ABE 58 - Agricultural and Biosystems Products Processing and Storage Laboratory Report

Name: _Greatle Mae D. Basbaño ___ Date Given:_April 19, 2021____

Student No:_ 2018300519 _________

Exercise No. 3
Evaluation of Grain Dryer and Mill

I. Introduction
Globally, machines and equipment in agriculture are a great help in maximizing
work in the fields, ensure the quality of crops, enhance productivity, and provide prover
processing materials and storage. Material processing is a series of operations that
transforms industrial materials from a raw-material state into finished parts or products.
Industrial materials are defined as those used in the manufacture of “hard” goods, such as
more or less durable machines and equipment produced for industry and consumers. There
are many types of such equipment, especially in processing units, from small scale processing
device to massive production processing machines.
Milling and drying plant are one of the most and commonly used machines prior
to processing of the grains. Milling is the process wherein grains transformed into a form
suitable for human consumption. It is the transformation of product into a form suitable
for either human or livestock consumption. The processes, methods and equipment
involved differ with the kind of raw material handled and the product and by-product
desired. On the other hand, drying is a mass transfer process consisting of the removal of
water or another solvent by evaporation from a solid, semi-solid or liquid. This process is
often used as a final production step before selling or packaging products. Consider as the
phase of the post-harvest system during which the product is rapidly dried until it reaches
the “safe-moisture” level. The aim of drying is to lower the moisture content of the grain
for safe storage and further processing
The activity evaluation of grain dryer and mill enables the students to identify and
illustrate the components of a grain drying and milling plant and its functions, and able to
evaluate and asses the grain drying and milling plant layout and its efficiency’s. This activity
is relevance to the student to enhance and gather knowledge about drying and milling
grains in processing and production units that they may use in the future field of expertise.

II. Objectives
At the end of the exercise, the students must be able to:
1. Identify and illustrate the components of drying and milling plant and its functions,
2. Evaluate the existing grain drying and milling plant layout, and
3. Assess the existing grain dryer and mill for to improve the efficiency

III. Materials
Drying and milling plant

IV. Procedure
1. Group yourselves into two.
2. Students will visit a commercial grain dryer and mill plant.
3. Then interview the operators/owner of the plant.
4. Students will evaluate the layout of the plant.
5. Observe the components of the dryer and mill.
(Specify what grain, whether corn or rice)
6. Recommend some improvements of the existing grain dryer and mill to improve the
efficiency.

V. Results and Discussion

a. Layout of the observed drying and milling plant.

Laboratory Instructor: Yemie G. Dapin

ABE 58 - Agricultural and Biosystems Products Processing and Storage Laboratory Report

Grain Drying Plant (Rice)

Milling Plant

Laboratory Instructor: Yemie G. Dapin

ABE 58 - Agricultural and Biosystems Products Processing and Storage Laboratory Report

b. Attach pictures of the components and discuss its function.

Table 1. Dryer components (Rice Dryer)

Dryer component (photo) Functions

RECEIVING PIT

Used to receive grains that needs to be dried

and transfers it to the bucket elevator.

BUCKET ELEVATOR

Bucket elevators are used to vertically

convey bulk materials. Although similar to
conveyor belts, bucket elevators transport
material using buckets attached to a rotating
belt or chain. These buckets pick up bulk
material, transport it to an endpoint and
then discharge the material.

CONTROL PANEL

Control panel provide signals to direct the

operation of equipment and machine.

Laboratory Instructor: Yemie G. Dapin

ABE 58 - Agricultural and Biosystems Products Processing and Storage Laboratory Report

MOISTURE CONTENT SENSOR

Monitors the moisture content of the grain

inside the dryer.

BAGGING TANK

Designed for dosing and packaging the final

product of the process.

FURNACE

Acts as drying treatment for moisture,

solvent, adhesive and others with various
heat source(capacity).

DRYING BIN

The function of the drying bin is to hold the

grain for drying and in in-store drying also to
serve as the storage bin after drying.

Table 2. Mill components

Mill component (photo) Functions

PRE-CLEANER

Removing all impurities and unfilled grains

from the paddy. Contains an oscillating
double screen bed with an aspirator. The first
screen is a scalper that lets through the grain
but retains straw. The second screen retains
the grains but lets through broken grains and
small stones or weed seeds. The air aspirator
sucks out dust and the light empty grains. Air
dampers are provided and have to be
adjusted to prevent the good grain from
being sucked out.

Laboratory Instructor: Yemie G. Dapin

ABE 58 - Agricultural and Biosystems Products Processing and Storage Laboratory Report

RICE HULLER

Used to break and release bran (husk). Input

materials of this machine is a un-hulled rice
with a moisture content of about 14% and
output in the form of brown rice.

