Mechanical Cocoa Podbreaker Utilization in Cocoa Handling to Improve Labor Effciency
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.
Author: Sukrisno Widyoto, Sri
Mulato, dan Siswoyo Soekarno
Journal Code: jppertaniandd090120
