DESIGN, FABRICATION AND PERFORMANCE EVALUATION OF A SEMI-

AUTOMATED COCONUT LEAVES SEPARATOR MACHINE FOR

BROOMSTICK MAKING

CATHERINE B. GAVIA

An Undergraduate Thesis Outline Submitted to the Faculty of the Department of

Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering College of Engineering

Benguet State University, La Trinidad, Benguet

In Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements

for the Degree of

BACHELOR OF SCIENCE IN AGRICULTURAL AND BIOSYSTEMS

ENGINEERING

MAY 2023
 INTRODUCTION

Background of the Study

Coconut is a great natural resources. It provides food, drink, clothing and shelter.

Aside from its natural products, it also provides income for livelihood. One of its product

is the broomstick, or more locally known as “walis ting-ting” and is considered as a very

important cleaning tool among Filipinos. Therefore, most of Filipino households use

broomstick. Being a very important cleaning tool, broomstick is not only used in

household purposes but also in the manufacturing industry as well (Foale 2013).

Broom making is a very simple activity that traditionally involves mostly rural

women. Historically, women are the ones who weave and create. This served as a

livelihood activity especially for those living in the upland communities. The materials

used for the production of broomstick involves very simple ones, such as coconut

midribs, rubber, or any string that will hold the midribs together and tools such as knife

and scissors. With the abundance of the coconut trees in the Philippines, one of the

products that we are quite familiar with is the broom stick, also known as “walis

tingting”. The walis tingting is used outdoors on rough surfaces, sometimes concrete, but

most often on the bare ground. (KGM Broomstick Production). The walis tingting is

made from the middle veins, also called as midribs, of the frond pinnae of coconut leaves.

Traditionally, the midribs are manually separated from the leaves and cleaned manually

with the use of a blade. This type of manual process consumes a lot of time, thus limiting

the production rate. Broom made from coconut palm frond is not completely replaced,

but commonly preferred as an important cleaning tool in the Philippines. It is seen in

almost all Filipino households and in the manufacturing industry as well.

 Observing how the traditional method of producing coconut broomsticks contrasts

with the methods used to produce other types of brooms gave rise to the idea of creating

this machine to separate midribs from coconut leaflets. When comparing a human to a

machine, a person is inconsistent and ultimately becomes fatigued whereas a machine

consistently delivers work and maximizes performance.

For speedier production of coconut broomstick, this study will commence in

Aurora Province especially in the coastal area where broomstick are their source of

income and then spread over the entire nation. Gaining additional funds is significant for

their family, as they typically have a little source of income.

Statement of the Problem

This study aims to design and fabricate a machine that helps people in Aurora

Province especially in coastal areas that has a business related to broomstick because

their procedure of making coconut broomstick is done manually using a blade or knives

only and it consumes a lot of time and uses a lot of human power to make a lot of

broomsticks. One way to address this problem the following:

1. How the machine helps to remove the leaves without destroying the midribs?

2. How do we make a machine that is affordable?

3. How can we help to reduce or lessen the amount of time in producing

broomstick?

4. What should be the quality of the coconut leaves?

 Objectives of the Study

This study aims to help the residents of Aurora Province especially in the coastal area

who produce coconut broomsticks as their livelihood to speed up their production and to

lessen the human effort. These are the specific objectives of this study:

1. To design and fabricate coconut leaves separator machine.

2. To evaluate the coconut leaves separator machine in terms of capacity, efficiency

and electrical consumption.

3. To compare the machine and the traditional making in terms of capacity.

4. To perform a simple cost analysis about the machine.

Significance of the Study

The purpose of the study is to design and assess the performance and acceptability

level of the new machine compared to the traditional one. This study aims to improve and

solve the issues using the traditional making of broomstick which is the used of blades

and knives. The users will know that using this machine will be safer, more efficient, and

less time-consuming and make their job easier in daily lives. Broomsticks maker machine

will help the users cope with the modern development which focused in technologies and

guide them as we move forward to the modernization.

