Final Year Project Logbook

 During this session, the introductory aspects of the project were reviewed. From which I will do more research to insert statistics. Statistics are important to really validate what is being said.  Owing to the Gantt Chart I created, I have less than two weeks to complete my literature review and perfect it. 

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3UDY_YkuzA&t=227s https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lmfeE7U2yE4 sources of these videos- Youtube These videos were very informative about corn milling and the necessary equipment to do so. Now I am more knowledgeable of the process and can better innovate and improve upon my manufacturing factory and its layout.  I learnt that corn can be processed either using dry milling or wet milling. Upon assessing the pros and cons, it appears that wet milling is more appropriate. 

  Introducing my own logo design for my corn products.  Logo made on Canva

 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xxzvj2f7mkU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iloAQmroRK0 From these videos, I learnt about sustainable agriculture and its benefits.  Environmental sustainability in  agriculture means good stewardship of  the natural systems and resources  that farms rely on among other things. Sustainable agricultural techniques include crop diversity, intercropping  and crop rotations.  Sustainable practises build and maintain healthy soil, manage water, minimize air, water and climate pollution as well as promote biodiversity. It also assists in controlling  pests and weeds, replenish soil nutrients , reduce the need for pesticides/herbicides and reduce tillage. 

 I learnt quite a bit during our meeting as we touched on topics such as lean manufacturing, cellular manufacturing and non conforming products. These are all concepts I never really considered to be relevant to my project. However, upon further research they prove to be beneficial, especially manufacturing cells as a means of production.  Manufacturing cells are  sets of machines that are grouped by the products or parts that they produce . This type of system is used in the cellular manufacturing concept and is distinct from the traditional functional manufacturing system, which groups all similar machines together.  Moving forward, I will incorporate this into my literature review in addition to production lines. To do so, I will scout for credible peer-reviewed journal articles and put them into context of my project. 

WHAT TO EXPECT IN A PRODUCTION SYSTEM? Entry Point (Main Point) – can be use for double purpose.  Sanitation – Hand, Food, Produce, Machine, Packaging.  Manufacturing – Large Surface area.  Toilet/Personnel Hygienic Facilities  Storage  Portable Water

Key steps in flour processing • Select a healthy commodity – High in fibre, carbohydrates and nutrition i.e. Corn • Wash and remove the kernels from the cob.  • Water removal – Metal Press  • Drying – (dehydration machine, sun or bake)  • Milling – Done repeatedly for preferred texture

  This reference was especially useful as the information pertained to the Caribbean islands such as Trinidad and Tobago. It consisted of numerous peer-reviewed journal articles touching on various topics including globalization, climate change and agriculture. Pages 1, 77 and 78 were utilized for the literature review of this project.  EDITOR-IN-CHIEF  CARLISLE A. PEMBERTON, Department of Agricultural Economics & Farm Management, The University of the West Indies, St. Augustine, The Republic of Trinidad and Tobago.  EDITORIAL ADVISORY BOARD  Compton Bourne, UWI, St. Augustine, The Republic of Trinidad & Tobago  Carlton G. Davis, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA  Vernon Eidman, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, USA Holman Williams, UWI, St. Augustine, The Republic of Trinidad & Tobago  EDITORIAL COMMITTEE  Govind Seepersad, UWI, St. Augustine, The Republic of Trinidad & Tobago  Edward A. Evans, UF/IFAS, U...

 

 Conduct a survey to validate the need for the end products being produced on the farm. A general consensus of the organic food options persons are aware of on their grocery shelves. Also take a poll of their interest in the products being produced.  I think conducting it on a nation wide scale is suitable to get a more accurate scope of the public's desires. Survey monkey or a google form can be used.  It may be challenging to physically distribute the survey due to the pandemic. A virtual poll would be conducted and shared on various platforms. It can be posted on social media platforms as Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp and Twitter. 

Based on the feedback received from the meeting, I will continue to work on my literature review. Additionally, I will try my best to account for all aspects associated with the manufacturing line like traceability and sustainability. I will definitely pay more attention to this as the project progresses. 

To control, prevent and reduce risk of any pathological organisms from entering the production system:   All Inn system – Whatever enters at Point A cannot exit Point A.  -Reduce damages and losses during manufacturing production -Effectively manage and control the flow of procedures required to created the final product in perfect synchrony

 This week I am focusing on the literature review. These are the topics I will be brainstorming and building on. Of course they are subject to change but I think they are a good starting point. ·          Corn- best growing conditions, soil, temp, planting, harvesting methods and equipment ·         Potential farm locations/ area ·         Advantages of organic/vegan choices- health, environment ·         Need for organic options in today’s market- customer desires and ARC ·         Why promote sustainable practises and ways how to ·         Methods of making the end products ·         Health and safety policies/regulations that must be abided ·         Ways to promote productivity for efficie...

 Agronomy Journal Volume 113, Issue 4 Editor: David Clay 5-Year Impact factor:  2.829 Impact factor: 2.240 2020 Journal Citation Reports (Clarivate Analytics):  33/91 (Agronomy) Online ISSN: 1435-0645 This is a great journal filled with relevant, up to date information from July-August 2021. It comprises of multiple peer reviewed articles written by various authors on different topics such as ideal soil types and temperatures for corn. It touches on aspects for a great number of crops aside from corn. 

Ensure to abide by the health and safety regulations.   

 The content of my Abstract, Introduction and Project Scope were discussed. From this, I will summarize the abstract a bit more and modify the information in the project scope. The relevant topics to include in my literature review were assessed and further guidance was given. Overall, the 15 minute session provided an abundance of positive feedback and reassurance. I now have a clear vision of the tasks required of me to successfully execute this project. 

 Tasks to complete for Chapter 1 Introduction- Background, motivation, rationale Problem Statement Aims and objectives Project Scope To do so, I need to do thorough research on agro processing, organic farming, vegan living, sustainable practises, rural development, value addition.  The following is a drafted version of the background introduction The future is green! The agricultural sector is currently experiencing a boom in organic farming and products as a result of the ever changing relationship between man and their environment. Organic foods have sparked a new perspective of the masses as they now gravitate towards healthier, green options linked to more sustainable means of production. In addition to the health benefits, organic farming has been proved to preserve the soil and water quality of the farm land. This leads to the trending topic of choosing a vegan lifestyle. A vegan lifestyle prevents a tremendous amount of animal slaughter and suffering. It offers a poten...

 A simple, fun project I took up was to create my own logo for the products being made on the farm. I  believe these small details truly make the project my own.  These are the two draft concepts I came up with. I may shorten the phrase to make it more catchy and memorable. I am leading more towards the name "Agro Acres". The logo itself represents the concept of the project perfectly. The gear represents the engineering aspect tending to an agricultural background. The corn is a visual to show the products are corn based. The logo was made using Canva. 

 Major points to include in the abstract Summarize  Research problem Objectives Results Conclusions As I am now starting the project, I summarized the problem statement, key objectives and a simple process and justification of the strategic decisions made for the manufacturing operations. The notes from a Production Management course (MENG 3006) were referenced when compiling these justifications. 

My name is Mickella Ramoutar and this blog will entail regular logbook entries as I progress in my final year project over the next 2 months.  Name: Mickella Ramoutar ID #: 816019098 Engineering: Mechanical and Manufacturing Supervisor: Dr. Cilla Pemberton