Agena POLY TECHNIC COLLAGE

BUTTER CHURNING MACHINE

TECHNOLOGY DOCUMENT

Prepared By: -

Agena, Ethiopia
march, 2025

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT
First of all, we would like to thanks to the almighty God for making this technology possible. We
feel blessed to have his guide and protect us in every step we take towards any achievement. We
wish to express our gratitude to those who made this project work of great success. We are
greatly thankful to our advisor Mr. Samson Alem for his invaluable support and advice
throughout the whole process; without his guidance it would have been very difficult to prepare
this project. Finally, thanks to all others who, directly and indirectly, made this project work
possible.
ABSTRACT
Lack of churning equipment which can save time and enhance butter recovery is the major
challenge for smallholders in bench-sheko zone, southern Ethiopia. This technology can
evaluate butter making efficiency, churning time and butter amount obtained from the
traditional butter churner (clay pot) in relation to improved automatic butter churner in bench-
sheko zone.it has also butter quality than the traditional way of churning. For rural areas of
Ethiopia where women are responsible for feeding the family and investing almost all income to
the family, obtaining more butter could enhance income and dietary diversity of the household.
Moreover, the improved butter churner can save workload and drudgery of rural women by
reducing their churning time. Using improved churners could also contribute for reducing gender
disparity through participating men in milk churning process. Our technology includes single
phase ac motor to churn the milk by using 220V AC voltage. Box for control circuit 20 litter
bucket for milk holder basement made up of metal.
 CHAPTER ONE

1. INTRUDUCTION AND BACKGROUND

1.1 Introduction
Butter churn is a device used to make butter by shaking up the whole milk (or cream). The
device agitates the cream by the mechanical motion, which disrupts the fat in the milk. Butter
grains are formed by breaking down the membranes that surround the fat. Churning causes these
grains to fuse with each other and form the butter. The liquid that is left out without fat is called
buttermilk. Because of the technological development butter churns have varied over time. First,
butter churns were made of animal materials like animal skins. Later other materials like wood,
metal or glass were used.

Butter making is an ancient practice in most parts of Ethiopia by using traditional equipment.
The practice is mainly conducted in the rural parts of Ethiopia where butter is the major source
for urban households. The study of ILRI revealed that about 97% of the total milk produced
comes from the rural parts of the country where it is difficult to transport the raw milk to the
market areas or to the processing plants due to poor infrastructure [1]. Only 5% of the milk
produced reaches the terminal market area and the rest is processed at the farm gate into different
dairy products [2]. Furthermore, there are post-harvest losses associated with poor handling and
contamination. The study conducted by Felleke [3] also confirmed these together with low level
of technology applied in the market. The SNNP is the second highest region in milk production
potential next to Oromia region in Ethiopia. It is not only becoming the second milk producer
region but also 54% of it is converted to other products rather than consuming it in the form of
fresh milk. Although the types of materials used for milking, storage and processing vary from
place to place, 50% of milk producers used clay pot for churning, 25% plastic containers, 6.3%
aluminum cans and 18.3% used Oil (calabash) in southern Ethiopia [4]. Moreover, clay pot or
bottle gourd (calabash) is used as a churner to make butter in Gurage zone, Southern Ethiopia [5]
and the clay pot was used for churning fermented milk (100%) in West Shewa Zone, Oromia
Region [6]. In recognition of milk producers’ dependence on traditional and inefficient butter
making tools, improved milk churner was introduced and promoted to beneficiaries in SNNP
region. However, there is no adequate information on the effects of improved churner on
churning time and butter making efficiency. The purpose of this project is therefore to bridge-up
this gap and evaluate advantages of introducing improved butter churner equipment over the
traditional processing devices. More specifically, the study intends to provide pragmatic
evidences on time required for butter processing and efficiency of making for both improved and
traditional butter making devices. It also draws recommendations on the best efficient and
effective butter processing devise for small-holder milk producers.