Scope and Limitations

The scope of this study is to design, fabricate and evaluate a machine that will be

used in making a broomstick. This study only focuses on the factors that need to be

consider in making the machine safer to use and on how the machine will decreases
human interaction in the process of making. This study does not cover the other type of

broomstick but only to coconut broomsticks.

Time and Place of the Study

The design, fabrication and evaluation of the study will be done at the College of

Engineering, Benguet State University, La Trinidad Benguet in the school year of 2023-

2024.

Definition of Terms

1. Conveyor Rollers – consisting of fixed-location rollers over which materials are

moved by gravity or propulsion.

2. Decibel Meter – an instrument which is used to measure the noise or sound

pressure level which we can hear. Decibel meter is also known as sound level

meter as it gives the level of loudness of a sound.

3. Midrib – a large strengthened vein along the midline of a leaf.

4. Walis ting-ting – is used for sweeping the bare ground in the yard.

5. Frond – the leaf or leaflike part of a palm, fern, or similar plant.

6. Lignin – a complex organic polymer deposited in the cell walls of many plants,

making them rigid and woody.

7. Tachometer – an instrument measuring the rotation speed of a shaft or disk, in a

motor or other machine. The device usually displays the revolutions per minute

(RPM).
 REVIEW OF RELATED LITERATURE

Coconut

The coconut palm is called cocoa nut. Cocos nucifera is a member of the palm

family Arecaceae. It is the only accepted species in the genus Cocos (Anon 2013).

Coconut palms are grown in more than 80 countries of the world, with a total production

of 61 million tonnes per year (FAO 2010). Coconut trees are classified into two types.

These are tall and dwarf (Pradeepk umar 2008). Coconut leaves are called fronds and

these are 4.5 to 5.5 m in length. Tall coconut trees produce 12 to 18 leaves per year

whether dwarfs produce 20 to 22 leaves (Chan and Elevitch 2006). Old leaves break

away cleanly and it keeps the trunk smooth (Pradeepkumar 2008). In every year, huge

amount of leaves are collected from the plantation of coconut.

Midrib of coconut leaf contains 67.12% hollocelulose. Availability of coconut

leaves and chemical composition are the possibility to take it under consideration of a

raw material of pulp and paper mills. It is used for fuel and it has no effective use. The

use of midrib in pulp and paper industry is one of the economic uses. It will also help to

solve the problem of raw material for pulp and paper industry. In this study, therefore, it

was tried to identify the pulp quality of midrib of coconut leaves considering the pulp

properties.

Coconut Production in the Philippines

Coconuts are used for many natural products, including foods, drinks, fibers,

building materials, chemicals, and the like. According to Henrylito D. Tacio (2010), the

coconut industry is a source of livelihood to one-third of the total population in the

Philippines. As of 2015, we have an area of 3.517 M hectares. It is 26% of total

agricultural land and 68 out of 81 provinces are coconut areas. We have 329.9 Million

bearing trees (Philippine Coconut Authority 2015).

The Philippines is the second largest producer of coconut products in the world

next to Indonesia. The coconut production from April to June 2021 grew to 3.29 million

metric tons or an increase of 0.8 percent from 3.26 million metric tons in the same quarter

of the preview year. Davao region was the top producer with 455.45 thousand metric tons

output or 13.8 percent of total coconut production. This was followed by Northern

Mindanao and Zamboanga Peninsula with 13.3 and 12.7 percent shares, respectively

(PSA, 2021).

Coconuts are planted on the beaches, where they are best adapted to saltwater

conditions, and on slopes, where they provide critical ecological functions, as a close

alternative for the original tropical rain vegetative cover of forests. Coconuts are resistant

to typhoons and salt, and can only be uprooted by extremely strong winds. Coconut loses

some fruits and flowers after a typhoon hits, but it recovers after a year or two. Fresh

coconut, copra, coconut oil, copra cake, desiccated coconut, coconut shell, shell charcoal,

shell flour, coconut husk, mattress coir fiber, coir bristle, coir dusts and shoots, entire

nuts, husked coconuts, and coconut water are among the 15 varieties of coconut products

produced in the nation. During the 1990s and 2000s, exports accounted for 75% of total

output, while 25% was processed and eaten locally. Coconut, on the other hand, accounts

for 7% of agricultural production. In 2014, there were roughly 3.5 million hectares under

coconut production, resulting in a total coconut yield of 14,696 million nuts and 2.217

million metric tons (MIMT) in copra equivalent. Coconut plantations occupy 26% total
agricultural acreage of the country. Coconut production accounts for 27.19 percent of the

agriculture subsector's total land area. The 3.502 million hectares of arable land in the

