Sketch Model Review
Small scale agriculture
Manioc Grater
What is Manioc?
• a.k.a. Cassava, Yucca Root
• Widely grown & consumed in
Africa, Asia, Latin America, the
Caribbean
• 3rd most important source of
calories in the tropics; high in
protein, vitamins A & B
• Vital source of food security &
income generation
Customer Information
•Developing countries: Haiti,
Nigeria, Tanzania, Ghana,
Mozambique, Uganda,
Democratic Republic of Congo.
•Grown by poor farmers, many
of them women
•Currently use time-consuming
and laborious process
•Uses:
-Replace wheat flour
-Animal feed
-Binder in charcoal
Market Data
•
Manioc market historically neglected
•
Global Cassava Development Strategy:
1. Increase sustained production in
growing markets
2. Guarantee uniformly made product
3. Provide international consumer market
with competitive prices
•
To do the above, must first:
-Shred manioc faster
(1 manioc / min, vs.1 in 45 min now)
-Develop way to preserve it
Source: Food and Agriculture Organization of the UN
Attempted Alternatives
• Rotary Grater
–
–
–
–
Williams-Sonoma
could not grab material
Came out a sticky pulp
Clogged the grater
• Food Mill
–
–
–
–
Crate and Barrel
Difficult to fit Manioc
Fell apart; not flexible
Did not remove
material.
Shredding Theory
• Smaller teeth mean fewer
jams, smaller pieces, less
force required.
• Without holes, less likely
for the manioc to clog the
system.
• Rotating shredders allow
continuous force.
• Low-speed shredders
have been demonstrated
as effective on a large
range of materials.
http://www.ssiworld.com/things/things9-en.htm
The Shredder
Manioc Grater Analysis
• Keep pursuing the idea
• Increase blade number
and decrease spacing
• Ultimately, shred into
much smaller pieces
• Attach to bicycle, to
achieve pedal power
• Goal: 1 manioc/min
• Investigate production
methods using cheaper
components