Design and experimentation of a corn pericarp peeling machine

Carlos S.D.K.; Ángel P.R.M.; Davida P.S.A.; Belarmino Q.C.R. · Agricultural Engineering International: CIGR Journal (2024)

Resumen

Corn plays a fundamental role in the diet of diverse cultures and has nutritional benefits, being a rich source of carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins and minerals, in addition to containing antioxidants with health properties. In places like Peru and Latin America, where corn production and commercialization are significant for various culinary uses (patasca, tamales, humitas, among others), there is a need to industrialize the peeling process to speed up production and advance technologically, overcoming the manual method disadvantages. Therefore, this research aimed to design and manufacture a precooked corn peeling machine based on the friction of corn with a rough surface, through the incorporation of adjustable paddles and constant flow of clean water to remove impurities, in order to obtain larger quantities of peeled corn production, being able to supply the local market. To design the machine, the VDI 2221 methodology was applied, which included the creation of a list of requirements and a function structure. The state of the art corn shelling technology was evaluated using techniques such as the black box, white box and morphological matrix approach to analyze solution options. Design aspects such as shaft diameter, vane strength, cylinder volume, drive belt selection, number of belts and bearing choice were considered. Finally, manufacturing materials were selected. The design of the corn peeling machine was obtained. In addition, data on peeling speed and amount of corn peeling were found through washing tests using different corn grains. It was found that the optimum time is 7 minutes, which considerably improves the artisanal method, which requires more time and physical effort by the producer and for the manufacture of the machine, non-polluting materials will be used for corn, such as stainless steel AISI 304, which does not corrode in contact with water. It was concluded that, with the design of a corn pericarp peeling machine gave a 96.3% efficiency in the peeling process, which shows that it is possible to peel corn for health care, also for use in different gastronomic dishes. In addition, the manufacture of the machine is possible since the materials used can be easily found in the local market and have low costs.

Instituciones: Universidad Continental