Design and Performance Evaluation of a 5 Kilogram Ready-Made Organic Fertilizer Mixer Machine for Small-Scale Farmers
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Abstract
This research aims to design and develop a ready-made organic fertilizer mixer machine. The objectives are to: 1) design and develop a ready-made organic fertilizer mixer and 2) evaluate the performance of the designed mixer. The design comprises three main components: an agitator, a power transmission system, and a structural frame measuring 50 x 90 x 120 cm. A 1-horsepower gear motor with 1335 rpm and a gear ratio of 8.9:1, a 14-tooth driving gear, and a 40-tooth driven gear are employed, resulting in a reduced speed of 52.5 rpm. Performance evaluation involved mixing 5 kg of organic fertilizer three times, with a mixing time of 5 minutes. The mixture exhibited optimal consistency, neither overly loose nor clumped. Expert evaluation revealed a very high level of satisfaction ( = 4.66, S.D. = 0.18), while user evaluation also indicated a very high level of satisfaction (
= 4.5, S.D. = 0.49). These results demonstrate that the designed ready-made organic fertilizer mixer is practical for everyday use, reducing labor and time required for mixing fertilizer.
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