Objective of the tool
This innovative Oil Palm Harvesting Quick-Cut Fixture (HKT-QC) tool is specially designed to help the young and unskilled oil palm plantations labours to perform harvesting job in quick and easy manner.
Components of the tool
This device is made up of several conventional component parts from engineering plastics and metals.
The major plastic injected component parts include tough and wear resistance nylon (Poly Amides) for severe impact action portion use while the other soft and expandable PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride) is to help to ensure harvesters’ safety. As for the metal fabricated component parts, hard alloy aluminium (Al) extrusion is used as strong impact shaft. Mild steel is used as fasteners.
How the tool works
This is a powerful impact cutting tool when it is fixed to the upper harvesting pole together with the sickle during the process where the harvester holds the lower pole end by applying reciprocating force to it.
Therefore, it helps to solve the common problems faced by the harvesters, for instance:
1) during harvesting, sickle gets stuck in between due to inappropriate cutting position and it is extremely difficult to bring down the fresh fruit bunches (FFBS) together with fronds;
2) sickles used are not sharp enough to do cutting job. the harvesters often have to exert extra strengths (waste of unnecessary energy); and
3) frequent sharpening of the sickles while doing the harvesting job can then be reduced (unwanted accidents can be minimized).
4) Sickle are often easily broken when too much swaying force are exerted by harvester to cut FFBS from tall oil palm trees.This problem can be avoided by using this tool.