1.2. Background
Traditional Ethiopian butter (kibe) is always made from soured milk (irgo); cream is not used.
The sour milk is placed in a clay churn or a bottle gourd (calabash). Churns are usually spherical,
with a neck 10 cm in diameter at the narrowest point and a vent 0.5 cm in diameter near the neck.
The churn may have previously been smoked with Olea Africana. Besides imparting a distinct
flavour to the butter, this practice has a bacteriostatic effect, and may reduce

processing time by heating the churn. After filling, the churn is stoppered with a plug, a false
banana leaf, or a piece of skin or leather stretched over the mouth and securely tied (Figure 1).
The churn is then agitated.
Figure 1. Traditional earthenware churns.
Figure 2. Churning on the ground––the most common method observed.

Figure 3: mechanical butter churn

The latter three methods are used only with bottle gourds, and only when fewer than 10 liters of
milk are churned.

The break point, i.e. the point when butter starts to form, can be detected by a change in the
sound of the milk. Many dairy women also insert a straw into the churn through the vent: if there
are small butter grains adhering to the surface of the straw, the break point has been reached.

After churning for a few minutes more the straw is again inserted through the vent. If the straw is
clean this indicates that the butter granules have coalesced into larger grains. The churn is then
rotated on its base; the grains which collect in the center form lumps of butter which are
skimmed off. The butter is then kneaded in cold water and washed to remove visible residual
buttermilk.

1.3. Statement of the problem

This project study identified the challenges and the main problem for milk butter production,
processing mechanism and butter quality practices in order to find possible solutions for futures
development efficient churning machine plans. Therefore, investigating and to evaluate butter
making efficiency, churning time and butter amount obtained from the traditional butter churner
(clay pot) in relation to improved automatic butter churner in bench-sheko zone.it has also butter
quality than the traditional way of churning. the milk production, handling, processing practices
would generate relevant information for the dairy sub-sector development.
1.4. Objectives of the study
1.4.1. General objectives
 The general objective of this project is: -To improving the new modified and, develop of
efficient processing capacity of milk churning machine for quality butter production to
have better performance in terms of simplicity of use, saving time and productivity rate
of butter in mizan Aman dairy production systems, bench sheko Zone, south west
National Regional State, Ethiopia.
1.4.2. Specific objectives
 To assess the quality butter production systems
 To monitor butter yield and amount of processed milk and time
 To develop efficient capacity of milk churning machine
 To investigate present system of butter making and dairy product in mizan Aman
  Evaluate the existing churning system with respect to technical performance and
financial viability in bench sheko zone
 Propose an appropriate model and design parameters for churning machine.

1.5. Scope of the study

 This value chain study is delimited to manufacture milk butter processing machine and
dairy products. Accordingly, the study is demarcated at bench sheko zone administration
mizan Aman city because of the gap problem identification value chain data analysis
observation.

1.6. Limitations
We encounter many problems during this project work.
➢ Lack of quality Raw materials
➢ Machine performance problems and unregular electric source
➢ Tardiness of budget to buy materials

1.7. Significance of the study

Our goal is to design a butter churner machine that may profit the agricultural community by
reducing the butter churning time and increasing production rate and human comfort. The
machine shall produce enough butter for personal consumption and to sell in local markets and,
thus providing a chance to earn a regular source of financial gain.
 CHAPTER TWO
2. LITERATURE REVIEW
Traditional butter-making within the informal butter chain in the highlands of Ethiopia is based
on fermented milk (ergo); milk that has been accumulated over a few days and left fermenting,
commonly in a clay pot. When the milk has soured and sufficient milk has been collected, the
clay pot is shaken until butter granules are formed. This method of butter making may take from
two to five hours, depending on such factors as temperature, the fat content of the milk, the
acidity of the milk and the amount of milk in the clay pot. According to Yilma and Ledin (2000)
traditional butter making requires about 21-25 kg milk to produce 1 kg of butter with moisture
content of 83%, from the remaining buttermilk 3.2-4.5 kg Ayib can be produced. Butter making
using an internal agitator and improved technology requires 20kg and 16-18kg of milk
respectively to produce 1 kg of butter (Yilma and Ledin 2000). Traditional milk processing in
Ethiopia based on ergo (fermented milk), without any additional culture, and this practices in the
country is basically limited to smallholder level and hygienic qualities of products are generally
poor (ZelalemYilma and Faye Dubiso, 2006). According to Sintayehu Yigrem et al, (2008)
report, during urban dairy production only 54.5% of house hold after their consumption, surplus
milk had been churned the rest household did not churned and also some are always churned. In
mixed production system 66% household churn all the milk and 37.3% did it intermittently,
some others did not churn at all. 58 % operated churning to get butter and butter milk for
household consumption, while 14% had no infrastructure to access market and the rest were
restricted by cultural taboos not to sell whole milk but only to churn it.

