Cracking walnuts manually is a plodding and tedious job with low output (maximum 10 kg/h). Innovator thought of developing a machine that could mechanize this process relieving in drudgery involved of doing it manually for hours.
The machine was originally designed to crack walnuts but Mushtaq found it suitable for peeling green walnuts as well. Green walnuts are difficult to peel manually and in the process the skin also gets irritated and sometimes it even flakes off. An improved model of the machine has been developed recently using food grade aluminum rollers for smoother impacting action. The motor RPM has been reduced to increase the efficiency and reduce damage to walnuts of different sizes. The novelty lies in a motorized machine that will crack the walnuts automatically in such a way that it’s useful fruit could be separated easily which is otherwise done manually.
Innovator was awarded State Award in NIF’s Fifth National Biennial Awards.
Indian Patent Applied 2347/DEL/2006.
- Overall size of the machine is 20” (Length) x 20” (Width) x 30” (Height) and weight of the machine is approximately 60 kg
- Machine can be operated manually and also through an electric motor
- Motor can be detached when device is not in use
- The device is a walnut cracking machine that can process dry walnuts of various sizes, shapes and hardness and crack them open without damaging the fruit inside.
- Cost of cracking walnut manually is approximately Rs. 1/kg while the same using machine is Rs. 0.25/-
- It can be used to break almond shell
- It has great scope in food processing industries.
