New Machines for Processing Cassava Roots into Dried Cassava Grates

Cooperating agency for this topic:
Philippine Council for Agriculture,
Forestry and Natural Resources Research and Development
Los Baños, Laguna, Philippines 4030
Fax: (63 49) 536-0016
E-mail: pcarrd@pcarrd.dost.gov.ph, 2005-12-01

Cassava roots rot quickly after harvesting. Processing fresh cassava roots into dried cassava grates extends the rootcrop's shelf life and thus reduces postharvest losses due to deterioration. Cassava grates are used as substitute for fresh cassava in preparing food products such as cassava cakes and cassava rolls.

The Process

Processing fresh cassava roots into dried cassava grates involves the following basic activities: peeling/trimming, washing, grating, spinning, pulverizing/finishing, drying, and packing. Peeling, washing, and packing the dried grates are done manually. Grating, spinning, pulverizing, and drying can be done using machines locally developed by the Philippines' Leyte State University (LSU).

New Machines for Dried Cassava Grates Processing

The cassava grater (Fig. 1) is a circumferential-type grater with cylindrical blade made of punctured metal plates. Driven by a 1-hp electric motor, it transforms fresh roots into grates at more than 200 kg/hour. The batch-type spinner (Fig. 2) for extracting water from the fresh grates has a capacity of about 200 kg/hour, while the grates pulverizer or grates mill (Fig. 3) has a capacity of 100 kg/hour. The rotary drum dryer (Fig. 4), which uses liquefied petroleum gas as fuel, can dry grates from 45% to less than 12% moisture content at an average capacity of 20 kg/hour.

With a final recovery of 27% from fresh roots to dried grates, the system can produce more than 2 tons of dried grates per month, amply meeting the demand of the Metro Manila area in the Philippines of around 3 tons/month.

Effectiveness

The grates produced using the developed machines smell and look good, indicating good product quality. Therefore, the developed machines increase processing efficiency and produce better-quality products. These machines are welcome developments for those who use the batch-type, screw-type presser to remove excess water from the grates, and then sun-dry. The screw-type presser is very laborious to operate and has a capacity of only 20 kg/hour. Meanwhile, sun-drying requires a big space and is dependent on weather conditions, requiring around two consecutive sunny days to fully dry the grates.

Index of Images

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  Figure 1 Cassava Grater

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  Figure 2 Cassava Grates Spinner

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  Figure 3 Grates Pulverizer or Grates Mill

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  Figure 4 Rotary Drum Dryer

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