| Description: |
Capstone Project submitted to the Department of Engineering, Ashesi University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the award of Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering, May 2022 ; This paper focusses on the design and fabrication of a low- cost kneading machine as an alternative to traditional kneading process, which can be manually, or motor powered. Using conceptual designs with related reviewed literature, a final concept model was developed for the project using 3D CAD software. The kneading mechanism to determine the torque and critical stress areas within the system. Fundamental design analysis, calculations and the application CAE from mechanical machine design, fluid mechanics and mechanics of materials were conducted to select the best geometry, size, and materials for the project. The machine consisted of a table-like support structure, a 20kg shea paste container, a gear box consisting of miter gears power transmission, two shafts and 3mm thick steel mixing blades. Fabrication included various manufacturing processes. The machine had a power transmission efficiency of approximately 87% comparing the input and output torque generated. The machine had an oil yield increase of 18.6%, however when manually powered, the time of kneading was the same but required less energy as compared to hand kneading. The tests proved that the hybrid kneading machine is an efficient alternative to the traditional kneading process. ; Ashesi University |