SERDANG, July 17th – The inventions of the final year students from the Food Processing Engineering Department (KPM), Faculty of Engineering, Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) have both interested and impressed the management of the Malaysia Technology Park (TPM) who, in collaboration with UPM will highlight their inventions which will enhance the productivity of small medium industry entrepreneurs.
General Manager of TPM Engineering, Aggus Salim Halmee Haidar said the UPM-TPM collaboration focus will be more on technology development in food production.
“The inventions of UPM’s students are effective in terms of cost and utilization. We (TPM) feel that it would be good for us to collaborate with UPM on the developing technology of its students and we are prepared to allocate a generous amount of funds for new inventions.
“The cost of fabricating the machines is inexpensive and this benefits the small medium industry entrepreneurs who purchase these machines as it will lower production costs and increase their profits significantly,” he said at the MoU UPM-TPM Engineering Sdn Bhd press conference held on the sidelines of the Malaysia Invention and Innovation Research Exhibition held in UPM.
Anggus also revealed that there is promising industry demand for UPM’s eight prototypes.
“All of the machines and technology are fully 100% developed by locals. A machine costs from as low as RM20,000 to RM50,000, depending on the size and the capacity desired by the entrepreneurs.
“The available machines will be constantly upgraded. We are also able to accommodate specifications desired by the entrepreneurs,” he said.
Meanwhile, KPM’s head researcher, Dr Rosnah Shamsudin explained that the machines invented must be user friendly, easy to handle and not too high-tech.
It was also explained that the machines should comply with the requirements and needs of the entrepreneurs as well as be appropriate for the operating environment of the entrepreneurs
According to TPM, UPM’s inventions can be further improved and provide viable alternatives to the machines currently being used in the market and at the same time, it will reduce the import of machines from China and Korea, which at times are unsuitable for local needs.
The eight developed prototypes
Ezy Cooker
Ezy Cooker is a jam making machine, designed to be more effective, cleaner, time and energy saving compared to the traditional ones currently being used in industry.
It has double functions, for cooking and mixing. The machine has an automatic adjustable mixing blade, complete with digital temperature control.
The capacity of jam produced depends on the ingredient capacity, which is between two and 15 kilos.
Coconut Auto Squeezer
The Coconut Auto Squeezer is a machine to grate and squeeze coconut to produce coconut milk or santan. It is an alternative to the various types of machines now available in the market.
Designed to achieve utmost efficacy, this machine is safe and easy to operate.
Multi-Ezy Cutter
Designed specifically to cut food cubically, particularly Nata De Coco, fruits and vegetables, the plus point of the Multi-Ezy Cutter is the adjustable cutter which can produce various cutting sizes and it can be operated manually or run on automatic mode.
The Pineapple Multi-Peeler Plus is a machine designed to simplify the peeling of pineapple skin, removing the core and cutting it into the desired size. The machine will be useful to pineapple entrepreneurs in overcoming manpower problems and provide significant operating cost savings.
Koye/Putu Kacang Confectionary Mould moulds Koye Kacang biscuits. It has been designed to replace the traditional method of producing Koye Kacang or Putu Kacang. This machine has three main functions: filling, pressing and tapping. Its big advantage is its capability to process 15kg peanut powder and jam mixture at a time.
Roll Tart Machine
The Roll Tart machine is designed to meet the specific needs of the pineapple roll tart business, which sees high seasonal demand especially during the Hari Raya Puasa festive season.
With a maximum capacity of 360 pieces/hour, depending on the adjusted speed, this machine will help solve the problem of manpower shortage while at the same time expedite the tart making process.
Jatropha Fruit Peeler and Crusher
The two main parts of the machine are the peeler (which peels the skin) and the extractor which separates the skin from the flesh of the fruit.
The machine is 1.5m (length) x 0.7 m (width) x 1.4m (height) and can proccess up to 40kg/hr.
Fruit Grading Machine
The machine, designed for grading fruits based on the desired size/weight, operates automatically and complies with the standard set by the Federal Agriculture Marketing Authority (FAMA).
News prepared by Muhamad Najkhan Mazlan, 03-89466130 and photo by Noor Azreen Awang, 03-89466199 (MarComm)
