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Developoment and Evaluation of a Chopping Machine for Animal Feed

Dr. A.T.M. Ziauddin
Department of Farm Power & MachineryBangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh 2202, Bangladesh

M.M. Huq
Department of Farm Power & MachineryBangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh 2202, Bangladesh

Poritosh Roy
Department of Farm Power & MachineryBangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh 2202, Bangladesh

Abstract/ Executive Summary:

A manually operated chopping machine was designed, developed and tested for chopping animal feeds. The capacity of the machine was determined for chopping straw, German grass and Napier grass and was compared with traditional chopping ( chopping with sickle) method. The machine could chop straw at a capacity of 32.21 kg/hr to 55.36 kg/hr. The average capacity for German grass and Napier grass were 123.48 kg/hr and 171.546 kg/hr, respectively. This machine was capable of chopping 2 to 3 times higher than that of chopping by sickle. Also it was capable to control the length of chopped straw according to requirement. The performance tests indicate that the facility could be used in the farm level with high satisfaction.

Keywords: Animal feed, Chopping machine, Evaluation, Development

Location: Department of Farm Power and Machinery, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh.

Start Date:

End Date:

Program Area: Farm Mechanization

Commodity: Product development

Objectives:

1. To design and develop a manually operated low cost animal feed chopping machine, and

2. To manufacture and test the device.

Methodology:

Chopping is a process of size reduction of materials and there are different types of size reduction methods. They are cutting, crushing and shearing method was selected because of simplicity of fabrication and operation. Also shearing is usually used for reducing materials of a tough fibrous nature such as straw. The machine was equiped with two sharp blades one was fixed with the frame other was fixed with a fly wheel. The machine was fabricated and tested in the workshop of the Department of Farm Power and Machinery, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh. It has the following major components. A converyor belt, and important component of the machine carried feeds to the cutting blades. The conveyor belt, placed horizontally, was made of a piece of cloth which was driven by two wooden rollers. The wooden rollers were powered by a foot padel through a pair of bevel gear. There was also a provision to adjust belt tension to facilitate better convey of material with minimum slipage. Made of mild steel flat bars, the fly wheel acted as a heart of the machine which actually did the chopping function by its sharp knives fixed with it. It receives power from a padel through a shaft and rotates in a vertical plane. Sharp knives fixed along the radius of the fly wheel cuts the feeds as conveyed by the conveyor belt. The cutting action was analogous to a scissors with one blade kept stationary and the other moving. The conveyor belt brings the feed at the end of the platform where another knife is fixed. The rotating knives cut the feed against the fixed knife in to pieces. There is a provision to attach more knife along the radius of the fly wheel. The main shaft, made of mild steel rod, transmits power to various components of the machine. It rotates with the help of a chain-sprocket system and powers the flywheel. Power is also transmitted to the rollers of the conveyor through the main shaft. the main shaft is horizontally fixed with the frame with bush bearing support at the two ends. The large sprocket of the chain -sprocket system was fixed with a padel system and the small sprocket was fixed to the main shaft. The system of power transmission. The main shaft, the fly wheel, the conveyor belt and the pedal were assembled and fixed to a suitable frame, made of mild steel angle bar and flat bar. The overall dimension of the machine is 335 X 700 X 810 mm.

Source of Information: J. of Agril. Mach. & Mech. 2 (1) 1995 : 37-40 ISSN 1024-6290

Article Link (Online Journal):

Funding Source:

Total Budget (Tk.) :

Achievement/Findings:

The machine could chop straw at a capacity of 32.21 kg/hr to 55.36 kg/hr. The average capacity for German grass and Napier grass were 123.48 kg/hr and 171.546 kg/hr, respectively. This machine was capable of chopping 2 to 3 times higher than that of chopping by sickle. Also it was capable to control the length of chopped straw according to requirement. The performance tests indicate that the facility could be used in the farm level with high satisfaction.

Knowledge Management: Journal