Improved Abaca Stripping Machine Poised to Benefit Local Fabricators and Craftsmen
By: Marlyn U. Ramones
The abaca industry in the Philippines is one of the livelihood sources of many countryside communities. Among the regions in the country that are heavy producers of abaca fiber are Bicol and Mindoro in Luzon; Leyte, Samar, Negros Oriental, Iloilo, and Aklan in the Visayas; and all provinces in Mindanao.
Recognizing the abaca industry as a huge market for local equipment fabricators, the DOST-MIRDC improved the commonly used manual abaca stripping machine.
The improved machine is portable. It is relatively light and can easily be transported to mountainous abaca plantations. It can be installed in a few minutes. Its use allows efficient and convenient stripping of abaca fiber.
The design of the portable manual abaca stripping machine features a spring that is adjustable to ensure that the blade is tightly installed into the wooden board. Its blade material is stainless steel 440C series, which is corrosion-free. The blade is heat-treated, a process that increases the blade’s service life.
Users of the machine evaluate that it produces excellent fiber grade which is based on color and texture quality.
The blade used in the traditional
abaca stripping machine by the Antique Development Foundation
The portable abaca stripping machine was developed by the DOST-MIRDC.
The locally-developed portable abaca stripping machine is an output of research and development of the DOST-MIRDC. Its intended end-users are the abaca processors.
A notable example is the people with abaca plantation in Barangay Leon in Laua-an, Antique, who are presently benefitting from using the developed portable abaca stripping machine. In the past, they were not involved in abaca stripping because, according to them, the traditional abaca stripping device was difficult to install.
When the portable abaca stripping machine was introduced to them, they started producing abaca fibers. At present, they continuously supply an average of 30-50 kgs abaca fibers per harvest to the Antique Development Foundation (ADF). The ADF is a non-government organization recognized as one of the key players in the abaca industry in the province of Antique.
The introduction of the portable manual abaca stripping machine is not only intended to benefit the abaca fiber producers. It is, first and foremost, intended to create business opportunities for local equipment fabricators. Fabricators who will license the technology may expand to serve the needs of businesses in the abaca handicrafts industry. Commercialization of the locally-developed machine will generate jobs, widen profit margins, and encourage active economic activities.
The DOST-MIRDC will conduct a forum/webinar to feature the portable manual abaca stripping machine. Abaca handicraft makers and equipment fabricators are invited to attend the event.
Connect to the online forum/webinar on DOST-MIRDC’s portable abaca stripping machine scheduled on 21 September 2021 at 2:00 - 3:30 pm. You may now register through the link below on a first-come-first-served basis:
https://tinyurl.com/WebinarAbacaStrippingMachine
