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GRAIN MILL
Author
Amos Waweru
The socio-economic factors of production affect many people living in villages especially in
developing countries such as Kenya. Human muscle power can be good alternative to meet the
energy requirements for performing many economic activities like grain milling. Pedaling is
the most efficient way of utilizing power from human muscles. A pedal operated grain mill is
a machine that consists of a chain drive and a roller shaft that turns the rotors in the processing
unit. In the processing casing, the grains are crushed to produce flour. The machine is
economically viable, can be used by common people, save time otherwise spent in traditional
hand cranking of stone wheels and can be adopted for human-powered process units which
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INTRODUCTION
Grains such as maize, wheat, millet, sorghum and others are widely produced cereals
in the world, most of which is destined for human consumption thus its contribution to energy
intake is significant. The processing of grains to flour is generally carried out in flour mills.
Flour obtained from such grains like maize is a staple food in many countries. The majority of
milling equipment in Kenya are operated electrically. As far as manual process is concerned
flour is or was produced by hand cranking the heavy stone wheels which is physically
demanding through its energy and postural requirements. It may also lead to clinical and
anatomical disorders which may affect the operator’s health. The mill works at high speed and
takes advantage of the smaller effort required when the operator is using his legs rather than
his arms to drive it. A second person is needed to feed the mill by hand. The designed grain
mill can be machined and assembled to be used over brief periods to meet the daily needs of
householders. Due to various limitations, the intensive use of the mill over long periods is
limited.
The mill’s output is dependent on the fineness of the product needed and the amount of
energy exerted by the operator. The mill makes use of a high-speed grinding action which is
broadly similar to that used by conventional powered hammer mills. The operator turns the
pedals at a normal brisk cycling speed. The cycle wheel in turn drives a roller shaft on its outer
edge at a speed of more than 4000 revs per minute. Fixed rotor arms are fitted to this shaft and
the grain is broken up after it is struck by the tip of the rotor. A screening mesh controls the
fineness of the grinding process. For a given effort the output of the mill depends on the
fineness of the product required. The mill works best on hard, brittle grains such as maize,
A person can generate four times more power (1/4 horsepower (hp)) by pedaling than
by hand cranking. At the rate of 1/4 hp, continuous pedaling can be done for only short time
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about 10 minutes. However pedaling at half of this power (1/8 hp) can be sustained for around
60 minutes. Maximum power produced with legs is generally limited by adaptions within the
oxygen transportation system. On the other hand the capacity for arm exercise is dependent
upon the amounts of muscle mass engaged and that is why a human being can generate more
power by pedaling than hand cranking (Tiwari, 2011). Pedal power enables a person to drive
device at same rate as achieved by hand cranking but with less efforts and fatigue.
(Modak, 1997). Thus, in the design of the drive system the energy transmitted by the chain will
be taken as 75 W at a cadence of 60 rpm. The drive system ought to change the speed ratio to
reach an ideal speed of 4000 rpm for the mill’s processing unit.
The main objective is to design & develop a machine which uses human power as
source of energy to drive the machine. It basically consists of a simple bicycle mechanism.
In many developing countries like Kenya, the gap between the ever increasing demand of
power and its generation has prepared a daily busy schedule of load shedding (power cuts or
black outs). There are millions of people in remote villages in Kenya who live day to day
without reliable power supply. And thus to fulfill their demand of flour there are conventional
hand cranked grain mill without an easy way to power it. This process of hand cranking of
stone wheels is characterized by slow operation, fatigue and low production rate. Pedal power
is the transfer of energy from a human source through the use of a foot pedal and crank system
(Kajogbola, 2010). Since the thigh or quadriceps are the largest and most powerful muscles in
the human body it make sense to utilize it for generating as much as energy from human body.
With the body in seat, the legs can provide a pedal work.
