Rubber Reapers Final Presentation Team Members: Caltech: Robert Karol, Teresa Liu, Brad Saund SaintGITS: Liju Matthew, Manju Mariya Summary: In India there is a huge demand for rubber as it is used in the manufacturing many products. This latex rubber is harvested from trees through a process called rubber tapping. A helical cut is made in the tree, approximately four feet from the ground and circling about half the tree. Every day a worker goes to hundreds of trees in the early morning and scrapes away the caked latex and a thin layer of bark. The latex flows down the spiral into a cup for two hours before the sap hardens and closes the cut in the tree. Currently the largest problem with tapping rubber trees is due to the care that must be taken to avoid damaging the tree. Workers are trained for six months before learning the proper technique and a poor tapper can kill many valuable trees. The process of carefully cutting hundreds of trees is also physically taxing. Improving this process would allow for excess market demand to be met by tapping more trees. To improve this process we developed a new rubber tapping tool. Our tool contains a blade guard to limit the depth of cut, allowing for a controlled cut with little training. A more ergonomic design reduces worker fatigue. Through all of this the design is kept simple to keep reliability high and cost low. Prototypes have been built in both the United States and India. Tests in India have provided valuable information for iterating the tool design. Currently we have
produced a tool capable of tapping a tree, though further refinement is necessary to reduce the effort required and improve the ease of use of the tool. Project Background Rubber is the largest cultivation in Kerala, especially in rural areas. Rubber is an economic crop, which is the producer of isoprene (natural rubber). Isoprene is the major raw material of different industries like tire manufactures, footwear manufactures etc. and it is extensively used for furnishing roads as a substitute of Tar. The natural rubber is coagulated from rubber latex, which is collected from the bark of rubber tree by a process called rubber tapping.
Tapping is the process of cutting the bark of rubber tree within a specified depth and along a specified or predefined path. This path is chosen such that the latex will run down the slot into a cup to be collected. Every night, a skilled rubber tapper removes a thin layer of bark in order to start the latex flowing. If done correctly the trees can yield rubber latex for up to 12 years, however, if an unskilled laborer were to damage the tree during the tapping process, it could kill the tree. As the trees take nearly 7 years to being producing the latex, this is a large loss in investment for the land owner both monetarily, and in terms of time.
The tapping process must be done in early morning so that it is cooler which allows the latex to run longer before coagulating, and sealing off the cut preventing any more latex from being collected. The whole process only lasts a few hours in the morning before the latex is collected, which prevents people from using rubber tapping as a full time profession, as they must have a second occupation for after the latex has been collected. Problem Description During this summer s field study, we explored the rubber tapping process at the Rubber Research Institute. There we noticed how the current tool is used, and were told about the difficulties which laborers have to contend. Some of the problems which they are facing, are the hours which they have to work, in addition to the limited time constraints which prevent tapping from being a full time job. The rubber tapping tool is a very efficient tool for quickly tapping the tree, and in the hands of a skilled laborer is quite safe for the job. However, in order to become skilled in this profession, it takes months of training, and while the laborers make a decent salary, it is a job which does not have a particularly good reputation. This makes it hard to bring new laborers into the field when they can find other jobs which are looked upon more highly without going through months of training. In order to incentive the business, the government has started to pay for the time in which a laborer has to go through training which has helped, but not fully eliminated the labor shortage in the industry. Another problem which we identified was
the quality of the latex which was being collected. The latex went through many filtration processes after being extracted to help eliminate the impurities which were collected while the latex dripped into the cup. If these impurities were eliminated at the source, it would significantly improve the quality of the latex without the need for as many filtration steps. Through continued research we have started to dig up some of the sources for these problems. By interviewing the laborers who work in the field we have managed to isolate the main problems which skilled laborers have. The repetitive actions which are needed to tap the tree, as well as the variety of heights at which the cuts need to be made provide quite a few constraints on how any tapping tool must be made. The varying depth of the bark on rubber trees makes it difficult for a single tool with a fixed blade width to be used as cutting into the cambium could permanently damage the tree. In order to create a tool which could be used by unskilled laborers, a tool which could either be manually adjusted to a specific bark depth could be used. However, by manually adjusting the tool each time the cutting process would be significantly delayed, and the laborers would have to learn how to accurately adjust the tool each time. Mission Statement: Our mission is to develop a tapping instrument which will allow workers to tap a rubber tree easier and with less training. A new working should be able to learn to use the tool in less than a day.
