Development of a multi-layer sieving machine

Abstract

This research focused on developing a three-layer motorized sieving machine for separating agricultural produce that are unintentionally mixed, also to sieve out coarse particles to enhance suitable soil structure for plant growth. The developed machine can be easily  assembled, modified, transported to different locations and the parts can be easily maintained or replaced. The study therefore considers  separating a mixture of rice, beans and flour and also, sieving out excessive coarse materials in a sieving analysis for suitable  soil structure using this machine. The machine was able to perform the specific function of separation; it was able to separate food  materials of different sizes and also soil samples of varying sizes It was able to function as a multi-purpose machine; it could sieve  particles of different shapes and sizes in a record time when compared to crude methods of sieving. The rate of sieving of 15kg of mixed  food materials showed that replicate 1 had the highest sieving rate of 1.5kg/m while the overall replicates had an average of 1.32 kg/m,  while the different samples had the highest sieving rate of 1.67kg/m on replicate 5, and an average of 1.49kg/m. Except for replicate 1,  the comparison of the rate of sieving for food materials showed that the rate of sieving for soil samples were higher than those of food  materials except for replicate 1.