Development of Integrated Coconut Oil Processing Machine

Abstract

Coconut oil extraction involves several stages and each of these stages require different machine, therefore, the objective of this research work is to develop a low-cost integrated unit machine for the extraction of coconut oil using standard procedures. The extraction process involves the cutting mechanism with the help of the transmission belt and pulley to slice the coconut meat. The chip is heated by the heating system after which it is pressed. The coconut oil drops on the oil tray, it passes through the oil tray to the oil tank. A 5kg sized Copra was used to examine the performance of the machine. Data obtained reveal that the required heating time was 15mins with a heater band of 2000 watts at 80°C. After the heating process a compression time of 8mins was recorded, taking place in the pressing cage with a compression ratio of 0.097 for the extraction process. This integrated method employed in the extraction of coconut oil is effective in terms of quality of oil produced, low-cost, time conservation and ease of usage. Therefore, regulatory bodies and governmental agencies could invest in this machine to be used by low income/small scale business operator.