3.4. Continuous husking performance
Table 10 illustrates the performance of a husking machine continuously processing mixed size dry betel nuts at the constant optimum conditions of 440 rpm tyre speed, 138 kPa tyre pressure, and husking spacing of 15 mm. More than ten times the fruit samples used in the initial short experimental tests were used for each replicate. The results showed that the percentages of full nuts, broken nuts and unhusked fruit were 64.4, 15.2, and 20.15% respectively. Accordingly, PS was calculated as 76.9% and it was determined that 110 kg of full nuts could be produced per hour. In contrast, growers using standard methods today produce output which comprise 60% of full nuts, 4.5% of broken nuts, 5% of unhusked nuts and 30.5% of husk at a production rate of 30 kg day^-1.