Design and Performance Evaluation of a Variable Speed Banana Stem Chopping Machine

Ishmatu Aulia Rizky Kirana (Dept. of Instrumentation Engineering, Faculty of Vocation, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember)
Achmad Saifullah Yusuf (Dept. of Instrumentation Engineering, Faculty of Vocation, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember)
Ahmad Radhy (Dept. of Instrumentation Engineering, Faculty of Vocation, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember)
Safira Firdaus Mujiyanti (Dept. of Instrumentation Engineering, Faculty of Vocation, Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember)

Jurnal Vokasi Sains dan Teknologi
Vol. 5 No. 2 (2026): JURNAL VOKASI SAINS DAN TEKNOLOGI (MEI)

The utilization of banana stem waste in the agricultural sector is still far from optimal, despite its potential as an alternative feed source. The main obstacle stems from the cutting process, which is still performed manually, thus requiring significant time and labor. This study aims to design and implement a banana stem cutting machine controlled by rotational speed settings to improve efficiency. Test results show that the machine can operate within a speed range of 2105–2731 RPM, with a linear blade speed reaching 44.06–57.11 m/s. The resulting chopping capacity reaches 347.04 kg/h, indicating that the machine is capable of processing banana stems efficiently. The designed machine has the potential to improve the utilization of agricultural waste more effectively and sustainably. This study contributes by proposing a variable-speed cutting system based on integrated monitoring and by experimentally analyzing the effect of rotational speed on cutting performance parameters.