III. PROBLEM DEFINITION:
Cost of processing of Areca nut to remove the nuts has revealed that about 35-40 per cent of the total cost of processing is spent for Dehusking Areca nut alone. Peeling of Areca nut is one of the labour intensive processes. This task is mainly carried out by ladies and children in the village. Peeling of Areca nut is very difficult by hand. Presently it is being done manually by using a sharp knife with a production rate of 3kg/hr. and normally one will do about 24 kg in a day. This work is done by skilled labours only. Shortage of labour is a major problem which almost every village and farmer faces, especially during the harvest season. Therefore it is essential to develop a machine which will enhance the rate of production & eliminate the risk of labour injury involved in the traditional manual peeling process.