Abstract:
Ethiopia is one of the countries with a large honey producing potential in Africa. However, its actual annual honey production is limited due to poor methods of harvesting, handling, and extraction. The high cost of imported extractors and the absence of locally available, effective extractors have led to the continued use of traditional extraction methods, which results in suboptimal honey quality and reduced productivity. This study focused on the design, manufacturing and performance evaluation of a manually operated honey extractor. The design integrated a bevel gear system and a chain and sprocket mechanism to ensure minimal power requirement, making the extractor both cost-effective and easy to operate. The extractor was designed to hold eight honeycomb frames and compatible with honeycombs from both traditional and modern hives. Key components of the extractor include a honeycomb holding rotary cage, a traditional honeycomb holding frame, a bevel gear and chain and sprocket driving mechanism, a plastic drum, drum cover, and hand crank. The performance of the honey extractor was evaluated based on extraction efficiency, honeycomb breakage, and extraction capacity under varying operational conditions. A completely randomized design (CRD) at 5 % of significance was employed to analyze the effects of three factors: speed of operation (200 and 300 rpm), extraction time of day (8:30 am and 12:30 pm), and extraction duration (5 and 15 minutes). The study revealed that extraction efficiency ranged from 26.93 to 73.89% at 8:30,5 minute and 200 rpm respectively and from 51.71 to 72.72% at 12:30 pm. Honeycomb breakage was observed only at 300 rpm during the 8:30 am extraction, with a mean breakage rate of 12.50%. Extraction capacity reached a maximum of 29.70 kg/hr at speed of 300 rpm for 5 minutes at 12:30 pm, but decreased with longer durations. ANOVA analysis showed significant effects of speed and time of day on extraction efficiency and capacity. Cost analysis revealed that the extractor, priced at 21,809.01 ETB, incurs an operational cost of 44.74 ETB per hour. Based on the performance evaluation results and cost analysis result, it is concluded that this prototype was easy, efficient, and cost effective solution for Ethiopian beekeepers.