Philippines are home to 340 million coconut trees. This sector produces approximately 14

billion nuts each year and employs over 25 million Filipinos. Out of 340 million coconut

trees in the Philippines, 51 million are over 50 years old and need to be replaced. The raw

materials will be produced by the remaining 289 million trees. This requires the

upgrading of coconut production by strengthening farmers and expanding the industrial

sector. The Philippine coconut industry will be enhanced through institutional

connections between the government, farmers, and the industrial sector (Moreno, Marife

L., Kuwornu, John K.N., Szabo, Sylvia, 2020).

DENR Region 1 is a member of the Ilocos Agriculture, Aquatic and Resources

Research and Development Consortium (ILAARRDEC), a consortium of 18 agencies in

the Ilocos region involved in agricultural research and extension. Its headquarters are

located in the main campus of the Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) in Batac

City. This five-hectare plantation was added to the existing 682 hectares of tiger

grass plantations in the province, which supply raw materials to broom makers in Region

1 and the Cordilleras. In turn, these broom makers deliver soft brooms to various

market outlets in the province at the rate of 12,000 brooms per month. According to the

DENR, the five-hectare plantation can produce some 44,000 panicles, and this

is projected to contribute to a 15 percent increase in the supply of raw materials annually.

The 44,000 panicles can be made into a 419 soft brooms.

The project will give farmers additional income through a sharing scheme

between the project beneficiaries and the people’s organization (PO). Thus, for every

harvest of 8 to 10 bundles, which is equivalent to 8 brooms, the PO gets one

bundle. The income generated by the PO will be used to further expand the plantation

area and support other livelihood projects identified by the association.

Issues affecting the viability of the craft

It is possible to teach someone to make a broom quite easily and quickly but it

takes time to get good at it – the more frequently you make besoms, the neater and better

you make them.  The demand for besoms has fallen substantially (by as much as 75 per

cent) in the last 15-20 years – main customers tend to be people who used besoms

growing up and they are now ageing and dying off. A new market is emerging in brooms

for pagan weddings. The achievable price per broom does not reflect the time spent

unless you can get very proficient and produce high volumes quickly. Even then the

return is well below the minimum wage taking into account the time cutting as well as

making. The demand for brooms is there, but it is very difficult to earn a living solely

from making brooms – need to have other products/income streams too. The demand is

there but not the craftspeople to meet it – need to find some way to encourage people to

take it on, but very difficult when you cannot make a living from it. Many people have

never used a besom and so are not aware of its versatility and what a besom can do – e.g.

flick leaves off a wet lawn (which leaf blowers can’t do), get rid of worm casts and moss

without damaging lawns (unlike a rake), get into lots of corners (which you can’t do with

a yard broom), use delicately such as to remove leaves from gravel.

Designing a Machine

Machine is a combination of linkages having definite motion and capable of

performing useful work. Machine Design is creation of plans for the machine to perform
the desired functions.  Machine design can be defined as creation of right combination of

correctly proportioned moving and stationary components so constructed and joined as to

enable the liberation, transformation and utilization of energy. Scientific principles,

technical knowledge and imagination are used to develop a machine or mechanical

system to perform specific functions with maximum economy and efficiency. It includes

the creation of new better machines or improving the existing ones. Machine Design

requires the knowledge of basic and engineering sciences such as Physics, Mathematics,

Engineering Mechanics, Strength of Materials, Theory of Machines, Thermodynamics

and Heat Transfer, Vibrations, Fluid Mechanics, Metallurgy, Manufacturing Processes

and Engineering Drawing.

