Development of a Modular and Sustainable Yam Pounding Machine

This work is focused on the design and production of a yam pounding machine. This machine consists of a shaft, electric motor, stainless steel pot, yam beater or blade, pulley and the frame. Mild steel material and stainless-steel sheet were used in the design on its availability, strength, appearance, and cost and corrosion resistance. A power requirement of 1hp was needed to drive the machine. However, an improvement was made on the size, making it more portable than the existing ones and the use of dampers to minimize vibration with better reliability and working efficiency. The machine was designed, constructed, assembled and tested according to specification. The performance of the machine was evaluated to its highest level of efficiency of 96% and demonstrated by pounding 3kg of cooked yam. The designed machine is far better than the traditional method of pounding yam. It pounds within a short period and little or no human effort is required for the pounding process.