Table 7.3 presents the results of the productivity tests for the prototype scrapping machine for A. comosus leaves. The tests found that the prototype machine has an average processing capacity of 113 A. comosus plants/hour, with a slightly superior capacity in the case of the second crop plantations than in the first crop plantations (Table 7.3). Such difference may be explained by the higher amount of leaves present in the second crop plants (105) compared with the quantity of leaves in the first crop plants (an average of 69).

As for productivity, it is possible to process an average of 178 pineapple leaves kg/hour, with the second crop plantations showing again the highest productivity. This level of productivity allows the production of an average of 17.2 fiber kg (in green condition) per hour. This is the equivalent of an average dry fiber final weight of 4.9 kg/h.

Evaluation of performance of other types of machines (Banik et al 2011; Das et al 2010) shows that this model presents lower performance than that of systems developed in Asia, which have a more advanced technology for this kind of process­ing. Banik et al (2011), for example, report equipment capable of producing 25 fiber kg/hour; Das et al (2010) also report that high-performance technical equipment for industrial production can process 1,500 green fiber kg/day. In these cases, however, the machines, although more powerful, are more expensive.