Development of a Mechanised Plantain Slicer

Abstract

Cutting of bulk plantains into chips for local and foreign markets is a processing method, which reduces post-harvest losses of green or ripening plantain. The traditional method of slicing plantain with a kitchen knife is laborious, time-consuming and prone to injury, and can only be practiced on a very small scale of production. The mechanised slicer seeks to reduce the drudgery associated with traditional cutting of large-scale plantains into chips. The machine takes 5-7 seconds to slice a finger of an average-size plantain into chips of 2-3mm in thickness compared to the 40-80 seconds with a kitchen knife, which gives non-uniform thickness of plantain chips. It was found to be very convenient, and the average thickness of plantain chips produced with the slicer compares favourably with commercial standards.