Key Business Goals Our business goals focus around four key areas. The first is to design a product which will improve the output of rubber tree plantations by allowing unskilled workers to join the workforce. The second is to find a method by which these tools can be locally manufactured within Kerala in order to create more jobs. Additionally, we hope to allow for our product to be distributed through the same channels that are currently being used in order to simplify the distribution process. Finally, we would like to identify a person or group capable of taking on this product after the class has ended so the product design process does not stall. Primary Market We are focusing at marketing our idea towards land owners in Kerala who are trying to find ways to tap their rubber trees. In order to do this we are also focusing on the rubber trappers themselves who will be the primary users for our device. Secondary Market In addition to the rubber tapping market in Kerala, we would like to keep in mind alternative locations in which this tool could be sold. Locally other states in southern India could provide a good location to sell our tool if we are able to find an extended distribution channel. With a few more changes, we may also find other countries in which our tool could be marketed. In particular rubber tapping is a large industry in Malaysia, a possible secondary market we could expand into.
Stakeholders It is important for us to determine who will have a stake in the success of our project. We were able to identify the following stakeholders who would have an interest in the success of our project. - Our team - Course instructors - Laborers in Kerala - Indian government - Rubber Research Institute - Rubber estate owners in Kerala - Malaysian rubber workers. - Rubber processing plants - Companies which use rubber - Global consumers of rubber products Initial Assumptions Before designing the tool we needed to make sure there was a desire for the new tool. In order to do this we came up with a list of assumptions that we made about the market in order to have a marketable product. - Rubber tappers are not happy about their current conditions
By interviewing various local laborers, we were able to determine that while they were able to tap the rubber trees, the learning curve was very steep, and would like to reduce the amount of time it took to learn the skill. - Land owners would like to collect more latex in a day. Having talked to some of the local land owners, we learned that they are interested in collecting a larger quantity of latex as there is a demand for more at the processing center. - Unskilled laborers would like to get a job in the latex collecting industries Through local interviews, we learned there are many unemployed people in Kerala who are looking for jobs, but do not want to undergo the months of training for a long term rubber tapping job. A temporary way to get into the field would be much more attractive. - Land owners would like to decrease the chance of damaging the rubber trees. By interviewing local land owners we were able to figure out that each rubber tree is approximately a 10,000 Rs investment. Therefor, the land owners want to minimize the risk of damaging the tree as much as possible. Market Specifications Necessary features Improve Ease Of Use: Currently new rubber tappers have to go through a three-month training program before they are able to tap a tree successfully without damaging it.
Ideally our tool will make the rubber tapping process much easier to do with less danger of harming the tree. It is necessary that our tool is at least as easy to use without damaging the tree as the current tool in use. It is a very high priority to make the tool better at avoiding damage to the tree. Decrease Effort of Use: The tool currently is held with two hands and moved back and forth for hours continuously. It is necessary that our tool decreases the amount of physical effort of tapping a rubber tree. Maintainability: The current tool needs to be sharpened approximately every two days. The sharpening process is quick (2 minutes) for the current tool. Our tool needs to be as quick overall to maintain. Thus if our tool takes 10 minutes to sharpen or repair, it should only have to be done approximately once every 10 days. Durability: The tool has to survive the warm and humid climate of India. It also has to be durable enough to withstand drops from a person s height onto dirt. Safety: The safety concerns are with the tool blade, the fatigue from using the tool, and hitting other obstacles while performing the cut. The blade needs to be located in a position where it will not touch the operator under normal use (walking, picking up objects, and tapping). The fatigue from the tool needs to be at or lower than that of the current tool. If the motion of tapping appears that it could harm the using, additional safety features need to be implemented.
