Ever wonder how a sugarcane machine is built?
This article will cover the process from start to finish and will also provide valuable information on what types of machines exist and the costs associated with each one. It will also explain how to use a sugarcane machine in order to extract juice, fresh or dry pulp depending on your preference.
If you're interested in purchasing or building your own sugarcane machine, this article is a must-read.
Hopefully, this information will help you understand the processes involved in building a sugarcane machine and will be able to provide a better understanding of an already complicated subject.
And if you're an experienced sugarcane machine builder, hopefully I'll be able to provide some information that will help you to improve your current designs.
Experience Level Required For Building A Sugar Cane Juice Machine
The first question many people ask when considering building a sugarcane juice machine is 'how difficult is it?' It's quite difficult, actually. There are a lot of calculations involved and the processes are very complicated.
The short answer is that you need to be able to understand a lot of mechanical processes and you need to be able to do a lot of research in order to build the machine.
However, if this doesn't sound like something that would interest you, then perhaps it might be better to purchase a machine instead. The reason being is that the initial investment will end up saving you thousands of dollars because of all the hard work you won't have to do.
Where To Find The Materials For A Sugar Cane Juice Maker Machine
Materials needed for construction include:
Cane – This is the most expensive part of the machine and will be a good bit more. It's time consuming to collect the cane and it'll work out between $200 - $350 per ton. It's important that you use high quality cane for your machine as this will produce a better juice. If you choose to use low quality or mediocre stuff, your juice may not be as good as with high quality cane.
Insulation – This will be needed to protect the machine and keep it cool during operation. There are a couple of options when it comes to insulation. One option is to use styrofoam or polystyrene which can be bought at any hardware store. The other option is to use kraft paper which can be purchased from virtually any stationary store (re-paper stores, copy centers, etc.).
This will depend on what you can find and what you have access to, but the insulation should run you about $50. Bear in mind that if it's styrofoam or polystyrene, you will probably want to build a frame for it in order to support it and keep is from breaking.
The frame for the insulation can be made out of wood or metal and can be left in its raw state or painted to match your home.
*If you're interested in buying insulation for your machine and are in the U.S., don't bother with the insulation from stationary stores. The prices are way too high and it might end up costing you more than if you buy it from a building supply store or home depot *
The Rest – You will need some metal pipes, a pump, tubing and anything else that might go along with this type of machine.
No matter what you need, it can probably be purchased from a hardware store or department store. Most materials needed for this machine are pretty accessible and should cost you less than $50 (unless you go overboard with the paint job, of course).
Building And Operating Information
Tips For Building A Sugarcane Juice Extractor Machine
1- Cut the cane in pieces that are between 12 – 15 inches long. This will make it easier to load on to your extracting machine.
2- Find a place that has a good suction rate. It should be at the same pressure as when you are sucking on a straw.
3- You will need to create some sort of wrapping around the ends of your machine (this is to make it more efficient in terms of speed). I used a plastic bag which I made by cutting off the bottom part of an old plastic bag so it was flat and I would have equal air flow.
To stop this machine from pulling away from the bag, I put a scrap piece of Styrofoam underneath it.
4- Make sure you have enough room around your machine for the cane and you have enough surrounding space to allow for airflow. The room and airflow is important because it allows your juice to flow evenly through the machine without being blocked by the cane.
5- Take measurements for everything including where the tubing will go in order to connect it all together.
6- Cut out the tubing that you will use to connect the different parts of your machine together.
7- Make sure you have enough tubing to comfortably slip the beverage through it. You should always make sure that this tubing is long enough to accommodate the size of your juice you are going to be making.
8- You need a source for power for this machine, so find a power source (ideally small and compact).
9- You will also need to make a suction device that you will use to suck the juice out of the tub, so head to the hardware store or home depot and buy a hose clamp.
10- Once you have all of your parts and materials ready and set up, it's time to start building this machine.
11- Make sure everything is level before you get started. You don't want anything uneven which can cause problems with your machine later on down the road.
12- Cut the cane into smaller pieces. You can do a couple of different ways depending on what you prefer at the time. I cut mine in half so that it was easier to handle, but you could also cut this cane into smaller pieces in order to make it easier for your machine to handle.
13- Start putting your lining together by stacking the insulation and lining it up evenly. As you can see, I made my own frame out of scrap wood so I would have something to support my insulation.
14- Start inserting your cane into the machine. I chose to cut my cane in pieces and stack them up, but you could also do it in large chunks if you wanted to.
15- Once you get to the end of your machine, make sure you have a plastic bag that wraps around the end. This will help with suction.
16- You will have to wrap something around the hose clamp for support (I used scraps of wood).