Design, Fabrication and Performance Evaluation of Chicken De-Feathering Machine

Abstract

Due to its low fat and calorie content, chicken meat is popular among non-vegetarians all over the world. The design, fabrication, and performance evaluation of a chicken de-feathering machine using locally available materials are described in this paper. The design calculations were done correctly to guarantee the right shaft diameter, as this might impact the machine's efficiency. The machine uses rubber fingers to do the actual removal of the feathers. The rubber fingers are attached to a rotating plate against a stationary plucking basin carrying protruding rubber fingers. From the analysis, a 1.0 H.P electric motor is required to drive the machine and this was used to drive the machine. Following the design and fabrication of the machine, three different types of chickens were used to test its performance. The chickens were immersed in hot water between 60 and 90 degrees Celsius and held between the 40s and 60s. The machine removed feathers without any major damage to the chickens. At each trial, the efficiency was calculated. In conclusion, the machine performed efficiently and effectively, leaving behind products that are readily marketable. Keywords: [Chicken, De-feathering, Efficiency. Fingers, Scalding, Rubber.]