ABSTRACT
This thesis titled "Design and Fabrication of a Centrifugal Fan as an Alternative to the Manual Bellows of the Masaga Glass Bead Making Furnace in Niger State, Nigeria" was undertaken to address the furnace operational problem of the artisanal Masaga Glass Bead Makers in Bida, which is the focus of this research. The air supply to the furnace through manually operated bellows is critical to the operation as the operating manpower is depleting leading to the gradual extinction of this trade. Following the appraisal of the work practice of glass bead making in India, Ghana and Egypt that use local furnaces, the research came up with the design and fabrication of an electrically operated centrifugal fan in place of bellows. The centrifugal fan was fabricated from locally-sourced components and an electric motor to make this setup. A customized insulation brick furnace was constructed to complement this setup. The insulation bricks were made from a mixture of sawdust and kaolin in the ratio of 1:1. The design and fabrication of a centrifugal fan to supply compressed air to aid combustion and the design modification of the Masaga glass bead making furnace worked successfully in operation resulting in an increased capacity and consistency of air supply leading to the speed up of the bead making process. On operation, it was possible to achieve the desired temperature of 12000C within about twenty (20) minutes of working the setup. The furnace, being constructed using insulating bricks, provides the much needed protection for the workers against the searing heat of the work environment. In this way increased efficiency and a safer and neater working environment was achieved. The furnace setup is of potential benefits to small and medium scale enterprises that specialize in pyrotechnic artisanship like glass bead making, blacksmithing, and calcinations kilns. If this process is encouraged in the glass bead making industry nationwide, it would make bead making less expensive compared with foreign ones.