SEPARATOR

Used to separate the brown rice from the

paddy that is not be husked, it works
according to the difference of specific gravity,
granularity and friction coefficient between
paddy and brown rice, through the special
separating tray to screen the mixture
continuously, making it in stratification state.
DESTONER

The de-stoner is a simple vibrating deck and

air blower that suspends the grain from the
stones. The stones are thrown off in one end
and the brown rice in the other end.

SIFTER

Sifters or screen separators are used to

separate small brokens, also referred to as
brewers rice, from whole grain
and large brokens.

WHITENER

White rice is produced from brown rice by

removing the bran layer and the germ. The
bran layer is removed from the kernel by
applying friction to the grain surface either by
rubbing the grains against an abrasive surface
or against each other.
BAGGING STATION

Preparing milled rice for transport to the

customer.

Laboratory Instructor: Yemie G. Dapin

ABE 58 - Agricultural and Biosystems Products Processing and Storage Laboratory Report

HUSK TANK

Stores grain after being delivered from one

point and releases the grain to another point.

MIST POLISHER

Used to remove the epidermis (aleuron) on

brown rice to produce white rice that is ready
to be marketed or cooked.

LENGTH GRADER

Separates small and large brokens from the

head rice.

CONTROL PANEL

Control panel provide signals to direct the

operation of equipment and machine.

VI. Conclusion
The processes used to convert raw materials into finished products perform one or both
of two major functions: first, they form the material into the desired shape; second, they alter
or improve the properties of the material. Drying and milling is a crucial step in post-production
of rice or any grains. The basic objective of milling system is to remove the husk and the bran
layers, and produce an edible kernel that is sufficiently milled and free of impurities. In grains,
purpose of drying lowers the germination rate of grains that is intended for seed and prevent
insect infestation and quality deterioration of grain and seed.
Agricultural machines are created to serve many and different purposes, aiming to help
the farmers, agriculturist and the rest to be more productive and to aid some problems of the

Laboratory Instructor: Yemie G. Dapin

ABE 58 - Agricultural and Biosystems Products Processing and Storage Laboratory Report

economic in terms of production, management, processing and more related in agriculture.

Evaluation of grain dryer and mill plant convey lot of information and knowledge about the
dryer and mill plant as well as the different parts the functions the machines perform. The
importance the machines it served to the people and in Agricultural and biosystems products,
processing and storage.

VII. Recommendations
1. The area should have enough space for all the products
2. Bag storage should have a division wall that would separate from the working area.
3. There should be a management for checking and inspection the machines and
equipment regularly.
4. The working area should have enough lights all over the sides to make it brighter and
easily to work with.
5. The working men should always wear safety clothes and equipment.

VIII. Citation

Dhankhar, P. (2014). Rice milling. IOSR Journal of Engineering, 4(5), 34-42.

doi:10.9790/3021-04543442

The drying bin. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.knowledgebank.irri.org/step-by-step-

production/postharvest/drying/dryer-components/item/the-drying-
bin#:~:text=The%20function%20of%20the%20drying,the%20dryer%20(see%2
0figure).

Drying furnace｜Ecology and Combustion inc. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://ecom-

jp.co.jp/en/product/kansoro.html

Lupeer. (2021, February 18). Bucket elevator. Retrieved from https://ryson.com/bucket-

elevators/

Materials processing. (n.d.). Retrieved from

https://www.britannica.com/technology/materials-processing

Overviews. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.custompartnet.com/wu/milling

Paddy separator working principle. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.rice-mill-

machine.com/faq/paddy-separator-working-principle?ak_action=accept_mobile

Solutions, P. (2020, July 07). The key components of industrial control panels. Retrieved
from https://www.processsolutions.com/the-key-components-of-industrial-control-
panels/

Whirlstonricemachinery. (2017, January 09). Rice mill MACHINE: Paddy Rice HULLER
AND HUSK SEPARATOR. Retrieved from
https://riceprocessingcom.wordpress.com/2017/01/09/rice-mill-machine-paddy-rice-
huller-and-husk-
separator/#:~:text=(1)%20Paddy%20rice%20huller%20machine,husk%20using%
20a%20blower%20system.

Laboratory Instructor: Yemie G. Dapin

ABE 58 - Agricultural and Biosystems Products Processing and Storage Laboratory Report

IX. Appendices

Figure 2. Noneth Labastilla along with Michael

Pagalan and Salvador Barrios III with the Mill Plant at
their back

Figure 1. Noneth Labastilla with Sir

Kokoy of Bayugan Farmers Millers
Multi-Purpose Cooperative (BFMMPC)
in the Grain Drying Plant

Figure 3. Greatle Mae Basbaño with a Small-

Scale Grains Mill located ate Purok 5,
Kabatangan, Wao, Lanao del Sur

Laboratory Instructor: Yemie G. Dapin

ABE 58 - Agricultural and Biosystems Products Processing and Storage Laboratory Report

Laboratory Instructor: Yemie G. Dapin