A person can generate four times more power (1/4 horsepower (hp)) by pedaling than
by hand cranking. At the rate of 1/4 hp, continuous pedaling can be done for only short time
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about 10 minutes. However pedaling at half of this power (1/8 hp) can be sustained for around
60 minutes. Maximum power produced with legs is generally limited by adaptions within the
oxygen transportation system. On the other hand the capacity for arm exercise is dependent
upon the amounts of muscle mass engaged and that is why a human being can generate more
power by pedaling than hand cranking (Tiwari, 2011). Pedal power enables a person to drive
device at same rate as achieved by hand cranking but with less efforts and fatigue.
There are millions of people who live day to day without reliable power to complete
daily work. Often these people are living in situations where manual labour allows them to
sustain themselves, but mechanical devices can offer one way to ease the work load .The
international labor organization (ILO) has reported that “The processed grain is one of the most
important elements in the diet of low income groups in developing countries” The ILO found
that appropriate technologies for grain milling keep the employment and local earnings at
sustainable levels. According to United States department of Agriculture, fresh grains as part
of diet reduce the risk of several chronic diseases, including heart diseases and provide many
vital nutrients. Thus it was felt to have some machine which can be operated by common people
without any electric power supply and the result is a bicycle pedal operated grain mill. The
mill’s output is dependent on the fineness of the product needed and the amount of energy
Concept development
(Modak, 1997). A person can generate more or same amount of power for longer time if they
pedal at certain rate. A simple rule is that most people engaged in delivering power
continuously for an hour or so will be more efficient when pedaling rate is in the range of 50 -
70 rpm (Wilson D.G. VITA volunteer). However, research shows that majority of people can
only attain a cadence of 60 rpm and below. Keeping the limitations of human capabilities in
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mind, the proposed machine consists of three sub systems: (1) The energy unit, (2)
Transmission mechanism (3) The processing unit. The energy unit basically consists of
conventional bicycle mechanism; the transmission mechanism consists of chain drive running
over a pair of sprockets. The chain and the sprockets will be utilized as they are in a typical
bicycle. This is because our designed grain mill will be attached to the rear of any typical
The processing unit has a pair of rotors fixed on a roller shaft. This is where the grains get
crushed into powdered form to produce flour. All these units are designed such that they can
Operating principle
A hammer mill as the name suggests, hammers in the mill grind grains though impact.
The grains are placed into a holding hopper on top of the hammer mill, and a small control gate
allows the grains to tickle down into the grinding chamber through a feeding chute. The
hammers strike the grains and shatter them before they can pass though the screen holding the
hammers. The flour then falls. The hammers are driven by a roller shaft which gets its power
from the chain and sprocket mechanisms between the mill and the pedal.
According to the design of this project, the hammers move at a peripheral speed of
42m/s and the ratio of the driven sprocket to that of the driving sprocket is 1:3. The normal
average cycling speed is 60 rpm. And thus the ratio of the driving wheel to that of the driven
roller is 1:28. Thus the speed of the shaft has been calculated by the design and is found to be
4011.99 rpm.
The mill itself uses a high-speed grinding action which is broadly similar to that used
by convectional powered hammer mills. The operator turns the pedals at a normal brisk cycling
speed. The cycle wheel in turn drives a roller shaft on its outer edge. A fixed rotor arm is fitted
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to this shaft and the grain is broken up after it is struck by the tip of the rotor. A screening mesh
For a given effort the output of the mill depends on the fineness of the product required. The
mill works best on hard, brittle grains such as maize, millet and sorghum and on legumes such
as soya beans.
