. Graphs are also used to show
relationships between various parameters.

4.1 Input data

The data used in in carrying out the design analysis incorporates both data gotten
from adequate selection of some components such as the electric motor and some
which are considered standards in engineering design. The table below gives an
outline of the available input data;

Table 4.1 Input parameters

S/N Quantity Symbol Unit Value

1 Power of electric P watts 1119

motor
2 Rotational speed of N Rpm 1500
motor
3 Density of cutter blade Kg/m3 7850

4 Cross-sectional area of m2 0.000233

cutter blade
5 Length of shaft m 0.07

24
6 Maximum allowable Pa 56000000
shear stress

7 Factor of safety Fos --- 4

8 Maximum normal Pa 112000000

stress

4.2 Output data

From the input data, the values of the required output parameters from calculations
are gotten. The larger value of the diameter from the various theories was being
considered as the shaft diameter. These values can be seen in the table below;

Table 4.2 Output parameters

S/N Quantity Symbol Unit Value

1 Transmitted torque T Nm 7.123

2 Maximum bending Nm 0.164

moment of shaft

3 Cutting velocity of m/s 10.2115

blade
4 Cutting force N 110

5 Weight of cutter blade N 2.337

6 Shaft diameter D M 0.014

25
7 Working shear stress Pa 14000000

8 Working normal stress Pa 28000000

9 Shaft polar moment J m4 3.495 1009

of inertia
10 Angular deflection of Rad 0.001585
shaft

11 Equivalent twisting Nm 7.125

torque

12 Equivalent bending Nm 3.643

moment

13 Efficiency E - 95.79

4.3 Performance evaluation

In the evaluation of the machine performance, the physical characteristics of the

vegetable were taken into consideration. The effect of the slicing blade and
operating speed on the slicing of the vegetable was carefully observed and the
relationship between the slicing speed and other parameters were also stated.

4.3.1 Physical characteristics of the vegetables

600g of vegetables of similar size and shape were bought from the local market.
The oval shaped medium size vegetables were chosen on visual basis. The weight
of the samples of 5 vegetables (25g, 50g, 100g, 150g and 200g) were measured
with the help of a digital weighing balance.

26
4.3.2 Effect of slicing blade and operating speed

To evaluate the performance of the machines, the vegetables were divided into five
batches of the above listed weights and fed into the slicing machine. Each
operation was performed at five different speeds (Very low, Low, Medium, High
and Very high). The effect of the varying speed were considered in terms of the
time duration involved in the slicing process, the weight of the leaf after the slicing
process and the losses involved during the slicing process.

Table 4.3 shows the results of the slicing experiment using 3 rotating blades spaced
120 apart. With the different speed level represented as 5 for very high, 4 for high,
3 for medium, 2 for low and 1 for very low. The time duration, weight of slices and
the loss in weight were noted for the different speed levels. At each rotor speed,
different weights of vegetables were sliced and respective time taken for slicing
was noted. This excludes the time taken for sorting the vegetable and feeding the
vegetable. A significant reduction in the time required to perform cutting action
can be seen with a corresponding increase in speed. Slicing at maximum speeds
produced finer cuts with reduced thickness than that of lower speed the reason
being increase in the cutting area. The improvement in the geometry of the leaf at
increase speed was at the expense of its weight, as can be seen from the table. This
reduction in the weight of vegetable slices with increase in speed of the cutting
blade could be due to improper feeding of the vegetable, difference in relative
speed of fall of vegetable into the hopper and the speed with which the blade
strike the vegetable during slicing.

From the given data, calculations for maximum efficiency can be made
considering various parameters.