In machine design, the designer’s task is to determine the motion, forces and

energy transfer involved so as to determine the sizes, shapes and materials for each

element of the machine. When any component of machine ceases to perform its intended

function, machine element or machine is said to have failed. Generally the machine

elements are designed on the basis of strength and rigidity so that they are able to

withstand the applied load with permissible deformation or stress. In addition to strength

and stiffness, other factors that are considered in design of machine element are weight,

cost, wear, safety, reliability etc. Design work may involve concentrating on one

component at a time, but it is very important to simultaneously consider its relation with

the other components and the product as a whole.

In machine design, as in any other kind of design, no standard procedure or rigid

rules can be specified for the designer, but the following steps are generally followed:

Problem to be solved or desired purpose of the machine is completely and clearly stated.
 Possible mechanisms that will provide the desired motion or set of motions are

selected. Forces acting on and energy transmitted by each element of the machine are

determined. Best suitable material is selected for each of the machine element. Allowable

values of stress and deflection are determined for each machine element, depending upon

its material and functional requirements. Size and shape of each machine element is

determined so that it can withstand the applied loads without failure. Dimensions of the

machine elements are modified considering manufacturing aspects. Assembly and

detailed drawings of the machine are made with complete specification of materials and

manufacturing methods.

Existing Sugarcane Leaves Stripper

Cultivation of sugarcane in India dates back to Vedic period, the earliest mention

of sugarcane can be found in Indian ancient text from 1400 BC to 1000 BC. The early

production of sugar production in Indian subcontinent has been reported in the ancient

Sanskrit and Pali texts. The known earliest production is of crystalline sugar form

sugarcane began in North India. Different species of sugarcane originated at different

locations, with S. edule and S. officinarum having origin in New Guinea and

Saccharum barberi being native to India. (Department of Agriculture & Cooperation

and Farmers Welfare, 2021). India is second after Brazil in sugarcane production, for

2020-21 around 48.57 lakh hectare land was under sugarcane production in India

which is expected to go around 54.55 lakh hectares in 2021-22. Uttar Pradesh and

Maharashtra are leading cultivating states in India with 21.80 lakh hectares and 11.43

lakh hectares land under cultivation (2020-21 data). (DAC, 2021).

Traditional Way of making a Broomstick

Sweeping with a handmade broom can connect you with the long history of

brooms made out of natural materials, from improvised brooms crafted from broken

branches to rural artworks featuring decorative stitches.

Making a walis tingting is relatively easy to make, as you only need a few

materials for it. For this reason, some households in the Philippines choose to make their

own brooms instead of buying one at the market. But crafting your own walis

tingting requires diligence and patience.

Steps in making walis tingting:

1. Cut down several pieces of palm or coconut leaves to get the midribs.

2. Scrape off the midribs from the coconut or palm leaves. You can do this by

inserting the knife between the midrib and the green leaf to separate them.  Be

sure to remove all the green parts from the midribs and smoothen out the rough

parts by inserting the small knife between the midribs and the green parts of the

leaves.

3. Repeat the process for all the other leaves until you get a sufficient amount of

midribs for your walis tingting.

4. Next, dry the midribs you collected. For best results, sun-dry the midribs on the

roof of your house. This could take a few hours to even a whole day.

5. Prepare the string, rope, or binding material for your broom. Gather and bundle

your dried midribs and then tie them together using your string or rope. You can
 be creative with your binding material by making knots or even using

coconut/palm leaves to create your own string for the walis tingting.

6. Once the midribs have been bundled and tied together, you now have your

own walis tingting which you can use to sweep your house and yard clean.

Costing Analysis of an Existing Machine

A. Fixed cost, F

1. Depreciation Cost, D

The depreciation of the machine was determined using the straight-line

method with an estimated life of ten years. The salvage value of the machine

after ten years is ten percent of the initial cost.

Ci−s
D=
n

where: Ci = initial cost, PHP

S = salvage value, Php

n = Life span, years

2. Interest on Investment, Iinv

It is the price of money invested in the machine.

