News Releases

Raising cocoa's capacity - UWI Engineers develop affordable equipment

For Release Upon Receipt - August 20, 2019

St. Augustine


T&T has had a long history with cocoa, stretching back centuries to the rise of cocoa farming locally in 1738. Among the reasons cited for the decline in local cocoa production is the significant cost of establishing production facilities such as chocolate factories. In an effort to help producers, the Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering at The UWI St. Augustine has developed a line of affordable and efficient processing equipment. The equipment was showcased last Thursday, August 15, at its “Engineering Innovations for the Cocoa Industry” symposium and exhibition.

The event featured a display of nine equipment prototypes and models developed by staff of the department for the affordable harvesting, fermenting, pre-processing, processing and finishing of cocoa and cocoa products.  A total of  13 prototypes and models were developed under the 2016 Regionally Relevant Cocoa Equipment Project (RRCEP), funded by the European Development Fund (EDF) through the Ministry of Education. The project centred on field research, mechanical design, machine development, fabrication and preliminary testing of prototypes.

The project also inspired a new generation of mechanical, industrial and agricultural engineers to develop machinery for the cocoa industry, with 20 additional machines being developed by students. These exist as proof that the equipment of the cocoa industry can be developed using local expertise.

For more information on this project, the models and prototypes, please contact Dr. Renique Murray, Project Coordinator at 662-2002 ext. 83173 or renique.murray@sta.uwi.edu

To access the complete album of photos from the Regionally Relevant Cocoa Project symposium and exhibition please click here

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 (L-R) Pro Vice-Chancellor and Campus Principal of The UWI St. Augustine, Professor Brian Copeland; Dr. Jacqueline Bridge, Head of the Department of Mechanical and Manufacturing Engineering, The UWI St. Augustine; and Mr. Winston Rudder, Chairman of the Cocoa Development Company of Trinidad and Tobago, examine a cocoa bean grader. 

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Kathryn Maharaj – Project Engineer of the Regionally Relevant Cocoa Equipment Project demonstrates a piece of cocoa-picking equipment to Pro Vice-Chancellor and Campus Principal of The UWI St. Augustine - Professor Brian Copeland. Looking on are Mr. Winston Rudder, Chairman of the Cocoa Development Company of Trinidad & Tobago, Professor Pathmanathan Umaharan - Director of The UWI Cocoa Research Centre, Dr. Graham S. King, Lecturer in the Faculty of Engineering, The UWI St. Augustine and Dr Renique Murray-  Project Coordinator of the Regionally Relevant Cocoa Equipment Project.

  

 (L-R) Dr. Renique Murray – Project Coordinator of the Regionally Relevant Cocoa Equipment Project explains how the cocoa mulcher works to Pro Vice-Chancellor and Campus Principal of The UWI St. Augustine - Professor Brian Copeland. 

   

Pro Vice-Chancellor and Campus Principal of The UWI St. Augustine - Professor Brian Copeland examines the ‘monche’ a machine that combines the functions of a melanguer (grinder) and conche (used heat and mix ingredients) into a single unit. 

 

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