Coffee De-pulper

Project Summary

Coffee farmers in the Sacred Valley of Peru work in rural locations of the Andes Mountains where maintenance
and transportation of the final product and equipment are both time-consuming and an economic burden. The coffee harvesting process involves removing the flesh of the coffee cherry by operating a manual and labor-intensive de-pulping machine. This creates an acidic environment causing corrosion of critical components, including the camiseta. Replacing this component, along with upkeep maintenance, is conducted by a skilled machinist and requires a great amount of transportation effort as well as monetary investment.

Design Goal

Modify the coffee depulper to decrease maintenance, allow access to interior components for cleaning, and eliminate rusting of the camiseta. The design should result in a longer lifespan for the coffee depulper and maintain a high quality of coffee beans.

Design Constraints

• The prototype shall be culturally appropriate for local farmers.
• The prototype shall be powered manually.
• The prototype shall be able to be completely constructed in Peru. The materials and tools required shall be available locally.
• The prototype shall weigh less than 45 kg.
• The camiseta, the main component, shall be made of a material that does not exceed the current thickness of the material used and does not puncture during the punching process.
• The prototype shall withstand the acidic environment of the coffee cherries (pH 4.5) and be corrosion resistant.
• The prototype should be able to remove the pulp from the coffee cherries with limited damage to the final product.