This senior design project focuses on the development of an economical, efficient, and safe corn-cleaning system for small- to medium-scale agricultural producers. The proposed design aims to streamline the cleaning process for shelled corn, removing debris such as husk fragments, silk, dust, and small particulates prior to storage or sale. Current commercial systems are either cost-prohibitive or oversized for local farm operations, creating a need for a scalable and affordable alternative. The team’s approach integrates mechanical oscillation and mesh separation principles to achieve multi-stage cleaning. Corn passes across oscillating mesh trays of varying aperture sizes, enabling progressive removal of unwanted material through both gravity and vibration-driven separation. Key design considerations include material durability, ease of maintenance, portability, and compatibility with 50-pound feed bags commonly used by farmers in Connecticut. The design emphasizes locally sourced components and simple manufacturability to ensure accessibility and repairability. Testing and validation involve quantifying cleaning efficiency, throughput rate, and particle separation performance under controlled conditions. Results will inform design refinements for vibration amplitude, mesh sizing, and angle optimization. The final deliverable will be a fully functional prototype accompanied by comprehensive documentation, cost analysis, and safety evaluation. This project supports sustainable agricultural practices by providing farmers with a reliable and affordable method to enhance corn quality and reduce waste.

Our team collaborated with Multidisciplinary Engineering 1 on this project.