Enhancing Wheat Processing Efficiency: Design and Parametric Optimization of a Dehusker Machine for Superior Grain Quality

Abstract

Cleaning grain is a critical post-harvest processing step. During harvesting, grains are separated from the plant, but threshing leaves grains mixed with impurities like chaff, leaves, stalks, straws, other seeds, and broken kernels. This study focuses on optimizing a wheat dehusker's performance, a machine designed to remove wheat grain husks. The machine has a hopper for receiving grains, a rotating drum with abrasive surfaces, and outlets for collecting dehusked grains and husks. The Taguchi method was used for Design of Experiments, with process parameters determined through preliminary trials. Factors included rotor speed, output flow, and effective length of the processing drum. Rotor speed was tested at 960, 1152, and 1440 RPM; output flow at 500, 1000, and 1500 kg/hr; and effective drum length at 7, 11, and 15 cm. Experiments used the L9 orthogonal array for systematic parameter exploration. The middle levels—1152 RPM for rotor speed, 1000 kg/hr for output flow, and 11 cm for drum length—yielded optimal performance. The optimized wheat dehusker is compact, energy-efficient, and compatible with domestic electricity, suitable for small-scale industries and Indian farmers. It reduces processing time and labor costs while maintaining high throughput. The dehusked grains can be further cleaned using traditional winnowing or modern grading machines. This study provides an effective solution for wheat grain processing using Taguchi optimization.