Design and Development of Peda Forming Machine

India’s milk production has increased substantially in recent years, with nearly half of total milk output being converted into traditional dairy products, highlighting the need for efficient mechanization of indigenous product manufacturing. Peda, a popular khoa-based sweet, is traditionally shaped manually, leading to variations in size, productivity, energy efficiency, and overall process consistency. The present study focuses on the design, fabrication, and performance optimization of a peda forming machine to enhance production efficiency while maintaining process reliability. The machine was developed through systematic design and fabrication stages, followed by optimization of key operating parameters using response surface methodology. Three independent variables—khoa temperature, khoa moisture content, and forming plate speed—were optimized with respect to production rate, power requirement, and rework generation. The optimized operating conditions were identified as 20°C khoa temperature, 15.8% moisture content, and 6 rpm forming plate speed. Under these conditions, the machine achieved a production rate of approximately 132 kg h⁻¹ confirming the commercial feasibility of the developed system. The study demonstrates the potential of the developed peda forming machine for small to medium scale dairy enterprises seeking automation of traditional dairy product manufacturing.