In a bid to address the growing problem of coir fibre shortage in the coir industry, engineers in Kerala have developed a new portable machine that can extract high quality coir fibre from green coconut husk. Raw materials shortage has been one of the biggest challenges that the coir industry has been facing in the recent past.

The mini de-fibering machine has been developed and patented by the National Coir Research and Management Institute as a low-cost alternative to the wide variety of non-standard, high-maintenance machines currently employed by coir production units.

The machine is specially designed to ensure extraction of longer fibres without breakage. The pith which is produced as a by-product of the process is increasingly finding use as a soil conditioner and organic fertiliser in agriculture as well as a filler in rubber products manufacturing, Mr K.R. Anil, NCRMI Director, said.

The machine consists of a rotor unit inside a cylindrical shell with inlets and outlets at either end. Fresh coconut husk is fed into the shell which removes the fibres and pith through impact separation within the unit. Long, high-quality fibres and the shorter baby fibres emerge through two different ports, so their separation is faster and more efficient.

A single de-fibering machine can process up to 3,000-3,500 green husks a day, and the NCRMI says it offers multiple advantages over conventional de-fibering processes, including higher productivity, low energy consumption, less environment pollution and greater health and safety benefits for workers.

“Out of the nearly 2,35,000 tonnes of husk required annually, we are able to produce just 35,000 tonnes,” Mr Anil said. “Improving accessibility to raw materials is vital if we are to meet the growing demand for coir products within India and worldwide.”

The system also does away with retting, which results in extensive pollution and bad odour. The NCRMI, based in Thiruvananthapuram, is demonstrating the new easy-to-operate machine at the Coir Kerala 2012 trade event currently under way in Alappuzha.

Being relatively lightweight, the machine is ideal for small cottage industry units. It eliminates need for costly transportation of the heavy green husk over long distances because it can carry out the husk to fibre conversion on-site.

Already, Kerala's Department of Coir has supplied 300 of these de-fibering machines to various coir co-operatives, self-help groups and private entrepreneurs. The target is to manufacture and supply 1,000 machines this year with more technical improvements.

Mr Anil said Coir Kerala 2012, which has attracted 85 overseas participants from 32 countries and 140 domestic exhibitors, is an ideal platform to showcase the new machine. Since conventional de-fibering systems can no longer be relied on to meet the raw material requirements of the industry, the NCRMI is hoping the new machine will be widely adopted by production units.

cj@thehindu.co.in

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