PHILMECH COMPACT CORNMILL

Developed by:

Dr. Michael A. Gragasin

Dr. Romualdo C. Martinez

Engr. Jayvee P. Illustrisimo

Philippine Center for Postharvest Development

and Mechanization (PHilMech)

Department of Agriculture (DA)

Project Background

The Philippines is the 8th largest rice producer in the world, accounting for 2.8% of global rice production. However, the Philippines was also the world's largest rice importer in 2010.

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2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013

MT

Production Imports Beginning Stocks Total Demand

Sufficiency

Levels (%) 81.9 85.8 81.3 93.9 92.1 97.2

2004-2013

Rice is thinly traded in the world market, accounting for only 5-6% of the total world production in 2010.

To keep pace with the growing demand of rice in the country, the Aquino Government embraced the Food Staple Sufficiency Plan

The Food Staple Sufficiency Plan aims to increase rice production, maintain per capita consumption of rice and increase consumption of other staple foods such as CORN.

The poor quality of corn grits is one of the major causes of the diminishing consumption of white corn in the country

20% in 1980s

15% in 2010’s

Quality of Corn grits

Condition of the

Corngrain

Performance of the

Cornmill

Main Product

By-Products

CRITERIA PERFORMANCE

DATA

Main Product Recovery, percent, min

a) Grit # 10

b) Grit # 12

c) Grit # 14

d) Grit # 16

e) Grit # 18

28

21

7

6

2

Main Product, percent, min 64

By Product, percent, min 31

Losses, percent, max 5

Grits of other sizes, percent, max 7

Degerminator Eff., percent, min 80

Noise Level, [db (A)], max 92*

PERFORMANCE CRITERIA FOR CORNMIL Philippine Agricultural Engineering Standard

Source: PAES

AMTEC’S ACTUAL TEST RESULTS OF EXISTING VILLAGE TYPE CORNMILLS

* Below the minimum standard set by PAES

PERFORMANCE PARAMETER

Cornmill A

Cornmill B

Cornmill C

Cornmill D

Output Capacity, kg/hr 128.8 52.0 88.2 97.5

Milling Capacity, kg/hr 200 125.6 120.0 161.3

Main Product Recovery, % (64%,minimum)

64.4 39.4* 73.5 60.5*

Degerminator Efficiency, % (80%, minimum)

76.7* 100 45.6* 44.0*

Power/fuelConsumption 3.06 kW

1.32 L/H diesel

2.52 kW

1.55 L/h diesel

Labor requirement, persons

2 3 2 2

Source of Data: AMTEC

Why there is a need to develop a village-type corn mill?

General: To develop an improved village type cornmill for white corn.

Specific: 1. Establish parameters in coming up with an

improved design;

2. Design and fabricate an improved village type corn mill;

3. Examine the technical performance of the proto-type village cornmill; and,

4. Determine the economic viability of the cornmill.

RESEARCH OBJECTIVES

What TO BE IMPROVED on the existing design of

corn mills?

Recovery is lower than 64%

High postharvest losses

Lower supply of corn grits

in the market

1st Design Consideration

What to be improved?

High presence of Impurities

(tip cap, hull & germ) in the corn grits

Displeasure on the part of

consumers to eat corn

2nd Design Consideration

Shift to rice

What to be improved?

High production cost per kg

output of corn grits due to high power

requirement of existing design

and the high fixed cost of existing

cornmills (18-20 Hp)

3rd Design Consideration

What to be improved?

Milling Fee (Corn): Php 2.00 -3.00/kg (Input) Php 3.50-4.70/kg (Output) Milling Fee (Rice) : Php 1.75-2.25/kg (Output)

Php675,000

4th Design Considerations

Ease of operation

particularly the “start-up” problem.

Sagbayan Public Market, Bohol August 28, 2013

Cebu City Public Market June 15, 2012

How to satisfy the demand of the

market ?

5th Design Consideration

Size No. 14 Size No. 16

What we will do for those harvest

that are highly contaminated with

aflatoxin?

6th Concern

Design and fabrication of an improved village type cornmill

Laboratory scale model of the Degermer and milling Components

Laboratory scale model of the Grading component

DEGERMER

HAMMER MILL

GRADER

DESIGN CONCEPT

75-79%

60-64% Grits #10-12

Corn Kernels Cracked Corn

Corn Grits

Grits #14-18

Corn Flour

Grits > #10

Fabrication of the cornmill machine incorporating the different design of each cornmill component

Degermination Assembly

After Field Testing

DEGERMER ASSEMBLY

Performance of cornmill using different types of degermer mechanism

Milling Performance

Parameters

Emery

Stone

Dented Screen

Huller

Input Cap. (kg/h) 257.55a 201.65

a

Output Cap. (kg/h) 85.50a 149.23

b

Milling Rec. (%) 71.27a 80.00

b

Milling Cap. (kg/h) 119.90a 181.73

b

Degerminator Eff. (%)1/ 66.16

c 18.48

a

Degerminator Eff. (%)2/ 91.45

a 94.73

a

Note: Means having the same super scripts are not significantly different at 1% level. 1/ After degerming process 2/ After milling and grading processes

Size Reduction Assembly

Performance of the hammer mill with different number of blades

NO. OF

BLADES

Grits Sizes (%)

> # 10 # 10-12 # 14-18 Corn

Flour

36 46.94 a 32.86

a 9.18

a 11.02

a

44 30.04 b 43.96

b 10.36

b 15.64

b

66 25.18 c 47.53

c 18.43

c 8.86

c

Specifications:

Materials : Round bar, flat bar, galvanized iron and steel matting.

