Design and Performance Test of a Portable Rice Collector Machine Based on a Screw Conveyor Mechanism

Abstract

The process of collecting grain after drying is still largely done manually, thus requiring a relatively long time and potentially increasing yield losses. This study aims to design and test the performance of a portable, screw conveyor-based grain collector to improve the efficiency of the grain collection process during the post-harvest stage. The study was conducted through the stages of design, fabrication, and testing of the tool’s performance by comparing the manual method and the use of the tool based on parameters of working time, collection capacity, and grain loss. The machine was designed using a galvanized pipe frame, grain collection components, a screw conveyor system, sack supports, and a two-stroke engine drive. The test results showed that the use of the tool produced a working capacity of 2550 kg/hour, higher than the manual method of 1965.5 kg/hour. In addition, the use of the tool was able to reduce grain loss from 14.7% to 12.1% and increase the total efficiency of working time by up to 25.3%. Thus, the developed portable grain collector machine has the potential to be applied as an appropriate technology to support the efficiency of post-harvest handling of rice on a small to medium scale. The relatively low standard deviation values for all test parameters indicate a relatively consistent performance of the machine across all replicates. These results can be used as a basis for further development, particularly to evaluate the effects of variations in screw conveyor rotational speed, grain moisture content, and operating scale on machine performance. Therefore, the machine can be implemented as an appropriate technology to support efficient post-harvest rice handling on small to medium-scale farms, as well as increase the effectiveness and flexibility of its use in the field.