The growing demand for ginger in food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries has exposed the limitations of manual peeling, which is labor-intensive, time-consuming, and prone to product loss. This study presents the design, fabrication, and evaluation of a locally sourced ginger peeling machine for small-to-medium scale processors. The machine was constructed using 3 mm angle iron for the frame and a galvanized steel drum (Ø410 mm × 430 mm, thickness 1.5 mm) as the peeling chamber. A 6 hp prime mover operating at 2400 rpm provided power through a bevel gear (1:1) and pulley system (1:6), driving four paddles fitted with brushes arranged 180° apart. Water was introduced at a ratio of 1:2 (ginger to water) to aid peeling and lifting action. Performance evaluation was conducted with batch sizes of 10-30 kg and peeling durations of 10-20 minutes. Parameters measured included peeling efficiency, product damage rate, throughput capacity, and labor savings. Results showed an optimum peeling efficiency of 79.4% at 20 kg batch size and 15 minutes duration, with product damage kept below 10%. Throughput capacity ranged between 60-90 kg/hr, and labor savings were significant, reducing processing time by ~75% and manpower by ~60% compared to manual peeling. The study concludes that the machine effectively bridges the gap between manual and industrial systems, offering a cost-effective, hygienic, and efficient solution for ginger processing. Its reliance on locally available materials ensures affordability and ease of maintenance, while its performance demonstrates potential for adoption in rural and semi-industrial contexts.
Okafor et al. (Thu,) studied this question.