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 Table 4.3 Effect of slicing speed on time duration and weight

Regulator Speed of Weig Time Weight of Weight of

ht Of duration fully sliced partially sliced
the
Position vegeta of Slicing vegetable vegetable
Motor ble (sec) (g)
(g)
(rpm)

1Very Low 800 25 7.37 23.30 1.70

2 Low 950 25 7.15 22.41 2.59

3 Medium 1150 25 6.93 21.06 3.94

4 High 1350 25 6.70 21.03 3.97

5Very High 1500 25 6.24 21.00 4.00

Table 4.4 Effect of slicing speed on time duration and weight

Regulator Speed of Weig Time Weight of Weight of

ht Of duration fully sliced partially sliced
the
Position vegeta of Slicing vegetable vegetable
Motor ble (sec) (g)
(g)
(rpm)

1Very Low 800 50 13.7 48.20 1.80

2 Low 950 50 13.3 47.81 2.19

3 Medium 1150 50 12.8 46.34 3.66

4 High 1350 50 12.4 45.21 4.79

5Very High 1500 50 11.5 45.05 4.95

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 Table 4.5 Effect of slicing speed on time duration and weight

Regulator Speed of Weig Time Weight of Weight of

ht Of duration fully sliced partially sliced
the
Position vegeta of Slicing vegetable vegetable
Motor ble (sec) (g)
(g)
(rpm)

1Very Low 800 100 28.48 97.40 2.60

2 Low 950 100 28.43 96.20 3.80

3 Medium 1150 100 26.89 95.27 4.73

4 High 1350 100 26.50 94.89 5.11

5Very High 1500 100 25.96 93.91 6.09

Table 4.6 Effect of slicing speed on time duration and weight

Regulator Speed of Weig Time Weight of Weight of

ht Of duration fully sliced partially sliced
the
Position vegeta of Slicing vegetable vegetable
Motor ble (sec) (g)
(g)
(rpm)

1Very Low 800 150 34.85 146.5 3.50

2 Low 950 150 34.25 145.7 4.30

3 Medium 1150 150 33.95 145.2 4.80

4 High 1350 150 33.67 144.7 5.30

5Very High 1500 150 32.95 143.5 6.50

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 Table 4.7 Effect of slicing speed on time duration and weight

Regulator Speed of Weig Time Weight of Weight of

ht Of duration fully sliced partially sliced
the
Position vegeta of Slicing vegetable vegetable
Motor ble (sec) (g)
(g)
(rpm)

1Very Low 800 200 42.65 195.70 4.3

2 Low 950 200 42.20 194.30 5.7

3 Medium 1150 200 41.86 193.90 6.1

4 High 1350 200 41.25 193.50 6.5

5Very High 1500 200 40.50 192.30 7.7

The data gotten from the test and shown in the table depends greatly on operators
experience. The rate at which the vegetables is fed into the machine has a
considerable effect on the time duration of the cutting process hence different
results can be gotten from different operators based on their experience level. The
relationships between the cutting speed, weight of vegetable slices and the time
duration for the various weights can also be seen in the graphs attached in the
appendices. From the data above, the efficiency of the machine was calculated to
be 95.79%.These value however showed a significant increase in efficiency when
compared to the previous one.

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 CHAPTER FIVE
CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION

5.1 Conclusion
Over the years, the traditional process of slicing vegetable has always been slow,
tedious, boring, time consuming and in some cases unhygienic. Designing and
fabricating a machine capable of slicing vegetable which will mechanize the
slicing process for both domestic and commercial consumption becomes a
necessity. The design demonstrates that simple member elements can be assembled
to make a functional engineering device. Engineering materials that are rust free
were selected. Simple design equations involving Cutting force, Torque, Bending
moment and shear forces, etc were related in the course of going through the
design process. The results and fabrication of this project has shown the possibility
of manufacturing a relatively cheap, easy to use and reliable machine for slicing
vegetable which reduces human effort, variation of slicing speed by the user based
on the nature of the vegetable to be sliced, as a variable speed motor is utilized. Its
flexibility and wide range of applicability is an added advantage. The machine was
safely operated. This design is environmentally friendly as it does not use an
internal combustion engine but requires power for just the electric motor, thus the
production of fumes is entirely eliminated. Almost Every home in Nigeria eats
vegetables. Hence, the vegetable slicing machine would serve perfectly in slicing
of these vegetables into edible sizes.

5.2 Recommendations

Despite the huge success recorded in the fabrication of this machine, some areas
might still need attention should the need for further research and improvement

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arise. One of such areas of improvement which should also be geared towards
improving the overall efficiency of the machine

The attachment of an automated uniform feed mechanism to control the amount

of vegetables to be fed into the machine.

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