DEVELOPMENT OF THE PORTABLE ARECA NUT CUTTER

Supakit  Prangpitak; Waraporn  Muansripeng; Teetuch  Jongsuk; Jantalakha  Niyompong; Umapron  Thongdonphun; Sirion  Son-ong

Supakit Prangpitak Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University
Waraporn Muansripeng Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University
Teetuch Jongsuk Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University
Jantalakha Niyompong Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University
Umapron Thongdonphun Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University
Sirion Son-ong Suan Sunandha Rajabhat University

Keywords: Development of Equipment, Cutting, Areca Nut, Portable

Abstract

This research aims to develop The Portable Areca Nut Cutter. The data was collected
through in-depth interviews and focus groups with 5 Dried areca nut farmers in Phuket,
Thailand and 1 expert in mechanical engineering related to product design and development.
The analysis of efficiency in terms of time, cost, and reliability revealed that using a traditional
big knife for cutting 50 areca nuts results in an average time of 16 minutes and 33 seconds. In
contrast, utilizing a Portable Areca Nut Cutter for the same quantity takes an average time of 2
minutes and 43 seconds. Regarding cost, the labor cost for cutting 1,000 areca nuts before
having the Portable Areca Nut Cutter was 5 hours and 56 minutes, equivalent to labor wages
of 255.76 Baht per day. After having the Portable Areca Nut Cutter, the time was reduced to 1
hour and 19 minutes, resulting in labor wages of 54.74 Baht per day, leading to a total labor
cost reduction of 201.02 Baht. In terms of reliability, the Portable Areca Nut Cutter achieved
100% accuracy, areca nuts that meet specified standards, exhibiting a beautiful appearance and
without any damage.