Nguyễn Trung Khánh, a 41-year-old resident of Ea Kar District in Đắk Lắk, has developed a machine that separates the shell of the sacha inchi fruit, achieving an impressive productivity of 600 kg per hour, compared to just 20 kg per person when done manually.
Since 2012, farmers in Ea Kmút commune have been cultivating sacha inchi to enhance their economic prospects. This plant is grown primarily for its seeds, which are used as food or for oil extraction due to their high nutritional value, especially rich in Omega 3, 6, and 9. However, separating the seeds from the sacha inchi fruit is quite challenging. A farmer working manually can only extract more than 20 kg of seeds in a full day.
With a background in mechanical engineering from his technical college education, Khánh turned to online videos to learn how to create a sacha inchi shell separation machine. After about a year of research and development, he successfully created the sacha inchi shell separation machine.
The machine he designed features a shell separation system using two conical steel discs. This system can effectively separate seeds of various sizes and shapes without damaging them, resulting in a low waste rate.
Nguyễn Trung Khánh next to his sacha inchi shell separation machine. (Photo: NVCC).
According to Khánh, foreign machines primarily use flat stone discs that are placed close together. However, this technique has the downside of causing a high breakage rate and waste. To master the shell separation technique with conical steel discs, Khánh faced numerous failures during his experiments. Each failed batch of sacha inchi seeds cost him over 1 million VND in raw materials. “After dozens of trials, I finally achieved the optimal design,” he shared.
In addition to the shell separation system, Khánh improved the design of the airflow throttle valve and the exhaust fan for the shells, ensuring a more thorough separation of seeds and shells without mixing. He noted that some existing seed separation machines use a fan-based impact principle, resulting in uneven airflow that sucks in both seeds and shells together. He employed a high-pressure industrial fan that allows for more consistent airflow with multiple operational modes, resulting in cleaner seeds after separation. The sacha inchi shell separation machine can be powered by either a single-phase or three-phase electric motor, depending on user needs.
Khánh also enhanced the centrifugal flywheel system to increase the machine’s operational capacity, allowing users to adjust the intensity for separating tougher sacha inchi seeds. Additionally, the machine is equipped with a vibrating screen system that sorts the seeds by size before they are placed in the final product tray.
Operation of the sacha inchi shell separation machine designed by Khánh. (Video: Provided by the subject).
In one hour of operation, the machine can process 600 kg of sacha inchi fruit, yielding 300 – 350 kg of black seeds and 250 kg of white seeds. Depending on demand, users can adjust the machine to produce either black or white seeds. The breakage and waste rate of the seeds is around 1%.
Khánh stated that the price for the household-scale machine is approximately 14.5 million VND, while the larger machine for businesses costs about 70 million VND. Currently, he has transferred the technology to several agricultural cooperatives both locally and beyond. His products have also been exported to markets in Taiwan, Malaysia, and Laos. Khánh’s sacha inchi shell separation machine was awarded first prize at the 9th Technical Innovation Competition organized by the Union of Science and Technology Associations of Đắk Lắk Province at the end of 2023.
Nguyễn Minh Chuyền, Vice Chairman of the Ea Kar District People’s Committee, praised Khánh for his passion for science and technology and for creating a high-efficiency sacha inchi shell separation machine that reduces labor for local farmers and helps boost their economic development. The district leadership has expressed their support and guidance for Khánh in completing the intellectual property registration and industrial design registration for his product.
