Optimization of Material for Key Components and Parameters of Peanut Sheller Based on Hertz Theory and Box–Behnken Design

Poor shelling quality degrades the performance and profit of the peanut industry. The Hertz theory and the wear resistance experimental method were applied to identify a highly wear-resistant material guaranteeing a low mechanical damage rate (MDR) of peanut kernels. The Box–Behnken design method was applied in the experiment to illustrate the influence of the material’s elastic modulus (X1), radius of curvature of the key parts (X2), rotating speed of the shelling drum (X3), and clearance between the shelling drum and concave screen (X4) on MDR and shelling efficiency (SE). Depending on the analysis of variance, the weights of the influential factors were observed as X1 > X3 > X4 > X2. The mathematical models of MDR and SE were derived from the least squares’ method, and four-dimensional slice diagrams of the three most significant factors were used to illustrate the trends of MDR and SE. A multi-objective analysis provided the optimal combination of parameters as: X1 = 10 MPa, X2 = 12.77 mm, X3 = 277.48 r/min, and X4 = 24.24 mm, yielding MDR = 4.89% and SE = 97.91%. The results were further verified by a production trial test, proving that the proposed solution with the selected material, machine design, and working parameters were effective in improving peanut shelling quality