Machine Design Approach to Bone Waste Utilization in Slaughterhouses of Developing Countries with Focus on Nigeria

Abstract

The conversion of bone waste obtained from meat processing in slaughterhouses is of great significance across the world, with rising concerns about its utilization in developing countries. In Nigeria, for instance, there are fewer successful strategies to transform bone waste into high-value products. While most research papers have concentrated on revealing the environmental, aesthetic, and catastrophic health problems associated with the current slaughterhouse waste disposal in developing countries, this paper presents an engineering approach to managing slaughterhouse solid wastes that majorly consist of bones and horns. A medium-size bone milling machine was designed and fabricated with well-detailed design principles to make it reproducible in any industrial capacity. 3D modeling and simulation were employed to evaluate the machine design and performance. Static simulations performed show that the machine can withstand values of 219.313 kPa, 12.7 exp 7 MPa and 2182.5 Nm for the shaft bending moment, hammer pressure, and output torque, respectively. The machine is 98% efficient on performance evaluation, milling 250 kg of treated sun-dried cow bones in an average time of 10 min 2 sec. This paper also recommends workable means for the installation and utilization of the bone milling machine in slaughterhouses across Nigeria.