PERFORMANCE EVALUATION OF A DEVELOPED COCOA SHELLING MACHINE
Abstract
Cocoa processing in many small-scale farms remains largely manual, resulting in low efficiency, high drudgery, and significant bean damage. This study evaluated the performance of a developed motorized cocoa shelling machine designed to separate cocoa beans from their pods. The machine was fabricated using locally available materials and consists of a hopper, shelling unit with impactor blades, separation chamber, and power transmission system. Performance tests were conducted at three levels of moisture content (65%, 70%, 75% w.b.) and three shelling speeds (300 rpm, 350 rpm, 400 rpm) using a 3×3 factorial experiment in a completely randomized design.
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