advances in mechanisation for harvesting

Malaysian Palm Oil Board Ministry of Plantation Industries and Commodities

Advances in Mechanisation for harvesting

Norman Kamarudin, Abd Rahim Shuib, Abdul Razak Jelani, Mohd Ramdhan Khalid and Mohd Ikmal Hafizi Azaman


INTRODUCTION

• The oil palm industry – over reliance on foreign workers • Increase mechanisation - increase productivity per worker. • Machines and implements should match terrain conditions,

land size, management preferences and economic returns. • Direct adoption of machines for other crops - failed to meet

requirements unique to the oil palm.

• Key operational activities to mechanise -harvesting of FFB, evacuation of field fresh fruit bunches and transportation of the crop to the mill.



LABOUR STATUS IN MALAYSIA



Category Peninsular Sabah Sarawak

FIELD WORKS:

General Mandore 427.25 287.82 467.62

Harvesting Mandore 366.88 286.99 303.34

Harvester & FFB Collector 24.07 18.07 24.46

Field Workers 39.05 20.72 29.79

Other Field Workers 104.08 48.38 80.12

LAND : LABOUR 13.39 7.99 11.86

LAND : LABOUR RATIO IN OIL PALM PLANTATION



Development of harvesting tools and machines

CANTAS

Harvesting Machine

C-Kat



OIL PALM MOTORISED CUTTER EVOLUTION

2007 2010 2014 2017

Engine driven Battery powered



• New Generation Cantas i.e. Cantas Evo - 2014

• able to reach 7m

• New ergonomic design

• Lighter ( 15%)

• Low vibration ( 75%)

• extensive field trial >700hrs (6 months with no major breakdown). ( 90% repair costs*)

*Repair cost per tonne FFB (RM/t) RM4.03 RM0.39

Users of Cantas Evo: 1.Tradewinds Plantation 2. Boustead Plantation 3.Johor Corporation 4.Johawaki Plantaion 5.United Plantation Bhd 6.NLFC 7.Sime Darby Bhd 8.Felcra Bhd 9.TDM Plantation 10. KUB Berhad 11.Anson estate 12.Lembaga Industri Getah Sabah (LIGS) 13.Seri Jelutong 14.PT Adza Indochem 15.MPOB Research stations

Harvesting FFB from 7-m harvesting height using

Cantas Evo

New design cutting head fixed with sickle

New design cutting head fixed with chisel

Cutting head



BATTERY POWERED CANTAS – CANTAS EZ

Specifications:

• Motor : DC ‘brushless motor’ (high speed and high torque)

• Battery : 20V high energy lithium ion

• Expected reach : 6 m (20 ft)

Benefits: • Low vibration* (no engine,

no mechanical transmission i.e shaft & bearings).

• Emission free - no smoke Easy to use – plug in battery and ready to use

• Less mechanical components – low repair cost

Electrical motor / DC battery replacing petrol engine

Cantas Evo (engine powered)

Battery powered harvesting tool

Gear box placement

Gear box placement

*below threshold level i.e. 2.5 m/s2



CANTAS EZ - FIELD TRIAL

Location : Bkt Changgang, Banting, Selangor Operator : harvesting contractor Total area : 75 ha Palms’ height : 2 – 5 meters Topography : flat Harvesting round : 2 round/month

Average performance: Bunches : 400 FFB/day @ 68 FFB/hr Tonnage : 6.0 t/day (bunch weight : avg 15kg) Harvesting performance : 5 – 7.5 ha/day



The cutting tools were too

heavy to be handled by

men.

The machines were too

heavy to work in the

plantation.

Difficulty in

positioning the cutter to cut

the frond and the fruit bunch.

Low in productivity.

• Sending the manual cutter close to the bunch

• By bringing only the cutting tool to the bunch where the cutting is controlled from the driver’s seat

DEVELOPMENT OF HARVESTING MACHINE FOR TALL PALMS



DEVELOPMENT OF TALL PALM HARVESTING MACHINE



AN UPDATED VERSION OF HARVESTING MACHINE



Challenges in Farm Mechanisation Tall palm harvesting • Wheel-based harvesting machine operator harvesting

tall palms (10 m)

• Harvesters can work extra hours in the field for

increased productivity. Loose fruits are minimised as

FFB are loaded direct into the bin.

• Cantas Evo: 20% higher productivity compared to

earlier version of Cantas. Able to reach 7m palms

• New concepts of cutting in progress: magnetic actuator,

Laser Cutting, Wire Cutter and Unmotorised harvesting

tool.



Loose Fruits Collection

Roller Picker Mechanical LF

Collecting

Machine (MKIII)

LF Collecting

Machine

Trailer Type

In-field Oil Palm

Loose Fruits

Separator Cum

Transporter



Conventional method

Using Roller Picker

ADVANTAGES reduce back pain

direct separation of debris Increase productivity of workers

Collect

Roller Picker



Productivity 30-60 kg/hr clean fruits depending on land condition

Function and field test



Vacuum concept - loose fruits sucked into

a cylindrical shaped casing.

‘cyclone’ system minimises bruising of the

fruits.

easy and fast operation

Emptying content with a single lever

opening door.

Mechanical LF Collecting

Machine (MKIII)



ADVANTAGES:

Loose fruits can be sucked quickly

Standing operation – no back pain

No bags required

Doubling worker’s productivity.

Travelling Collecting Emptying



COMPLETE CONCEPT

High Lift Bucket

Hydraulic Pump

Vacuum Compartment Tractor

Hydraulic Motor

Bin

LF Collecting Machine

Trailer Type



Collect and separate loose fruits from

debris

Transfer from vacuum container into

trailer

Unload loose fruits via elevated

discharge mechanism.

LF Collecting Machine – Trailer Type



IN-FIELD OIL PALM LOOSE FRUITS

SEPARATOR CUM TRANSPORTER

Powered by a 10hp diesel

engine

2-hydraulic motors drive both

axle and rotational cage/drum.

double layer rotating drum

separates debris and loose fruits.

clean loose fruits are deposited

in a bin compartment.



ADVANTAGES

Loose fruits can be collected fast

All debris left in the field

Eliminates use of bags

Productivity per machine 1200 - 1600

kg/day


INTERNATIONAL COMPETITION ON OIL PALM MECHANISATION (ICOPM)

Harvesting

FFB infield collect

ion

Loose Fruit

Collection

Crop care

Objective The competition aim to bring in new ideas of mechanisation in four main areas in the upstream sector

Gold Award of RM 1 000 000



Enhanced mechanisation will indirectly increase productivity per worker.

R&D&C in mechanisation- a key elements for development of machinery and tool to suit our local environments and unique requirements.

Attract more locals to work in oil palm plantations, by introducing new machines

The success of mechanisation can be attributed to good management of machineries. Proper training to workers is essential to ensure less maintenance to the machineries

Role of private sectors – successful implementation in the field

The time has come for local engineering firms to be involved in producing machinery for our oil palm industry.

Conclusion


advances in mechanisation for harvesting

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