Universal Nut Sheller

The Universal Nut Sheller is a simple hand-operated machine based on a Bulgarian Peanut sheller, capable of shelling 50 kilograms (110 lb) of raw, sun-dried peanuts per hour.

It requires less than US$50 in materials to make, and is made of concrete poured into two simple fibreglass molds, some metal parts, one wrench and any piece of rock or wood that might serve as a hammer. It accepts a wide range of nut sizes without adjustment. If necessary, adjustment is quickly and easily done. It is estimated that one Universal Nut Sheller will serve the needs of a village of 2,000 people. The life expectancy of the machine is around 25 years.

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Design Criteria

• Income Generating

Every tool must have a profitable business model attached to it.

• Return on Investment

Anyone who purchases a KickStart tool will be able to fully recoup his or her investment in six months or less.

• Affordability

The tool has to be affordable to the target audience. Since we are designing for some of the world’s poorest people, this means that retail prices have to be less than a few hundred dollars, ideally less than $150.

• Energy-Efficient

All of our tools are human powered so they must be extremely efficient at converting human power to mechanical power

• Ergonomics and Safety

Our tools must be safe to use for long periods of time without stress or injury.

• Portability

Tools must be small and light enough to carry home from the store by foot, bike or minibus.

• Ease of Installation and Use

All of our products must be easy to set up and use, without additional training or requiring any additional tools (not even a hammer or screwdriver)

• Strength and Durability

We are asking people to make a significant investment and we know that our products will be pushed to their limits, so we design and build to withstand abuse. We then offer a one-year guarantee on all of our products.

• Design for Manufacturing

To be truly effective, a tool has to be produced in large quantities, but in the developing world manufacturing capacity is limited.

We design around these limitations.

• Cultural Acceptability

Local culture will not change to adopt a new technology. The technology has to be adapted to the culture.

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