Streamlining Bamboo Fiber Extraction

Introduction

We are excited to share the progress and purpose of our recent project at Bambooder, funded by the Kansen voor West grant (KvW3-00100), co-financed by the European Union. This grant has been instrumental in developing a preprocessing pilot setup essential for our bamboo fiber extraction processes.

Project Purpose

At Bambooder, our primary input materials are bamboo chips and slats, sourced from our suppliers. Currently, these inputs are produced manually, which slows down the preparation process and increases costs. Additionally, manual production methods pose safety risks and can lead to inconsistent material quality, resulting in waste.

With the Kansen voor West grant, our goal is to develop automated input preparation machines to assist our suppliers. These machines will ensure that the input materials meet our specifications and maintain a high level of quality. The automation will significantly enhance efficiency, reduce costs, and improve safety.

Development and Implementation

The project involves the creation of two essential machines:

1.Slat Preparation Machine: This machine will produce slats from full bamboo poles. Ensuring the slats are consistent and of high quality is crucial for our fiber extraction process.

2.Chipper Machine: This machine will convert the slats into chips when they do not meet the requirements for our long fiber line.

The design phase for both machines has been completed. The chipper is now in the second iteration of prototyping. The first prototype (top image) faced several issues. Firstly, the feeding process was not automated and required manual input of individual slats, leading to significant time loss. Secondly, the machine was not robust, often jamming due to slats.

To address these issues, we designed and implemented a new chipper (bottom image). This updated version features an automated feeding system and greatly improved quality and reliability. The new chipper is currently being tested at Bambooder.

| 2^nd Chipper prototype

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Work on finalizing the design of the slat preparation machine is underway, and we are optimistic about its completion soon.

Financial Support

The Kansen voor West grant, with a generous contribution of €621,060.00 co-financed by the European Union, has significantly bolstered the production and development of these essential machines. This financial support is pivotal in achieving our project goals and advancing our bamboo fiber extraction processes.

Conclusion

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Kansen voor West and the European Union for their invaluable support. This grant has enabled us to innovate and improve our production processes, ensuring higher efficiency, safety, and quality. We look forward to the continued success and positive impact of this project on our operations and the bamboo fiber industry.

Thank you, Kansen voor West, for making this possible.

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