Ci + s
Iinv = (10%)
2

where: Ci = initial cost, PHP

S = salvage value, Php

3. Tax and Insurance, T&I

It refers to the tax and machinery insurance against unforeseen and sudden

physical damage to the insured machinery.

 T&I = Ci x 3%

where: Ci = initial cost, PHP

3% is the assumption for insurance

B. Variable Cost

1. Repair and maintenance, R&M

The cost of repair and maintenance increases with the number of years of

using the machine, as expressed by the following equation:

R&M = Ci x 10%

where: Ci = Initial cost, Php

2. Power Cost, Cp

It is the needed cost to operate the machine in terms of its power

consumption.

Cp = P x U x C e

where: P = Power consumption. kW

U = annual cost, PHP

Ce = Electricity Cost, kW/hr

C. Annual Operating Cost

This appeals to the increase in using the machine yearly.

Annual Operating Cost = F + V

where: F = Fixed cost, PHP

V = Variable Cost, Php

D. Profit During Operation

1. Net Income, N
 It is the income incurred by the difference between total revenue and the

annual operating cost.

N = TR – (F + V)

where: TR = Total revenue, Php

F = Fixed Cost, Php

V = variable cost, Php

2. Payback Period, PP

The time of the machine utilization to return the payment of its investment

expressed in ten years.

Ci
PP =
N

where: Ci = Initial Cost, Php

N = Net Income, Php

3. Return on Investment, ROI

Simple ratio that divides the net profit (or loss) from an investment by its

cost.

N
ROI = (100)
T

where: N = net income, Php

C = annual cost, Php/year

4. Break-even Point, BEP

The point at which total cost and total revenue are equal, meaning there is

no loss or gain.
 AFC
BEP = AVC
CR( )
C

where: AFC = Annual Fixed Cost

CR = Custom rate

AVC = Annual Variable Cost

C = Capacity, kg/year
 METHODOLOGY

Conceptual Framework

The study of this machine was conceptualized due to the rigorous labor of the

manual making of broomsticks. The process of separating leaves of the coconut to the

midribs using traditional process consumes a lot of time. Although people are enjoying

the traditional way of making the broomstick, they are still human that get tired and

experienced pain because of the blades and knives that they used to separate the leaves

and the midribs. Through the help of this coconut broomsticks maker machine, the

process of producing broomsticks will be faster and less exhaustive.

INPUT PROCESS OUTPUT

Design and Semi-automated

fabricate a Broomstick Maker
Testing the
machine. Machine
machine.
Evaluation of the
machine.
Collection of
Comparison
evaluated data.
between machine
and traditional way.
Payback Period,
Cost Analysis Data Collection and
Return of
Analysis
Investment, Break-
even Point
 Materials

The materials to be used in the construction of the machine are the following:

electric motor, shaft, steel brush rollers, chain and sprockets, toroidal transformer,

conveyor rollers, pulleys, angle bar steel bracket, spray paint, galvanized flat sheet,

bearings, bolts, and nuts, and welding rods. The equipment and tools to be used are

measuring tools, marking tools, cutting tools, grinding tools, screwdrivers, electric drill,

welding machine, pliers, wrench, and clamp. For testing the efficiency of the coconut

broomstick maker machine, a weighing scale, Tachometer, and stopwatch.

Design Consideration

The construction of the semi-automated coconut broomsticks maker machine will

consider the following factors:

1. It must be made out of locally available materials.

2. It is simple and easy to operate.

3. It can be operated by only one person.

Components of Semi-Automated Broomsticks Maker Machine

The initial design of the coconut leaves separator machine for broomstick making

has been referenced to the existing manual broomstick maker. This machine comprises

the right components to separate the midrib from the leaflet. The quality of coconut
 leaves to be fed to the machine and the time it takes to make a bundle of midribs

manually compared to the operation of machine.

Electric Motor
Steel Brush
Rollers

Chains
Intlet

Outlet
Conveyor
Rollers
Bin

Wheel

Major Components of the Machine

Electric motor

The electric motor is serve as the prime mover. It is used to provide power for the

machine to work.

