Mechanical Cocoa Podbreaker Utilization in Cocoa Handling to Improve Labor Effciency

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Abstract: One of initial step of primary cocoa processing, which determine the fnal quality and processing cost was pulping and pod breaker. Pod breaker is used to take out the cocoa bean and separate it from fruit crust and placenta. Presently, cocoa pod breaking and bean separating from crust fruit are still conducted manually and need many workers, as well. Indonesian Coffee and Cocoa Research Institute has designed and tested the cocoa pod breaker with double cylinder pod breaking mechanism and vibration table grader with bean separating mechanism. Testing result showed that cocoa pod breaker had maximum work capacity of 9000 cocoa pod per hour at motor rotation of 2,000-2,200 rpm. Highest percentage of crust chip included in bean was 1.1%, which was obtained at treatment input feeding opening of 80% and percentage of broken bean of 2.1%. While the lowest percentage of crust bean was 0.16% that is obtained at 20% input feeding opening with 1.7% of broken bean. Optimum work capacity of 4,950 cocoa pod per hour was obtained at 50% input feeding opening with 0.22% crust chip included in bean, and 1.9% of broken bean percentage.
Keywords: cocoa, podbreaker, labor saving, production efficiency
Author: Sukrisno Widyoto, Sri Mulato, dan Siswoyo Soekarno
Journal Code: jppertaniandd090120

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Jp Pertanian dd 2009