International Journal of Engineering Trends and Technology Volume 70 Issue 1, 75-80, January, 2022 ISSN: 2231 – 5381 /doi: 10.14445/22315381/IJETT-V70I1P209 ©2022 Seventh Sense Research Group® This is an open access article under the CC BY-NC-ND license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/) Original Article Development Of Fabricated Laboratory Scale Extruder Machine For The Production Of Rice-Like Grains From Cassava (Manihot Esculenta Crantz) Dough Richelle Mae D. Mendoza-Olpot 1 , Kevin F. Yaptenco, Ph.D. 2 1 Instructor, Department of Agricultural and Food Engineering (DAFE), Cavite State University-Main Campus (CvSU-Main), Indang Cavite, 4122 Philippines, 2 Professor, IAE, UPLB College Laguna, 2 kfyaptenco@up.edu.ph 1 richellemae.olpot@cvsu.edu.ph, 2 kfyaptenco@up.edu.ph Abstract - Developing a laboratory scale extruder machine in producing rice-like grains from cassava dough was done to enhance the efficiency, recovery, and profitability in contrast to manual batch production using a pasta maker. Three screw speeds (40 rpm, 50 rpm, and 60 rpm) were evaluated to determine the optimum performance of the machine. The optimum performance was based on the result of the machine capacity and the physical properties of grains (size, width, shape, color, and hardness). The fabricated extruder machine has an efficiency that ranges from 88.38% to 93.86%, with an overall cassava dough recovery of 78.13%. Thus, the efficiency was enhanced by 2.33% to 8.67%, while the overall dough recovery was improved by 160.43% based on the capacity and throughput using the fabricated extruder machine in comparison with 86.37% efficiency and 30% overall recovery of the manual operation using pasta press. The optimum performance of the machine is at 40 rpm screw speed with desirability of 91.7%. Furthermore, the economic analysis and value engineering of the machine showed that the machine is economically viable with an Internal Rate of Return of 45.87% for a period of 10 years and demonstrated a performance value that was greater than the cost of machine fabrication. Keywords - extrusion, single screw extruder, cassava, rice- like grains I. INTRODUCTION Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz), locally known as kamoteng kahoy or balinghoy, is one of the major and important crops produced in the Philippines. Based on the data from Philippine Statistics Authority, in the first quarter of 2016, there was an increase of 7.3 percent in the production of cassava, from 541.39 thousand metric tons in 2015 to 580.82 thousand metric tons this year. Major contributors to this production are the regions from Mindanao like ARMM, SOCSKSARGEN, and Northern Mindanao. But this does not mean that the cassava industry in the Philippines is maximized because it has only minimal development support from the government. Thus, problems of cassava as highly perishable or having short shelf-life and lack of postharvest facilities are still prevailing until now. In the Philippines, the current farm gate price for cassava is PhP 5.15/ kg (Philippine Center for Postharvest Development and Mechanization (PHilMech), 2007). Comparing it to the prevailing market price for rice of PhP 45.00/ kg, cassava is more affordable for consumers. Aside from its economic advantage, this root crop is known as a good source of vitamin C, thiamine, riboflavin, and niacin (Food and agriculture organization of the United Nations, 2013). With this study, the common goal is to secure food with uncompromised food safety and quality. Food security can be achieved by developing engineering technologies to lengthen the shelf life of the crops and have these foods be available to all sorts of consumers. The University of the Philippines – Los Baños, Institute of Human Nutrition and Food (UPLB-IHNF) developed a formulation to address micronutrient malnutrition through the utilization of the root crops like cassava as an alternative staple food. Cassava flour is converted into rice-like grains. However, the current method of production can only produce 100 grams per day (Hurtada, W. A., et al., 2016). Thus, a solution to mechanize the process is needed to enhance the production of rice-like grains. This study has the main goal of addressing the problem of doing manual preparation of rice-like grains through developing a laboratory-scale extruder that will mechanize the process. This study also aims to automate alternative food grain preparation of the country by monitoring the temperature during the process. This study is pursued with the primary objective of mechanizing the production of rice-like grains by forming extrusion. Specifically, to develop a laboratory-scale extruder machine for rice-like grains from cassava dough, to evaluate