Screens : 1 rotary wire mesh screens of # 18 2 slotted sheet screen #10 & # 14

GRADER ASSEMBLY

Speed : 30 RPM

Dimensions (L x W x H) mm : 1,105 x 695 x 879

Technical performance of the proto-type unit

Performance of PHilMech Compact Cornmill VS Other Models Based on AMTEC Test Results

PERFORMANCE PARAMETER

Cornmill A

Cornmill B

Cornmill C

Cornmill D

PHilMech Cornmill

Output Capacity, kg/hr 128.8 52.0 88.2 97.5 240

Milling Capacity, kg/hr 200 125.6 120.0 161.3 260

Main Product Recovery, % 64.4 39.4* 73.5 60.5* 72.3

Degerminator Efficiency, % 76.7* 100 45.6* 44.0* 81.2

Power/FuelConsumption 3.06 kW

1.32 L/H diesel

2.52 kW

1.55 L/h diesel

5.47 kW

Labor Requirement, persons 2 3 2 2 2

Aflatoxin content of corn grits and corn by products after milling, ppb

Trial 1 Trial 2 Ave.

Corn Grain 334 329 331.5

Degermed/Cracked Corn 27 30 28.5

By Product (Hull, Germ, Tip Cap) 647 633 640.0

Grits No. 10 & 12 5 5 5.0

Grits No. 14, 16 & 18 19 18 18.5

Corn Flour 48 51 49.5

Corn on cobs Corn grains Cracked corn Corn grits # 12

Economic viability

Economic Analysis

Basic AssumptionsInput Capacity (kg/hr) 300 kg/hrOutput Capacity @64% recovery (kg/hr) 192 kg/hrOperating time per year (hrs ) 792 hrs

No of days per year (days @ 4 hrs/day) 198 4 hrs/dayTota l Capacity per year (kg/yr) 152,064 kgs/yrInvestment Cost (pesos) 350,000 pesosPower Requirement (kw/hr) 6.60 KW/hrLi fespan of cornmi l l (year) 10 years

I. Fixed Cost Per Year 43,750

Depreciation Cost 26,250

Repairs and Maintenance 17,500

II. Variable Cost Per Year 122,681

Electricity Cost 73,181

Labor Cost (1 Operator) 49,500

III. Total Cost per Year 166,431

IV. Cost of Milling Per kg Output (P/kg) 1.09

V. Profit (P/kg) 0.91

VI. Payback Period (Yrs) 2.54

VII. Financial Internal Rate of Return (%) 84.74%

Summary and Conclusion

Higher grits recovery

Higher degerming efficiency

Recover corn grain contaminated with aflatoxin

Low operating cost per kg output

Adequacy of corn grits supply

Accessibility of good quality corn grits

Availability of sufficient and safe supply of corn grits

Affordability of corn grits in the market

Potential Impact of the Developed Technology

Induced consumption

of corn as food

Reduced pressure to DA rice program in producing the food requirements of the

country

Output Impact (4A’s)

Effect

Food Sufficiency in the country

Latest Developments…

• Detailed design and AutoCAD drawing of the PHilMech cornmill technology with 52 sheets is readily available

Legend:

Degermer Assembly

Rotary BladeAssembly

Rotary Grader Assembly

Suction Blower

Cyclone

Corn grain hopper

Degermed Corn hopper

Electric motors

Control Panel

Mainframe

Design of the Village-Type Cornmill

16 leading manufacturers of agricultural machineries have applied for license to manufacture: Luzon Visayas

1. Rollmaster 9. Suki Trading

2. PI Farms 10.Machine System Corp.

3. Agricom Mindanao

4. ACT Corporation 11. G & R

5. Marinas 12. Payo Manufacturing Corp

6. Douglas Eng. & Mach Shop 13. Orophil Industries Corp

7. Tramat Mercantile 14. Green Valley

8. JHT Micro Enterprise 15. RJR Agro Industrial

16. D. Perez

Roll Master Version of the Cornmill

Capacity :300kg/hr Price: Php300,000 – 350,000

Php675,000

Application of Patent to the Intellectual Property Office (IPO) Philippines for the invention “Compact Corn Mill System” Application No. 2215000046 Filing Date: 4 February 2015

Michael Gragasin, Ph.D. Supervising Science Research Specialist Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PHilMech) Department of Agriculture, Philippines Tel No : +63-44-4560-290 loc 400 Fax No : +63-44-4560-110 E-mail: kitgragasin@yahoo.com