Performance evaluation of coconut palm climbing aid by analytical hierarchy process and quality function deployment techniques

Abstract

Agricultural machinery demand is increasing day by day due to lack of skilled human power availability and increasing cost of cultivation. The growth of agro-machinery industry depends on the farmer’s desire to produce more farm produce to meet requirement of food for exploding population. Coconut tree is known as “Kalpavirksham” in Kerala due to its complete utilization coconuts and wood for many other purposes. Coconut climbing is a risky job since climbers are subjected to injuries on calf muscles, wrist, hands, overall discomfort in foot, body trunk in hip etc. Above risks of palm climbers have to be overcome by using appropriate climbing aids. Today we have different types of coconut palm climbing aids in the market and under development research organizations. These climbing aids work on either sitting or standing working posture mode. No studies have been conducted yet to evaluate the needs of farmers from palm climbing aids technical specifications and other parameters. Hence, a study was conducted to evaluate the performance of the climbing aids from the climber’s requirement as well as from the engineering requirements with possibility of improving design and fabrication point of view with other models of climbing aids. So, a survey study conducted and information were gathered from the coconut climbing customers and these feedbacks were evaluated according to their primary and secondary requirements. Thereafter, these customer requirements were found and accordingly the technical specifications and parameters that affect system were studied by analytical hierarchy process and quality functional deployment techniques. The relative weights of the different criteria were determined by the AHP method and it was applied in the QFD chart. The QFD chart was based on relationship between both customer as well as the engineering parameters. The survey results were applied for the development climber requirements and technical assessment of climbers. The palm climbing aids studied were mainly the Chemberi, Kerasuraksha and KAU Make models. Most of the traditional and experienced climbers preferred standing type model from the feedback survey. This project study revealed that the palm climbers’ requirements were elucidated from the study based on the feedback from farmers. The climbers’ opinions were sorted out and analysed by QFD approach to identify the major needs and problems the climbing aids face in the development of designing and performance.