MODIFICATION OF NATURAL RUBBER LATEX PROCESSING MACHINE TO IMPROVE THE NATURAL RUBBER SHEET PRODUCTION PROCESSES

• Main Author: Kresnandi, Wibawa
• Format: Theses
• Language: Indonesia
• Subjects: Teknik (Rekayasa, enjinering dan kegiatan berkaitan)
• Online Access: https://digilib.itb.ac.id/gdl/view/41256
• Institution: Institut Teknologi Bandung

This study deals with the reengineering or modification of natural rubber latex processing machine to improve the natural rubber sheet production processes at PT Perkebunan Nusantara VIII. The back ground of this study includes the efforts to modify the existing roll sheeter machine to have a flexibility on roller distance adjustment. The roll sheeter machine is used to process natural rubber latex into a rubber sheets. The existing machine are used since 1970. The machine has 5 rollers station with each consist of 2 roller, top and bottom roller. Between top and bottom roller is connected by spur gears and driven by electro motor through drive chain transmission. This simple construction provides “unmatched” performance to the current requirements. A latex gum with an average thickness of 30,0 mm should be rolled into a rubber sheet with a thickness of approximately 3,0 mm by adjusting the distance between top rollers and bottom rollers. These rollers are mechanical connected by using spur gears directly, and this provides a difficulties on roller distance adjustment to meet the condition or raw material to be rolled, products quality and process efficiency. Rubber sheet thickness produced is about 5,0 mm, slow production process, inconsistency in the rubber sheet thickness, too much air bubbles and wasteful use of wood in the drying process of rubber. In this study a machine modification is done with adding a couple of spur gears and their seats, with this a roller distance can be adjusted easily to meet raw material conditions, quality and process efficiency, and in other hand reducing worker involvement and drying time.