Design and Construction of a Small-scale Motorized Bitter Leaf Juice Extractor Design and Construction of a Small-scale Motorized Bitter Leaf Juice Extractor

Abstract

A small-scale motorized bitter leaf juice extractor was designed and fabricated, using locally available construction materials. The essential components of the machine include feeding hopper, end plate, worm shaft, juice sieve, juice collector, waste collector transmission belt, main frame, pulleys, and bearings. In operation, the worm shaft conveys, crushes, presses, and squeezes the herb to extract the juice. The juice extracted is filtered through the juice sieve into the juice collector while the residual waste is collected through the end plate. The result showed that the average juice yield and juice extraction efficiency were 77% and 97.1%, respectively. The machine is powered by a 0.33 hp electric motor; the machine has a capacity of 35.4 g/min. It is affordable for small-scale farmers and industries in rural communities.