An Improved Pole-and-Knife Method of Harvesting Oil Palms (original) (raw)
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Trend of Harvesting of Oil Palm Fruit; The Mechanisms, and Challenges
Demand for oil palm has increased over the years due to increase in population, and an increase in the demand for biofuels as alternative sources of energy. With this increase in demand for oil palms as well as technological advancement comes the different harvesting methods that are being employed. The harvesting methods employed by farmers can be associated with the form of farming carried out; small scale farming or plantation farming. This paper, however, tends to consider the trend in harvesting processes of oil palm over the range of different farming sizes. The harvesting processes identified were the traditional method, manual method, Ckat and Cantas method, harvesting machines and climbing robots. This paper also considered the mechanisms of these various oil palm fresh fruit bunch harvesting processes and the challenges associated with them. It is believed that for there to be a massive improvement in mechanization and industrialization of oil palm, improving the harvesting process is unavoidable.
2015
In this study the performance of a motorized palm fruit bunch harvester (MBH) was evaluated in comparison with the bamboo-pole-and-knife harvester (BPK). The MBH was first tested on Nigerian plantations for the palm trees it could reach. The average time taken to harvest a bunch and the time taken per hectare of plantation were determined. The best orientation and the cutting angle for the harvester were also determined. The exact height which the harvester could reach was also determined on the plantations. The harvester was later used in comparison with (BPK) method on palms of moderate height and the average time of harvest per bunch, field capacity, as well as cost of operation was determined for the two methods. Time study (TS) of the two methods was also carried out. The result showed that MBH could harvest between the height of 2.5 m and 4.5 m of palm conveniently. The average time of harvest per tree and speed of harvest for MBH and BPK were 98.86 s and 66 bunches/h; and 166.93 s and 40 bunches/h, respectively. This shows that time of harvest for motorized harvester is over 60% lower, and the speed of harvest is over 50% higher than bamboo pole and knife. The time of harvest per hectare for both MBH and BPK are approximately 4 h/ha and 7 h/ha, respectively. The rate of fuel consumption was estimated to be 1.03 L/h. Moreover, the cost of operation for MBH and BPK was estimated to be ₦ 10,223.46 and ₦ 16,950 per hectare, respectively. The cost of operation using the BPK is over 60 per cent more than that of the MBH. Statistical analysis of the effect of time of harvest on methods indicated that the effect was significant (p < 0.05). The study concluded that motorized oil palm bunch cutter can effectively and efficiently handle palms of moderate height in Nigerian oil palm plantations and performed better than the bamboo pole and knife.
Trend in the Development of Oil Palm Fruit Harvesting Technologies in Malaysia
Jurnal Teknologi, 2018
Harvesting oil palm fresh fruit bunches (FFB) on tall oil palm trees is a laborious and hazardous task. Lately, with the escalating problem of labor shortage, the exigent demand to mechanize the harvesting task cannot be overlooked. Over the years, many harvesting methods and technologies have been used and developed to increase the harvesting productivity. This paper reviews the conventional manual harvesting using manual labor, mechanization of harvesting task using harvesting machines as well as research on climbing robots for harvesting FFB in Malaysia. In essence, it provides an overview of the trend in the development of harvesting technologies in Malaysia. Realizing the potential of climbing robots for harvesting, the morphological structures and physical characteristics of oil palm trunks in its natural surroundings are examined closely to identify the challenges in the climbing and harvesting processes. Next, a set of design criteria is introduced to overcome those challeng...
Development of an automatic cutting system for harvesting oil palm fresh fruit bunch (FFB)
AFRICAN JOURNAL OF AGRICULTURAL RESEEARCH, 2012
The purpose of this project was to design, fabricate and test a harvesting mechanism for oil palm fresh fruit bunches (FFB). A carrier machine was designed and fabricated which can move around the tree trunk smoothly while carrying the cutting system. A mechanize motor system also was designed and assembled on the carrier machine for moving the cutting machine forward and backward along the tree trunk radius. For a successful and smooth cutting process, two direct current (DC) motors were used for carrier machine. Cutting machine consists of a mechanism for cutting and a cutting blade. A reciprocating mechanism was used in this project because of the added advantages of this method as compared to others. Design of the blade tooth for doing a fast and clean cut was an important parameter in this project. An HM-TR Transparent Wireless Data Link Module and an ATmega8 microcontroller were used to control the cutting system. This system was tested successfully in both laboratory and field condition.
Conceptual Development of Automated Harvester for Tall Oil Palm Tree
Advances in Agricultural and Food Research Journal, 2020
Innovation and invention in field mechanization for oil palm sector has created a variety of advancement in technology. The change in oil palm operation to mechanization will overcome the problem of labour shortage occurrence in oil palm sector. The problem occurs in harvesting tall oil palm is the height of oil palm that causes difficulty to cut the fresh fruit bunch by using manual labour. Moreover, the use of automated harvester also will make the harvesting operation easier without the requirement of skilled labour and ensuring labour safety. The automated harvester has advantages and disadvantages that need to be improved in meeting the oil palm requirement. This study overviews the mechanization that are used in harvesting tall oil palm. This research project has resulted in the development of high technology mechanization based on previously developed machine for harvesting fresh fruit bunches (FFB) at 10 meter and above of oil palm age tress. However, the previous developed ...
