ABSTRACT

This work is on design and fabrication of a chaff cutter. This machine targets new agriculture entrepreneurs and farmers working on factory farms, the fodder requirement is high in factory farms, as the feed is provided to cattle at one place unlike the traditional methods where they travelled miles and fed themselves. This machine performs three operations at same time which is cutting, chaffing and collecting operation. It is a compact machine which can cut up to two layers of grass at a time, firstly the grass is cut down using cutting blades with triangular teeth which cut the crops by scissoring action. Further the grass moves inside and chaffed by s shape chaff cutter blades , finally moves out by centrifugal force and collected outside in a gunny bag, It runs on diesel engine of 3HP, this power from engine, is provided through pulley and gear box arrangement to the cutter.  This machine can be a solution to the problems faced by farmers regarding cost and labour implementation.

Keywords: Chaff cutter, factory farms, scissoring action

TABLE OF CONTENTS

TITLE PAGE

APPROVAL PAGE

DEDICATION

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

ABSTRACT

TABLE OF CONTENT

CHAPTER ONE

1.0     INTRODUCTION

1.1     Background of the project

1.2     Problem statement

1.3     Aim and objectives of the project

1.4     Advantages of chaff cutter

1.5     Scope and limitation of the project

CHAPTER TWO

2.0     LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1     Review of Chaff Cutter

2.2    Review of Related Studies

2.3     Types of Chaff Cutter

CHAPTER THREE

3.0     METHODOLOGY

3.1     Material selection

3.2     Construction for the choice of materials

3.3   Design considerations

3.4     Tools and instruments

3.5     Fabrication process

CHAPTER FOUR

4.0     RESULT ANALYSIS

4.1     Structure and working principle

4.2     Power Required To Drive Mechanism

4.3     Design and Calculations

4.4     Materials of Machine Parts

4.5     Cutter Assembly

4.6     Results

CHAPTER FIVE

5.0     CONCLUSION

5.1     Conclusion

5.2     References

CHAPTER ONE

1.0                                                           INTRODUCTION

1.1                              BACKGROUND OF THE PROJECT

In Northern part of Nigeria, animal husbandry is an integral part of the rural economy. The forage (dry or wet) production requires high labour, coupled with a lack of sufficient land for forage. Production and forage scarcity during the dry season means that available forage must be efficiently used to minimize waste. Traditionally, the farmers chop forage into small pieces for easy consumption by the animals. This method is tedious, time consuming and quite dangerous to operator, as well as low output and lack of uniformity.   The population of cattle in northern part of Nigeria in is in millions. For such kind of population traditional human powered fodder cutting machines were used, but due to this the efforts for running the machine was physically demanding. And as per today’s scenario the population of cattle is drastically increased. So to increase the productivity and reduce the physical effort required for running the machine the motorized machineries came into existence i.e. The power operated chaff cutters, but the machine is stationary, and the fodder need to be bought down from farms for chaffing which is again tedious and time consuming process, and also requires more number of labours which increases the cost, to overcome all this problem we designed a machine which cuts the crops chaffs it and fill it in sac bags.

Chaff Cutter Machine is hay or straw cutting machine which is used for uniform chopping of fodder for livestock to agro industries. In this paper, design and development of Chaff Cutter Machine is presented. The machine is developed gradually from basic machines into commercial standard machine that can be diesel engine driven to achieve various length of cut of chaff as per the preference.

1.2     Problem statement

A Chaff cutter is mechanical device used to cut the straw or hay into small pieces so as to mix it together and fed to cattle. This improves animal digestion and prevents animal from rejecting any part of their food.

Traditionally, chaff s were made by the farmers chopping forage into small pieces for easy consumption by the animals. This method is always tedious and time consuming.   So to increase the productivity and reduce the physical effort required for the traditional method of chaff cutting, presently fodder cutting machines are electric driven as well as hand operated or engine driven.

1.3     Aim and Objectives

The main aim of this work is to fabricate a chaff cutting machine using engine power which can be helpful in creating a soothing environment for farmers to work for hours in a perfect mood and thereafter provide food for livestock.

The objectives are:

• To ensure safety and make it compact.
• To provide good fodder for animal
• To save work time
• To save electricity consumption
• To provide pleasing/aesthetic look
• To get protection from dust
• To increase corrosion resistance of machine
• To Make It Portable easily

1.4    Advantages of chaff cutter

• Chaff cutter is engine driven, and these Chaff cutter benefits are that they are energy-efficient, and it saves time and human resources for cutting a large amount of chaff.
• This cutting blade is hardened to withstand pressure, and it is made wear-resistant.
• The engine used to drive the machine is single phased with 3000 – 4000 RPM (depending on model), enabling the equipment to work effectively and give incredible yield.
• Chaff cutter is a multipurpose machine. Apart from cutting chaffs, it can also provide a cutting solution to many things like grub, fodder, straw, etc.

1.5    Scope and limitation of the project

The scope of this work covers fabrication of a chaff cutter. In this machine, grass is cut down using cutting blades with triangular teeth which cut the crops by scissoring action. Further the grass moves inside and chaffed by s shape chaff cutter blades, finally moves out by centrifugal force and collected outside in a gunny bag. It runs on diesel engine of 3HP