Steel Brush Rollers

The machine uses steel brushes rollers for peeling process of the coconut leaves

and separation of leaflet to midrib.

Conveyor Rollers
 The Conveyor rollers helps the operator to move in the coconut leaves and push it

to the peeling material which is the steel brush rollers.

Bin

Bin serves as a trash bin where the dust coming from the coconut leaves goes.

Frame

Frame serves as the stand of the machine.

Principle of Operation

In machine operation, the power from the prime mover will be transmitted to the

conveyor rollers through pulleys and chain and sprocket. Belts are attached to the shaft

which is responsible for receiving power to the motor. After the prime mover starts,

through the operator’s assistance by inserting coconut leaves to the machine, the steel

brush rollers will start to scrape the coconut leaves and separate its leaflets to midribs.

The midribs will drop into the bin and the dust came from the leaves will drop into the

trash bin.

Evaluation Procedure

1. Separate the leaflets to keel.

2. The leaflets will scrape and separate the leaflets to midribs through steel brush

rollers.

3. Three trials shall be conducted during evaluation. One bundle for each different

types of coconut leaves like fresh leaves and dried leaves.

 4. The speed of the conveyor rollers will vary on the toroidal transformer. The rpm

of the steel brush and the shaft of the machine is measured by tachometer.

5. The duration of time shall start from the first discharge of the broomstick at the

outlet and shall end after the discharge of the product.

6. After operating time, the midrib shall be collected.

7. Observation to be taken during the performance test shall be recorded.

Data to be Gather

The data to be gathered during testing are as follows:

1. Time of operation (min)

- The amount of time spent on the scraping.

2. Number of leaves fed

- Amount of leaves that the machine can scrape

3. Number of sticks peeled well

- Total number of stick that the machine will peel without damage.

4. Number of stick not peeled well

- Total number of stick that the machine will not peel.

5. Number of bundles per hour

- Total number of broomstick bundle that the machine will generate in

an hour.

6. Power rate consumption per hour

- Amount of energy used by the machine during the operation. The

energy consumption of the machine will be measured using clamp

meter.
Formula to be Use

The following formulas/equations to be used in gathering data:

A. Shredding Efficiency

Effs = 100 – Ubm

where: Effs = shredding efficiency, %

Ubm = percent unshredded biomass materials, %

B. Electric Energy Consumption

Ec=Pc x ¿

Where: Ec = electrical energy consumption (kW-hr)

Pc = power consumed (kW)

TO = total operating time (h)

Statistical Analysis

The study will consider the operating speed of belt and pulley, expressed in

revolution per minute (rpm). It will be determined during the preliminary testing of the

machine. The data to be gathered will be analyzed through one factorial analysis in a

Completely Randomized Design (CRD with three replications). Analysis of Variance

(ANOVA) shall be used to determine whether differences among treatment means are

significantly different. In contrast, the Least Significant Difference (LSD) will determine

which among the treatment means are significantly different from each other.

LITERATURE CITED
Das, A. K., Biswas, S. K., Nazhad M. (2013). Effective use of mid-rib of coconut (Cocos

nucifera) leaves for pulp and paper industry evaluating pulp quality. Saarbrucken,

Deutschland / Germany: LAP Lambert Academic Publishing

Foale, M. (2003). The coconut odyssey: The bounteous possibilities of the tree of life, 1,

15-16. Retrieved from http://aciar.gov.au/files/node/453/mono101.pdf

Jayavel, R., Dharmalingam S. (May 2011). Coconut: The Versatile Palm. Market Survey:

Facts For You. Retrieved from http://www.efymag.com/admin/issuepdf/coconut-

may11.pdf

Carpenter, Daniel (2017). Broom Making, The heritage Crafts Association. Retrieved

from Broom making | Heritage Crafts

Kinjia. BK (2018). Broom Industry Shines in Region. Retrieved from Soft Broom

Industry Shines In Region! – Agriculture Monthly

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