Project Abstract

Abstract
This research project focuses on the development and construction of a manual orange juice extractor. The aim of the study is to design a simple, cost-effective, and efficient device that can extract juice from oranges with minimal effort. The project involves the mechanical design of the extractor, selection of materials, prototyping, and testing for functionality and performance. The manual orange juice extractor is intended for household use, small-scale juice production, or as a portable device for outdoor activities. The extractor design incorporates a lever mechanism to exert pressure on the halved orange placed inside the juicing compartment. By pressing down on the lever, the juice is extracted and collected in a container below. The design also includes features such as a pulp filter to separate the juice from the pulp, a sturdy base for stability during operation, and an ergonomic handle for easy use. The materials chosen for the construction of the extractor are food-grade and durable to ensure safety and longevity. Prototyping is a crucial phase of the project, where the design concept is translated into a physical model for testing and evaluation. The prototype is constructed according to the specifications and dimensions determined during the design phase. Testing involves assessing the ease of operation, juice extraction efficiency, durability of the device, and ease of cleaning. Feedback from users is also gathered to make any necessary improvements to the design. The manual orange juice extractor offers several advantages over electric juicers, including lower cost, simplicity of use, and portability. It is designed to be easy to clean and maintain, making it suitable for everyday use in households or small juice bars. The device is also environmentally friendly, as it does not require electricity to operate. In conclusion, the development and construction of a manual orange juice extractor present an opportunity to create a practical and user-friendly device for juice extraction. The project combines aspects of engineering design, material selection, prototyping, and testing to deliver a functional and efficient product. The manual extractor has the potential to cater to a market segment looking for a convenient, cost-effective, and eco-friendly solution for orange juice extraction.

Project Overview

1.1       Introduction

Oranges are one of the most popular fruits for eating out hand and most important source of fresh juice having a distinctive flavour and high amount of vitamin A B and C (Aye et al., 2012).

The orange fruit is a specialized type of berry known to the botanists as hesperidia. It has a soft, pithy central axis surrounded by 10-15 segments containing pulp and juice. Enclosing the segments is a leathery segment which contains juice that is sugary; several organic acids (chiefly citric acid) many other components; which give it a distinctive flavour; and high amounts of vitamins A, B and C. (Aye et al., 2012).

Oranges grow on evergreen trees of the family Rutaceae. The trees grow to a height of about 30 feet (9m) and are symmetrical and upright. The fruit varies in the number of seeds, from none to many. Orange is one of the major source of vitamins among other fruits in the world and it is globally recognized (Wiseman, 2013). In Nigeria, orange is mostly found in the middle belt particularly in Benue state that is commonly known as food basket of the nation as its slogan.

A very large number of orange is harvested yearly in Benue state and exported to other part of the country where it is either consumed naturally or converted to juice in addition with other fruits (Wiseman, 2013).

Orange trees are widely grown in tropical and subtropical climates for their sweet fruit. The fruit can be eaten fresh, or processed for its juice or fragrant peel. As of 2012, sweet oranges accounted for approximately 70% of citrus production (Bailey and Robert, 1998).

The need to meet household demand for freshly made fruit juice is of paramount interest to all those who desire to take juice at its natural state without adding any preservative to it.

Orange is one of the most important fruits and source of vitamin desired to be consumed in its natural and fresh nature that allow the consumers to benefit from it. Medically, orange serves as a catalyst to facilitate digestion and also as a means of reducing constipation in adolescents (Christopher, 2015).

1.2       Statement of problem

Manual orange juice extraction using hands have low capacities and low efficiencies, sometimes un-hygienic, and can hardly meet demand for large quantities of juice. Extraction of orange juice using electrically powered juicers has the limitations of irregular supply of power and sometimes most electrically power juicers are expensive to buy and may require regular maintenance.

In order to optimize the volume of juice extracted using a manually with manual extractor, there is need to develop  an orange juice extractor using stainless steel to obtain juice from oranges with little effort and meet home demand for hygienic and fresh orange juice.

1.3       Aim and objectives

1.3.1   AIM: The aim of this project is to develop a manually operated juice extractor that will extract juice from the orange fruit using stainless steel and encourage hygienic fresh orange juice consumption.

1.3.2       Objectives:

                          a.         To develop a manually operated juice extractor

                        b.         To construct the juice extractor

                          c.         To evaluate the constructed juice extractor

1.4           Justification

Development and construction of manually operated orange juice extractor will in many ways discourage the consumption of juice containing artificial preservatives which might be harmful due to long term consumption. The constructed juice extractor will require no special skill to operate it, should be affordable, portable and attractive using stainless materials.

1.5       Scope and limitation

This project work is limited to the development and construction of a manual orange juice extractor using stainless steel.