Design and Simulation of the Transmission System of a Fish Feed Pellet Machine using Solidworks 2018

Abstract

The growing demand for fish feed among small-scale aquaculture farmers has created a need for pellet-making technology that is simple, affordable, and energy-efficient. This study aims to design and analyze the transmission system of an electric-motor-driven fish pellet machine, as well as validate the strength of the pulley components through simulation using SolidWorks 2018 software. The designed machine adopts a horizontal screw-press mechanism, in which feed material is compacted inside the machine housing and pushed by a screw toward a perforated die to form cylindrical pellets, while power from the electric motor is transmitted to the screw shaft through a V-belt and pulley transmission. The design process included calculating force, torque, and motor power requirements based on a planned pellet mass of 10 kg, determining pulley diameters and belt dimensions, and performing static structural simulation on the motor pulley and the grinding (driven) pulley. The calculation results show a compaction force of 98.1 newtons, a torque of 4.9 Nm on the motor pulley and 2.9 Nm on the driven pulley, and a total required motor power of 1,164.10 watts, leading to the selection of a commercial 1,400-watt motor operating at 1,400 rpm. The transmission system uses a driven pulley with a diameter of 70 millimeters, a belt speed of 3.6 meters per second, and a belt length of 654.4 mm. The static structural simulation results show a maximum von Mises stress of 35.431 MPa on the motor pulley and 82.976 MPa on the driven pulley, with minimum safety factors of 14.9 and 6.3 respectively, both well above the safe threshold. These findings indicate that the designed transmission system is structurally safe and feasible for production, and can serve as a reference for developing low-cost, energy-efficient fish pellet machines for small-scale fish farmers. This study also demonstrates that combining analytical calculation with finite element simulation increases confidence in the feasibility of the transmission design before entering the prototype production stage