Development of Mechatronic Systems for Targeted Separation and Selection of Seed Material

The article analyzes the current state of development of castor seed cleaning technologies and identifies the main drawbacks of existing solutions. It has been established that traditional hulling methods based on mechanical impact (friction, compression, impact) have low efficiency, cause significant seed damage, and require improvement to enhance cleaning quality. A classification of the fundamental structural schemes of working zones in machines for hulling castor fruits, separating castor seeds, and cleaning seed mixtures has been conducted. It has been determined that during the technological operations of hulling castor fruits and separating seeds, a mixture is formed that consists of three main components: unhulled or partially hulled fruits (large heavy components), castor seeds (medium components), and husks (small light components). In this case, the best approach is to use aerodynamic separation of the mixture combined with elements of a sieving separator. Based on this, a technological scheme for a castor seed cleaning machine has been developed, with the main working elements being a stationary rubber deck, a movable vertical conical rubber roller, a sieve, and a cyclone separator. Further work includes the development of the machine’s design based on the proposed technological scheme, justification of its structural and technological parameters, manufacturing, and implementation in production.