The modern hammer mill design must include a full-width top feed in order to achieve
maximum efficiency and minimize the cost of operation. A full width top feed ensures the
entire screen area can be utilized and that the work being accomplished will be evenly
distributed across the full hammer pattern. The full width top feed also permits the direction
of rotation to be changed, allowing two corners of the hammer to be utilized before a physical
A tear-shaped grinding chamber is necessary to prevent material from merely circulating within
the grinding chamber. Most well designed modern hammer mills have some sort of flow
director or diverter in the top of the hammer mill to properly feed the hammer mill (right
relationship of incoming grain to the direction of the hammers) and to positively stop any
materials that are circulating within the grinding chamber. Hammer mills with circular screens
lack this important action and so are more prone to near size material traveling around with the
The tear-shaped screen should be split in two pieces, with some device at the bottom of the
mill to disrupt the flow of materials within the grinding chamber. This device must be large
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enough to take products out of rotation and redirect them back into the path of the hammers,
but should not be so large as to subtract from the screen area available for grinding. The
application of a split screen design will permit the user to adjust the screen sizing on the down
As noted earlier, the rotor should be supported at each end, preferably with standard
bearings and bearing housings. This will provide a degree of rigidity not available with an
“overhung” rotor design and reduce any problems with rotor shaft “wind up”, even if the mill
operates with an out of balance rotor. Adequate support for the rotor is particularly important
with today’s increased capacity demands, requiring wider machines. The use of standard
bearings and housings is an added benefit to the customer by increasing the availability of
Drive unit
The transmission of power from human to processing unit is carried out in two stages
namely chain drive and wheel drive. The operators uses his feet & legs to rotate pedal around
the crank axle. The bicycle pedals are fixed to a chain ring (sprocket) with teeth that engages
the bicycle’s continuous chain. The chain then transmits the pedaling action to a cog on the
rear wheel’s hub causing the rear sprocket to rotate and then drive the rear wheel. This is first
stage of transmission. In second stage this power is transmitted to the mill’s rotors through the
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Processing Unit
The processing unit is the one where actual crushing of grains kernels take place. This
processing unit basically consists of a pair of rotors, hopper & the collector. The rotors are
designed they are not heavy to cause early fatigue to the operator but it should be capable of
delivering the required fineness of flour at optimum production rate. The fixed rotor arms are
fitted to this shaft and the grain is broken up after it is struck by the tip of the rotor. A screening
For a given effort the output of the mill depends on the fineness of the product required. The
mill works best on hard, brittle grains such as maize, millet and sorghum and on legumes such
as soya beans.
The hopper is mounted at an angle above the rotor arms, in which the grain to be milled
is collected. A chute with a sliding closing lid directs the grains into the rotor arms casing.
Since the intermittent flow is required from hopper to rotor arms and the casing, the provision
is also made to control the flow of grain kernels. The flour collector is fixed below the rotor
DRIVE SYSTEM
The chain and the sprockets will be utilized as they are in a typical bicycle. The chain
design is based on ensuring that the power transmission capacity is within the limits for the 3
modes of failure;- fatigue, impact loading and galling. This is because our designed grain mill
will be attached to the rear of any typical bicycle with minimal adjustments. The grain mill
drive system will make use of a bicycle’s drive system together with frictional contact between
the bicycle’s wheel and a finely knurled roller shaft. The various components in the drive
system include two sprockets, a roller chain, bicycle wheel, roller shaft and ball bearings.
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Through design calculations, the combination of the above components will reach speeds of up
to 4012 rpm in the roller shaft which drives the rotor arms.
Knurled ROLLER
SHAFT Ø 26 mm
Driven sprocket, 18
teeth
Driving
sprocket, 44 Chain Bicycle rear
teeth wheel, Ø
711.2 mm
Through the group’s study, it was discovered that in Kenya, various bicycle models have
different size sprockets and wheels. Table 1.1 below shows the typical number of teeth in the
driving and driven sprockets in various bicycle models available in Kenya. The respective rear
wheel diameters have also been recorded. The sprockets were driving roller chains. The type
of turning involved is shock loading. The chain drive will be operation for 1500 hours before
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Table 1.1 Sprockets parameters and wheel diameters of some bicycles in Kenya
Number of Teeth in driving Number of teeth in driven Rear wheel diameter (mm)
44 18 711.2
44 20 711.2
48 20 711.2
40 18 650
The most effective combination for the analysis of this design project was found to be
the 44 teeth sprocket driving the 18 teeth sprocket which is attached to the 711.2 mm diameter
wheel. This combination results to the highest rpm of the bicycle’s rear wheel. The speed of
the driving sprocket is taken as the speed achieved by the operator which is about 60 rpm.
Thus, the speed of the bicycle’s rear wheel has been obtained as 146.67 rpm.
