Design and Construction of the Lotus Root Slicing Machine to Increase the Efficiency of the Agricultural Product Process

Abstract

Design and construction of the lotus root slicing machine are to increase the efficiency of the agricultural product process for the farmer sector. The lotus root slicing machine consists of the lotus root feeding pipe, the lotus root slicing unit and the motor power unit 1/2 hp. The design and construction of this machine use the mechanical principles as the important parts. For the operation of the machine, the operator brings the lotus root into the lotus root feeding pipe that is composed of two angle choices: 45 and 90 degrees. The studied parameter is the suitable speed for the lotus root slicing unit. From the experiment, it is found that the maximum efficiency of the lotus root slicing machine occurs at speed 200 rpm. The machine can slice the lotus root 55 kg/h and 60 kg/h at the angle 45 and 90 degrees, respectively. Furthermore, the machine can slice the lotus root more than 2.4 times the labor force does. The power consumption is 0.373 kW-h. The lotus root slicing machine can cut the lotus root regularly and has a constant production rate despite working for long periods of time. When the farmers use the lotus root slicing machine, the payback period is 3.2 month.