Design and Performance Evaluation of a Pedal-Operated Maize Sheller for Smallholder Farmers

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Manual maize shelling is labor-intensive and time-consuming. This project designed and evaluated a pedal-operated maize sheller for smallholder farmers. The machine was designed using locally available materials with human power as energy source. Design parameters included shelling drum diameter (300mm), drum speed (300-400 rpm), and concave clearance (30-40mm). Performance evaluation showed shelling efficiency of 92%, cleaning efficiency of 85%, grain damage of 3.2%, and output capacity of 120 kg/hour. The machine required 0.3 kW human power input. Cost of fabrication was N85,000, recoverable within one season of use. The sheller is affordable, requires no fuel, and is suitable for rural areas without electricity. Recommendations include further optimization to reduce grain damage.