The driving sprocket pitch angle (α) is: 360/N1= 360/44 = 8.182º
10 | P a g e
From the graphs, the application factor F1 = 1.5 (moderate shocks)
Thus the selection power is; Selection power = Power *F1 *F2 = 0.075 kW*1.5*0.4318 =
0.04858 kW = 48.58 W.
From measurement, the driving sprocket pitch circle diameter (D) was found to be 0.2 m.
P = D * sin (180/N1) = 0.2 * sin (180/44) = 0.01426 m = 14.26 mm. The chain used in the
Where: - P – pitch
= *0.2 * 60 (60*103)
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Alternatively Chain length (in pitches) = (N1+N2)/2 + (2C/P) + {(N2-N1)/2π }2 P/C
𝜋
C=P/(8 )+{2L-N2-N1+√ (2L-N2-N1)2 (𝑁2 − 𝑁1)2 }
3.88
𝜋
C=14.26/8 )+{2*112-18-44+√ (2*112-18-44)2 (18 − 44)2 } = 324.0842 mm
3.88
The speed of the rear wheel is equivalent to the driven sprocket speed because they are
attached to the same hub, thus the rear wheel rotates at a speed of 146.67 rpm. The rear wheel
is in frictional contact with the roller shaft and the two elements diameters are known. Thus,
the speed of the roller shaft can be obtained using the diameter ratios of the two elements as
follows:
The roller shaft speed (4012 rpm) obtained is ideal for turning the rotor arms to produce
a hammer mill effect with short rotors (100 mm in radius) and a small diameter processing unit
casing.
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Bearings Design and Analysis
The drive system has two bearings supporting the roller shaft which carries the rotor
and rotor arms. The purpose of the bearings is to support the load (rotor, rotor arms and roller
shaft) while allowing relative motion between the elements. The selected bearing should meet
the requirements of loads, speeds and desired life of the particular application. Rolling element
bearing (REB) will be considered for application in this project. Failure in REB is by surface
fatigue. Failure is considered to occur when either the raceway or balls (rollers) exhibit the first
pit. Typically the race fails first. The bearing then give an audible indication that pitting has
begun by making noise and vibration. The user of the mill will be warned about these
developments in the user manual. In this design, both static and dynamic loads will be
(N), Y = thrust factor, Fa=axial or thrust load, N. X & Y are provided in the catalogues.
The roller shaft (being held by two bearings at equidistant from the centre) rotates at 4012 rpm.
The loading on the roller shaft and bearings can be represented using the following sketch (FIG
1.1)
Two rotors arms are attached to the roller shaft. The volume of the rotor arms is
=2.4 * 10-5 m3
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Thus mass = 7800 * 2.4 * 10-5 = 0.1872kg. Therefore, the weight = 1.872 N (Rotor arms)
Thus, the mass of the shaft = 1.38*10-5 *7800 =0.1076 kg Therefore, the weight = 1.076 N
FIGURE 1.1
122
Bearing
17 44 51 10
B1 2.948 N B2
Roller Shaft
(Rotor Arms +
shaft load)
Dimensions in mm
P2 = XFr2 + 0 = 0.1503 N
60𝑛𝐿ℎ
Bearing Life , L= Where , n = speed of rotation, rpm (4012 rpm)
106
14 | P a g e
Therefore C1 = P1L 1/3 * Load factor
The diameter of the roller shaft at the point of fixing the bearing is 12.01mm, say 12mm and
The bearings also require a bearing housing to hold them by the application of an
interference fit. The internal diameter of the bearing housing should be machined to a diameter
of 20.987 mm so that it can have an interference fit with the 21.0 mm external diameter
bearings. Thus, the bearing and the bearing housing can be described as shown in table 2.1
below:
lubricant, shielded,
inner race
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FABRICATION PROCEDURE
The roller shaft is 200mm in length and 30mm in diameter. It is made from mild steel.
The steel bar is fitted in the chuck of a lathe machine and turned to give a smooth 26 mm
diameter shaft. After turning the steel bar is knurled into a coarse diamond knurl. The shaft is
then removed from the chuck and refitted to the lathe, this time supported between the centers.
