Cacao Pod Crusher

Patent Number: PH-1-2018-50478

Patent Title: Cacao Pod Crusher

Description

A mechanical machine to crush cacao pod and separate the crushed pods from the cacao beans through the cylindrical sieve. The crusher is adjustable in order to avoid damaging the cacao beans depending on the size and varietal characteristics of the cacao that are fed into the machine.

​Innovative Features and Benefits:

Manual splitting of cacao pods in the country is labor-intensive and time-consuming. The traditional way is adapted by farmers since the mechanical-splitting machine does not exist widely in different parts of the country. The problems encountered in manual splitting of cacao are as follows:

a) The splitting of cacao pods is done individually by the use of a sharp knife or wooden baton, thus, risky and dangerous on the part of the person doing the job;

b) The individual splitting of cacao pods consumes much time; and

c) The improper splitting and manual separation of cacao beans from the pods cause injury to the beans and contribute to losses due to low production.

The Cacao Pod Crusher has the following features and benefits: (1) the crusher teeth has an adjustable clearance to avoid damaging the cacao beans; (2) it has a cylindrical sieve to separate cacao beans from crushed pods; and the roller and sieve have appropriate rotational speed to achieve optimum performance.

Based on the data gathered and the results obtained, this Cacao Pod Crusher machine is more efficient in crushing pods and separating beans in comparison with manual splitting of cacao pods. The average maximum number of split cacao is 1,000 per hour using this Cacao Pod Crusher while the average number for the manual method is only 660 per hour. Moreover, based on the fabrication, this machine is safe and easy to operate by one (1) operator.

Economic analysis of the machine shows that the operating cost can be recovered within nine (9) months and yields high revenue with rate of return (ROR) of 119.47% in one (1) year.

Applications:

The Philippines has a great potential in growing cacao and producing cocoa products. Cacao is one of the most widely consumed and highly in demand products in the country. Considering all the uses and benefits of cacao, not only in Philippine market, but also in agricultural sectors worldwide, this Cacao Pod Crusher machine is very useful and significant in cacao processing.

Since the splitting of the cacao pods and removal of beans is done manually in the country and the mechanized machine is not widely used either in small or bigger farms, this Cacao Pod Crusher will help cacao producers to increase productivity and to ease the operation of pod splitting and bean separation.

Business Development Opportunity:

During early years, a hand-operated or manual machine was invented to split cacao pods. Later, a motorized machine for splitting cacao pods was also invented but to be operated by two persons.

Ghana, one of the top leading producers of cacao, has invented a machine suitable for splitting cacao pods and separating beans from the shell. The machine is composed of two types of knives, the first type is for chopping the placenta located in the end portion of the pods and the second type is for splitting the opening and for separating the beans from pods. However, this machine is suitable for large-scale farms and is powered by hydraulic, thus, farmers cannot easily purchase the said machine due to high market price.

The Philippines, being a developing agricultural country, is a potential producer of cacao products. The mechanization of separating beans from pods is important to meet the demand for the country’s cacao products, to increase productivity and to ease the operation of pod splitting and bean separation. The technical features of Cacao Pod Crusher machine answers the demand for increased productivity and offers an affordable device for small and large-scale cacao-producing farms.

The prototype of Cacao Pod Crusher has been developed and is ready for mass scale production by potential licensee.