Maize Mill Senior Project

Engineers Without Borders (EWB) has worked on several projects to help developing communities around the world build the infrastructure necessary for modern life. One of their projects is the creation of an inexpensive and easily manufactured maize mill that communities in Africa (mainly Malawi) can use to grind corn and make their main food source, Nsima. Geoffery Wheeler, an accomplished engineer and former mentor to EWB’s Malawi team, wants an inexpensive, easily manufacturable and effective maize mill that can be fabricated and sustained in Africa. This report describes the process in which the Maize Mill Senior Project team created the Maize Mill design and prototype. This report is written in a way that the reader will see the steps taken to complete the senior project. Included are the background research done on different types of mills, the ideation sessions, design selection, analysis techniques, design calculations, drawings, prototype manufacturing and testing. Ultimately the testing of the finished prototype indicated that the design must be altered in order for the Maize Mill to operate under the desired specifications. This design iteration will hopefully be carried out by Cal Poly’s Engineers Without Borders organization or future senior project groups