The peaks from the knurl are skimmed with a sharp tool so that the shaft is returned to its
original diameter. An emery cloth is then used to polish the shaft so that the knurl is smooth
and free from any projections that would wear the tyre. The shaft is also threaded at the end to
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Figure 2.2 An illustration of the bicycle peddle operated grain mill showing the position
of various components
Rotor
This is the rotating part of the processing unit that reduces the grain sizes by impact.
Procedure
Dimensions are 200mm in length and 3mm in width. The position of the central hole is
marked with a center punch. The position of the tip of the rotor arm is then marked at each end.
The central hole is ten drilled and cut to length accurately. The hub is turned in the lathe
machine and a small hole drilled on one side of the hub for a split pin. The hub is also threaded
internally in the lathe machine. The hub is accurately placed at the center of the rotor and
welded on to it. The roller and the welded pieces are then bolted together. The rotors used are
17 | P a g e
Screen Rim
This is a steel sheet that is formed into a loop and holes perforated to form a rim to hold the
screen.
Procedure
Perimeter holes are marked on the surface that will form the outside of the rim. The holes are
then drilled out. The sharp projections that are formed are then carefully removed. The strip is
then rolled to produce a loop which fits closely around the setting disc. The two are then welded
and any excess weld material forming on the inside filed. The mounting holes are drilled.
Screen
Procedure
Square apertures with mesh sizes of 1 mm are used. Material to be used is stainless steel. Holes
Clamps
These are cut outs used to attach the screen to the mill back plate.
Procedure
Four cut outs are made for each corner. The screen is well positioned and clamped tightly with
Working Mechanism
18 | P a g e
•The grains are struck by rotors.
•The grain is crushed or shattered by a combination of repeated rotor impacts, collisions with
•Perforated metal screens covering the discharge opening of the mill retain coarse material for
further grinding, while allowing properly sized materials to pass as finished product.
In order to maintain the relative position of the rotor to the grinding chamber (screens and
supporting mechanisms) the foundation of the mill must be extremely rigid since, even under
normal circumstances, a hammer mill will be subject to vibration and shock. A rigid structure
positively maintains the clearances between the hammer tips and the screen through the full
rotation for consistent, efficient processing. This must be accomplished without sacrificing the
accessibility to the grinding chamber, as routine maintenance of the hammers and screens will
be required.
4. If the edges cannot be folded easily, cut out separate pieces for the edges about 29 mm wide
and cut the plate out as a 314 mm square. Then carefully weld on the edges, making sure that
5. Cut out from 1.5 mm thick steel sheet, the chute parts. Fold the larger piece to form the
chute. Drill four 6 mm diameters holes in the front plate to match the holes in the chute and
then bolt the chute on. Do not weld it because this will distort the plate.
6. Produce the finger guard and position it inside that chute. Ensure that the guard is fitted to
the correct side of the chute and that the gap at the bottom is 9.5 mm. The finger guard also
prevents grain being knocked out of the mill. Tack weld the guard securely to the inside of the
19 | P a g e
1 Mill front plate
Material ‘A in (3 mm) thick steel sheet %a in ft.5 mm) thick steel sheet
1. Construct the front plate either by bending over the edges or by cutting the edges out
2. Mark out the 3 mm thick steel sheet. Drill the holes and carefully mark the positions where
3. If the edges are to be folded, cut out the plate as it is drawn and, using a strong vice, press
or folding machine, bend the upper and two side edges to form an edge to the plate on the side
away from the chute. Make sure that the inside width is 314 mm. Join the corners with a
4. Cut out from 1.5mm thick steel sheet the chute parts. Fold the larger sheet to form the chute.
Drill 6mm diameters holes in the front plate to match the holes in the chute and the bolt chute
on.
