Semi-automatic Grading Chicken Eggs and Separating Double Yolk Eggs Machine

Abstract

A semi-automated grading and separating double yolk chicken egg machine was developed by cleaning, grading, and separating egg No.0, No.1, No.2, and No.3 continuously on a conveyer. In order to conduct this research, we reviewed the grading criteria for chicken eggs and separated double yolk eggs first. Then the specifications for the machine were defined, and design began. After receiving the design, the machine was constructed couple with the development of a grading for chicken eggs and a separating double yolk eggs program. The machine operation was tested and tuned for properly works. The egg shell was needed to clean for precision weight and shape. As a result, the weight value will be used to grade eggs into egg No.0, No.1, No.2 and No.3, respectively, while shape refers to the ratio between the major and minor axis lengths of the eggs and weight is used as both parameters for determining a double yolk egg based on fuzzy logic algorithms. Test results indicate that the machine is capable of cleaning and blow drying chicken eggs in any number of eggs. The weight values from the load cell were calibrated from a standard scale. The weight value on the load cell has an error of only ±0.1 grams when compared with the standard scale. While, the ratio of the major and minor axis lengths of the eggs that measure from image processing were accurate compared to the Vernier caliper measurements. The results of the measurements by both methods generated no significant differences. The process of grading the eggs and sorting the double yolk eggs were tested continuously on conveyer and found that the machine was able to grade eggs with 100% accuracy in all numbers, while sorting double yolk eggs still had some errors of 1 in 24 eggs.