title: Ergonomics in developing hand operated maize dehusker-sheller for farm women.
abstract: A hand operated maize dehusker-sheller to be operated by farm women was designed and developed to dehusk and shell the maize cobs using ergonomics (anthropometric, strength and physiological workload). Axial-flow maize dehusker-sheller with 540 mm cylinder length and 380 mm diameter required 3.03 N-m torque on cylinder shaft while operating at 5.6 m s(-1) peripheral speed and 100 kg h(-1) feed rate by feeding cob one by one. This torque was 30% of isometric torque obtained at front position of handle (greatest distance) with lowest crank length. The heart rate of subject while operating the maize dehusker-sheller at 54 rpm (5.6 m s(-1)) was 142 beats min(-1). The output of 60 kg h(-1) was obtained at the feed rate of 80 kg h(-1). Two subjects can operate the machine for an hour with a rest pause of 15 min by swapping the operation.
authors.affiliation: DRWA Sub-centre, CIAE Campus, Bhopal 462 038, MP, India. singhsp65@gmail.com
authors.forename: S P
authors.initials: SP
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: Surendra
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Singh
authors.forename: Pratap
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Singh
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000383:Agriculture / Q000295:instrumentation*; D004867:Equipment Design; D006804:Ergonomics; D005260:Female; D018737:Hand Strength; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D005082:Physical Exertion; D019415:Torque; D016526:Workload; D003313:Zea mays