Design of a Fully Automated Sugarcane Juice Extractor

The small and medium scale extraction of sugarcane juice is characterised by being labour intensive because of manual handling tasks and the use of manual presses. Thus, the introduction of automation in the sugarcane juice extraction process can potentially eliminate the challenges arising from traditional and manual sugar extraction practices, particularly in rural and small-scale businesses. Current work is aimed at designing a prototype of a fully automated sugarcane juice extractor that his minimum human intervention in the extraction process. In achieving the aim, specific objectives have been outlined, including evaluating existing designs and generating concepts. Three concepts of the fully automated sugarcane juice extractor, namely BetaXX, ZetaXX and RhoXX were sketched and a selection process was followed to select the most appropriate concept for further design. A ranking system was generated and the results showed that the critical design aspect is hygiene, since the machine will be handling sugarcane juice, which is a consumable product. Based on the ranking results, ZetaXX was chosen as the most feasible concept at an absolute final score of 1.136, outperforming both BetaXX and RhoXX concepts. An analysis was done to determine the performance parameters of the fully automated sugarcane juice extractor. The machine requires a standard electrical motor producing 1.1 kW which transmits power through a compact gear system consisting of spur gears. The machine can accommodate sugarcane stalk sizes ranging between 30-40 mm, which is possible by the use of two linear actuators that support a single roller. By integrating electrical and mechanical systems, the fully automated sugarcane juice extractor can detect the insertion of sugarcane stalks by the user. Additionally, the design notifies the user when the extracted juice has reached the machine's carrying capacity to prevent any spillage. Once the maximum capacity is reached, the user must empty the juice and waste collectors by accessing the front and side doors intentionally. All these functionalities are linked to a microcontroller equipped with an embedded program that ensures the machine operates safely and efficiently in terms of energy use.