6. Provide the finger guard and position it inside the chute. Ensure the guard is fitted to the
correct side of the chute and that the gap at the bottom is 9.5mm. The finger guard also prevents
the grain being knocked out of the mill. Tack weld the guard securely to the inside of the chute
Material
20 | P a g e
1. Mark out the 3 mm steel sheet as shown in the drawing. Drill the various holes and then cut
2. Fold over the edges or weld separate edges, as described for the front plate, so that the front
plate will fit easily around the back plate. Ensure that the inside width is 305 mm). Lay the
back plate with its edges at the square end, on a flat surface. File away any high spots so that
the surface formed by the three edges is flat and of the same height.
3. Bend the tapered end upwards about 20” at the folding line to provide an outlet chute.
4. When the welding has been completed, file the outside surface to remove any lumps that
5. Cut out the steel strip and weld to the back in the position shown. The ends can be used to
Cut to length the pieces of angle steel for items A, B and C. Drill the holes in.
3. Mark the wheel support plates and cut to size. Drill the two holes shown in each.
4. Remove each rear axle nut from the bicycle in turn, fit a plate on to each d of the axle and
refit the nuts. Measure the distance between the outside of the two plates.
5. Before wielding, set this same distance between the uprights s that the support plate on the
bicycle fit easily between them. Ensure that the bicycle is mounted level on the stand before
wielding.
21 | P a g e
7. Tack the weld above items together to produce a square and accurate structure. Remove the
corners form the items D and E so that the joints are flush and from the ends of B to prevent
8. Complete the welds to form an ngio structure. Compensate, where necessary for any
warping.
The table below shows the pats of the support structure and the dimensions and material used
A 2 510 STEEL
B 1 610 STEEL
C 2 610 STEEL
D 2 510 STEEL
E 2 420 STEEL
E 1 610 STEEL
DISCUSSION
Pedal power is the transfer of energy from a human source through the use of a foot
pedal. The thigh muscles are the ones utilized since they are the largest and the most powerful
muscles in the body. A person can produce 186 watts by pedaling for 10 minutes. However,
pedaling at 93 watts can be sustained for 60 minutes. An average healthy athlete can produce
Varying the screen size, shaft speed or hammer configuration can dramatically alter the
Fast shaft speed + small screen + large number of rotors = a fine end product
22 | P a g e
Slower shaft speed + larger screen + fewer rotors = a coarse product
The average rpm for a hammer mill is between 2,000-4,012 rpm. The grain miller at hand
produced about 4000rpm. The system can be a good alternative to the one driven by an electric
motor since it uses readily available material and is cheap and easy to put up.
CONCLUSION
It is evident that the drive system is a very important section of the bicycle peddle
operated grain mill. The drive system enables the transmission of power from the pedals
(operated by human muscle) to the rotor arms inside the processing unit. The drive system is
also responsible for ensuring that the ideal speed of the rotor arms (4012 rpm) is achieved. The
speed of the rotor arms affects the peripheral speed which in turn affects the diameter of the
processing unit. The high speed of 4012 rpm dictates that the processing unit can be made small
in size (internal diameter of 205 mm). Less space and more fineness.
The chain drive is a very independent part of the drive system because it is already pre-
to ensure that the chain drive will withstand the average 75 W exerted by the operator at a
cadence of 60 rpm. The bicycle’s rear wheel which is driven by the cog is responsible for
driving the roller shaft. The roller shaft should be polished so that the knurl is smooth and free
from any projections that would wear the tyre. The shaft is also be threaded at the end to fit
Generally, the drive system is the life of the grain mill and any malfunction would result
to the stoppage of the whole grain milling process. The drive system should be well maintained
by carrying out greasing and oiling the chain, bearing and other moving parts.
23 | P a g e
References
Modak, J., & Moghe, S. (1997) Comparison of some bicycle drive mechanisms designed in the
Gite, L.P., Pandey, M.M., Shrivastav A.K. & Tiwari, P.S. (2011). Pedal power for
Iyanda, Kajogbola R. A., Kadiri M., Modupe R., & Mahamood M.O. (2010).Design &
24 | P a g e
APPENDIX
lubricant, shielded,
inner race
plate
backing plate
25 | P a g e
013 Upper support 2 6 mm thick steel sheet 50 by 320 mm
arms
arm
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