International Journal of Science and Engineering, 2013
A development of oil palm pruner and harvester machinery design implemented in the field still faces a problem due to the lack of effective and efficient design which is need to be solved. It was noted that in order to develop the design, an early data and information of physical and mechanical properties of palm oil frond and stem fruits is critically important. The objective of the research was to obtain the physical and mechanical properties of palm oil frond and stem in order to develop the design of pruner and harvester machinery. The result showed that tool machinery was been advantageous by the physical properties of the plant i.e. the total weight of frond and leaf which enable to support the cutting process. The average of total weight of frond and leaf was 16.8 kg. The diagonal cutting trajectory was been more advantageous because of total weight and frond shape toward to the different of the plant tissue area. The measurement result shows that cutting curve follows the time required for cutting. The comparison among cutting curve shows differences in cutting thickness or length. In this case, the thickness is linear with cutting time. Besides, those curves show differences at the height which determine the maximum value of tested material cutting resistance. Alternative solution for machinery development design is pruner-harvester for height plant below 6 m and among 6 to 12 m. For below 6 m, pruner-harvester was designed by incorporating motor as power source and cutter-disc as the knife cutter. That condition was relied on that estate which was maintenance intensively commonly used cutter-disc. Pruner-harvester above 6 m and up to 12 m was improved based on manual egrekdesigned by adding fresh fruit bunch alley supply glide in order to keep the fruits still in intact form. The consideration was based on affectivity and efficiency. It also considers homogenous ecological of palm oil plant which should be maintained to reduce global warming effect. Information obtained in this research could become positive consideration and alternative solution to provide problem solvingat early development design of palm oil pruner and harvester machinery.
Mechanization in Oil Palm Harvesting
International Journal of Academic Research in Business and Social Sciences
Harvesting is an important process in oil palm plantation main objective of harvesting is to get fresh fruit bunches with excellent oil content and quality and can get the maximum profit. During harvesting the worker need mechanization to assist in collection of oil palm bunches. Currently there is many types of technological or mechanized tools for aiding the harvesting of palm oil. This paper is to grasp detail understanding on the history of mechanization used in oil palm plantation specifically for harvesting in Malaysia. For the traditional and manual method, wheelbarrow is only the best mechanization in assisted collection of oil palm bunches. It is because wheelbarrow can pass through all types of road surface, the gradient of slope, and type of soil. Wheelbarrow is a machine that is easy to work with and does not give pollution to environment. However wheelbarrow use more energy of worker to pull the wheelbarrow with full capacity. To reduce the use of worker energy, buffalo cart are used to replace the wheelbarrow. Buffalo cart can help to do human work by pulling the cart that full fill with oil palm bunch. Beside can reduce the use of energy, it can reduce the cost of worker and can make the time more short in harvesting system. After that, mechanization assisted in harvesting system is improve by using engine that is mechanical buffalo (Badang and Rhyno). Mechanical buffalo can help human work in plantation sector to more faster. Mechanical buffalo also can reduce the labour cost and can increase the productivity of worker.
International Journal of Engineering & Technology, 2018
From this paper, it is an effort to investigate the most efficient harvesting tools that must be applied by all oil palm producers. It is similar to identify which harvesting tools are the most efficient that reflected the labour productivity and cost management for harvesting operation. The motorised cutter, mechanised CKAT, manual chisel and manual sickle were tested based on capacity and cost involved. EFC for motorised is superior to manual with 0.29 ha per hour for motorised and 0.22 ha per hour for manual. The trials carried out on manual harvesting technique by using chisel shows that effective working hour per hectare is 1.64 ha per hour and effective working hour per hectare for mechanised harvesting technique is 1.84 ha per hour. Also, the cost involved in both harvesting tools, the motorised cutter price is RM 4500 plus its operational costs, the harvesting cost comes to RM 8.78 per tonne, and for the manual sickle cost is RM 143 plus its operating cost, it comes to RM 10...
Jurnal Teknologi, 2015
In optimizing the yield of oil palm fruit bunches collection, the mechanization of the collection process is very important. However, before the analysis of the cost benefits of any mechanization development can be utilized, this study has to be carried out. Time and Motion Studies (TMS) is used to identify and measure the efficiency of the oil palm fruit bunches’ manual harvesting technique. The Direct Time Study Technique has been selected to determine and record the time taken by the harvester to harvest the oil palm fruit bunches, where the tool used in this technique is a stopwatch, alongside the Time Study Observation Sheet. Meanwhile, to examine the motions used by the harvester in the harvesting process, the Therblig’s Motion Principle is applied to identify effective and non- effective motions. A field work study has been conducted by monitoring two harvesters and all the real time data is recorded in the time study observation sheet and analyzed to get a value of Normal Ti...