Thesis Abstract

Grains and pulses form an important part of the daily diet in India. However, the traditional methods of processing grains and pulses are laborious and time-consuming. Mechanized processing can help increase efficiency and productivity. The aim of this project was to design equipment for mechanized processing of commonly grown grains and pulses like paddy, wheat, maize, chickpeas and lentils. Various operations involved in processing like threshing, winnowing, grading and packaging were studied. A prototype equipment was designed and developed which could perform multiple processing operations with minimal human intervention. The performance of the developed equipment was evaluated based on processing capacity, energy requirement, quality of processed grains/pulses and cost of operation. The study demonstrated the technical and economic feasibility of mechanized processing of grains and pulses at small and medium farm levels.

Thesis Overview