Design and development of hand operated cashew nut sheller

摘要

Cashew processing is an important agro based industry, potential of employing 0.45 million persons. India is the producer of raw nuts (0.52 million metric ton) export of cashew kernel amounts to 47% of the world consumption. The hand operated portablecashew nut sheller was developed on.the principle of shearing. The scissor like machine two cashew contoured high speed steel blades mounted on spring-loaded levers. Reciprocating cams were provided on the two levers, by which the blades move away shearing the shell to open it. The machine can shell the cashew nuts easily without much strain on arms; the provision of the supporting stand makes this sheller suitable for extensive operation. The machine was tested for shelling treated cashews in laboratory as well as cashew processing industries. Even unskilled person can also operate the sheller suitably. The results shown that the portable sheller can shell 2.36kg cashew per hour with the whole kernel recovery of 85.52 per cent.