Goal features Cost: The current tool costs 300 to 600 Rs. From market research we expect people are willing to pay 600 Rs for a tool which decreases the training time. Size and weight: The tool should be hand-held and light, at most 4 lbs. The current tools are ~1 lb, and we hope to make ours approximately that light. Simplicity: The tool should be easy to use with few parts. Ideally the tool should have no moving parts while in use (though this is not required). Manufacture: The tool needs to be able to be manufactured in India.
Initial Prototype Final Product In order to accomplish our goals we implemented a few key designs. Blade: Since this tool cuts into the tree, it needs a blade. The blade is a hardened steel because that material is cheap and can hold an edge. Rail Guide: The rail guard prevents the blade from cutting into the tree. It also limits the depth of a cut. Only a small amount of bark can be removed with each pass to limit the problem of removing too much. This guide should allow a worker to press hard into the tree without removing any more material than needed. Through further testing and worker feedback this depth will be adjusted to make the tool as easy to use as possible.
Arm Bands: To reduce the effort required to tap we are attaching the tool directly to the arm. This reduces the strain caused by workers having to grip the tool for the entire process. Frame: The frame needs to be very durable to withstand tough weather and drops. The frame is made out of galvanized pipe because it is cheap and strong.
Screw Mechanism: We want the blade to be easy to replace. In addition we want the blade pitch to be adjustable. While for most trees the blade pitch can remain constant, for some trees the tapping location might require an unusual angle. The screw mechanism is accomplished through two nuts. This can easily be screwed completely off to replace the blade, and also the nuts can be tightened against each other to lock at any angle.
US Prototype India Prototype Accomplishing our goals Increase Ease of Use: The guide on the blade makes it more difficult to cut deep into the tree. This eliminates much of the feedback needed from the workers. Decrease Effort of Use: Moving the blade closer to the body makes it easier to use body weight to aid in the cutting process. Attaching the blade directly to the arm eliminates the need to grip a handle while cutting. The force of two arms can still be used by bracing the off arm against the wrist with the cutting blade attached. Having both hands free makes carrying other objects easier.
Maintainable: This tool will have a very similar setup to the tools currently in use. As such, sharpening the blade will require approximately the same amount of effort, which is acceptable. Safety: The cutting blade is very similar to current cutting tools. The blade will require force to puncture skin. The cutting blade should not come into contact with skin. Since the blade is separated from the arm by the frame, this should not be an issue. Cost: It remains to be seen if we can fit into our cost limits. From our predictions we fit well within the limit. We believe we can manufacture the tool for 300 Rs. and sell the tool for 400 Rs. Size and Weight: This tool easily fits into our size restrictions. The tool is slightly heavier than expected, but still within acceptable bounds.
Simplicity: This tool is more complicated than the current tool. However we believe it is still simple enough to be effective. It has no moving parts and only a few separate pieces. Manufacture: We believe we can design this product so it can be manufactured locally. A prototype was produced in India and we believe more can be produced there as well. Code of Ethics We will conduct business honestly. We will not be devious or hide our motives. All decisions must benefit the end user of our products. No decision will be made which will worsen the condition of a user of our product. In dealings with customers, governments, investors, and other interested parties we will be honest and fair. Customer input will always play a key role in company decisions. Team Dynamics What Worked Google Doc has proved to be pretty effective for long distance communication. We have been doing well in contributing and sharing our own thoughts in Google Doc. St.GITS students were able to talk to workers and landowners, which is very helpful. We were able to get in touch with several contacts in India.
What Didn t Work Webcam chat did not work well. The biggest problem was the time difference and the limitation of Internet usage in St.GITS. The call quality was not that good either. Google Doc does not preserve all the format of the documents we share. Sometimes texts leak in the Google Doc, but it s not a huge problem. Biggest Challenges It s quite difficult for everybody to meet together online. We never figured out a good schedule. We exchanged ideas online through some kind of text-based method, which is not instant. Waiting time is long. Did Everyone Pull Their Weight People finish tasks they are assigned too. Sometimes we get less contribution from someone, but mostly because of the bad communication through the Internet.