ABSTRACT
Peeling of cassava roots constitutes a major bottleneck in cassava processing. This paper discusses the design and construction of two mechanical cassava peeling devices. The first device is a continuous-process mechanical peeler which consists of a cylindrical knife assembly and a solid cylinder, both mounted parallel and 20 mm apart on an inclined frame. Since an earlier report on this device (Odigboh, 1976a), various improvements have been made. The second device is a batch-process mechanical peeling machine which works on the principle of abrasion. Basically, unpeeled cassava roots mixed with some inert abrasive materials and placed in a vessel are rotated for some time to peel them. Results of performance tests on the prototype device are presented.