Butter produced from whole milk is estimated to have 65 % fat and is the most widely consumed
milk product in Ethiopia. Of the total milk produced, 40 % is allocated for butter while only 9%
is reserved for cheese. Traditional butter, which ferments slowly at room temperature, can be
kept for a year or longer, offering rural consumers a readily storable and durable dairy product.
Mostly 96.5 % dairy producers used traditional churning material, which are made from clay pot,
keil’ (Ahmed Mohamed., 2003).

Even in the 19th century, butter was still made from cream that had been allowed to stand and
sour naturally. The cream was then skimmed from the top of the milk and poured into a wooden
tub. Butter making was done by hand in butter churns. The natural souring process is, however, a
very sensitive one and infection by foreign micro-organisms often spoiled the result. The
commercial cream separator was introduced at the end of the 19th century, the continuous churn
was commercialized by the middle of the 20th century.

Our technology is working by using single phase capacitor start motor, control circuit to control
the speed of the motor, bucket holder made from sheet metal, shaft which is connected to the
motor rotor to churn the milk, body support made from 80mmx80mmx3mm square pipe, the
bucket which is made from plastic it can hold up to 20 litter milk and the motor cover to protect
the motor from external damage. It takes maximum of 5 minutes to get butter at a time.
 CHAPTER THREE

3. METHODOLOGY
There are a few steps that must be following to complete this project. These steps are listed
below:

Figure 3.1: methodology

3.1. methods of data collection
In order to address the formulated objectives so far, both primary and secondary data sources are
used. The primary data was collected through interview and designed focus group discussion. As
a secondary data was collected from various source relate literature review; documents analyses;
online sources; reports; directives and other relevant materials was examined.
3.2 Development tools used (software and equipment’s)
There are a lot of materials that can be used to accomplish the project objectives. Some of them
are listed below.

1. Single phase capacitor start motor

2. Square pipe 80mmx80mmx3mm &30mmx30mmx2mm thickness
3. Sheet metal
4. Bucket
5. Bucket holder
6. Aluminum shaft
7. Motor cover
8. Control circuit (breaker, push button, dimmer switch & meter

We use solid work software to design the technology detail drawing

3.3. Impact assessments

3.3.1. Environmental Impact
The operation and controlling system of this machine is totally environmentally friendly and
contains no hazardous and pollution for the society.
3.3.2.Technological Impact
This technology can use in the society where there is more production of milk and it reduce the
butter churning time.
3.3.3.Economic Impact
Decreasing human power using the technology has its own values to decrease time and money of
users.

3.3.4. Social Impact

This machine can operate by both men and women. that decreases the burden of women in the
society.
 CHAPTER FOUR

4. THE DESIGNING PROCESS

Product and Part description

Base: - it is used to support the Whole body of the project. It is made from 30mmx30mmx2mm
Square pipe and flat bar

Bucket holder: - it is made from sheet and angle iron. It is used adjusting the bucket up and
down.
Circuit box: - it is made from sheet metal and plate. It is used to cover the control circuit
element in the inside.

Motor cover: - it is made from sheet metal. It is used to protect the motor from outside
damage.
 Frame: - it is made from square pipe 80mmx80mmx3mm thickness

Ac motor: - it is used to rotate the shaft that connected to it.

During painting