Improving The Performance of Honey Extractor Through Tool Automation and Ergonomics Design for Honey Bee Farmer in Batang

Abstract

Honey extractor is a tool used by farmers group “Bunga Alam Lestari”, Batang Regency to squeeze honey from the honeycomb which has been harvested. The tool owned by the farmers is categorized simple. It is operated manually, therefore the extortion process of honeycomb takes a long time. The tool design is not ergonomic yet since the farmers have to pour the honey manually into the collecting bucket. The farmers also have to move the honey extractor from one farm to another farm during the production period. Researchers improved the existing tools referring to ergonomics concept which is collaborating between manual frame and electric motor (hybrid), increasing the number of frames from 2 to 10, creating mechanism of frame rotating termination (braking), adding of transferal tools,and improving the mechanism of the flow of honey without reversing the tool to pour the honey. The test results of the new tool show improvement of the tools performance, specifically it takes only 180 second for one extortion which producing 16.75 kg of honey. The equipment owned by the farmers needs 360 seconds for one extortion time resulting of 3.35 kg honey