Abstract:
True cinnamon or Sri Lankan cinnamon is scientifically known as (Cinnamomum
zeylanicum). Scarcity of skilled labor and higher cost of cinnamon quill processing
sector are the main problems encountered on productivity improvement. Hence,
technology inventions and innovations in cinnamon processing are very important.
Main objectives, of this study were commissioning and validation of the prototype
of newly modified RUWEEKA - PG rubbing machine, with the industry
collaboration, and adaptability experimentation of cinnamon sticks freezing
technology for bark detachment without compromising to quality parameters of the
bark. Cinnamon sticks with different diameter classes were processed using
rubbing machine which have been produced with poly cam mechanism to facilitate
the stick insertion. Traditional processing system was also compared with machine
rubbing. Freezing experiment was conducted by selecting sticks at mature, over
mature and flushing stages. All types of sticks were frozen with and without
scraping and manual rubbing were conducted as control. Modified RUWEEKAPG
machine has displayed 54.1% of rubbing time efficiency than manual rubbing
during peelable season and 56.02% of efficiency during unpeelable season. Mean
inserting time of sticks on rubbing machine with poly cam was 2 seconds for all
diameter classes. Efficiency of the rubbing process during the unpeelable time
could be accelerated by 2.27 times, when modified RUWEEKA-PG machine is
used for rubbing process. Freezing of cinnamon sticks without scrapping had a time
saving of255.78 seconds which is 53.^6 % of efficiency increment for total bark
removing process. It was also established that there is no significant difference in
moisture (P= 0.48) and oil content (P=0.14) in frozen cinnamon bark compared to
the non-frozen. However the economy of the process in terms of energy
consumption has to be checked to provide firm conclusion on freezing process.
