Rice huller

Introduction

A Rice huller or rice husker is an agricultural machine used to automate the process of removing the chaff (the outer husks) of grains of rice. Throughout history, there have been numerous techniques to hull rice. Traditionally, it would be pounded using some form of mortar and pestle. An early simple machine to do this is a rice pounder. Later even more efficient machinery was developed to hull and polish rice. These machines are most widely used in rural areas of Asia where rice is grown.

History

The invention of the rice huller is credited to the Japanese in the 17th century. They first used foot-pedalled rice hullers. Later on, with the advent of technology, more sophisticated machinery was developed. The Industrial Revolution brought new methods of milling, although it was not until the late 19th century that the first mechanical rice hullers started to be used in Japan.

Working Principle

The working principle of the rice huller is quite simple. It uses the difference in the gravity and friction coefficient of the rice husk and brown rice. The paddy is fed into the machine, and passes between a revolving steel shaft and a cylindrical shaped mesh screen. These machines are specially designed to separate husk from rice.

Types of Rice Hullers

There are two main types of rice hullers: the Rubber roll hullers and the Disc hullers. The rubber roll hullers are the most commonly used rice hulling machines. The rubber roll huller is a machine where the paddy is husked and polished by the friction created by the machine. The disc huller, on the other hand, uses abrasive discs to remove the husk and the bran layers from the paddy.

Advantages and Disadvantages

The rice huller has several advantages. It is highly efficient and the rice produced is of high quality. It also saves time compared to traditional methods of rice hulling. However, it also has some disadvantages. For instance, it is a costly machine and requires a large amount of energy to run. Moreover, it also requires regular maintenance and skilled manpower to operate.

Conclusion

Despite its disadvantages, the rice huller is an essential tool in rice production. With the advancement in technology, it is expected that future rice hullers will be more efficient and less costly.

See Also

• Rice Milling
• Agricultural Machinery
• Rice Production in Asia
• Industrial Revolution