BANDUNG, unpas.ac.id – To support and optimize agricultural sector in Indonesia, UNPAS Faculty of Engineering created a multifunctional portable tractor, which is named as TractorPack. It is in small-sized; to make it easier for farmer to operate.
According to the UNPAS Head of Innovation, Technology and Business Center who is also the Inventor of TractorPack, Ir. Farid Rizayana, MT, the tractor is multifunctional, because it is not only for maintaining the agricultural land, but also having been useful for water pump, generator and spray for pests.
“This tractor is portable, easy to hold on [our] back. It has several functions, so we can call it multifunction. It has been our research for few years in the UNPAS [department] Mechanical Engineering,” he explained in the TractorPack Workshop, Jalan Kiputih I, Ciumbuleuit, Bandung, on Monday (March 8th, 2021).
The tractor initiated by the final assignment has been prototyped since 2014. It then was being researched and improved by the lectures, alumni and students, and also being commercialized.
“We sent the final-assignment-based project to the program of Technology-Based Beginner Entrepreneurs (lit. Calon Pengusaha Pemula Berbasin Teknologi (CPPBT)) and to the Technology-Based Product Development (lit. Pengembangan Produk Berbasis Teknologi (PPBT)). Alhamdulillah, we had the opportunity to join PPBT,” he said.
Based on its name, TractorPack was indeed designed for a more practical use. In the position of bladeless (without the tractor blade), TractorPack only weighs about 18 kilograms. Meanwhile, when it is in use, it weighs 23 kilograms.
To run the installation, it needs 4 to 5 people with different task; assembling the tractor blade, fixing the gearbox to the tractor frame, assembling accessories and machine.
TractorPack itself has been improved four times so far. In fact, the weight of the tractor was once lowered from 32 kilograms to 17 kilograms.
“During the tractor weight reduction trials, farmers complained that it was too light, making it difficult to operate. Therefore, we increase it again by strengthening and increasing the load, then we agreed it that the final weight is 23 kilograms,” he added.
Currently, TractorPack could only be used for the post-harvested land. As for the new one, it still need to be helped with a lawn tripper and an operator for collecting the grass or branches.
TractorPack has been spread out through 12 provinces in Indonesia. It has also been currently purchased the Ministry of Research and Technology/ National Agency of Research and Innovation and distributed to the farmers in several regions in Indonesia.
One unit of tractor is tagged Rp 10.800.000 at price with the target market for government agencies to be distributed to farmers.
Regarding the rights, TractorPack has its patents registered to the Directorate General of Higher Education and is now preparing a patent draft to be re-registered next month.
“[Other] achievements were that we got invited by the British Government to present the TractorPack in London. There are lot of innovations from many countries in which we have been given briefing and opportunity to compete the others [countries],” he said.
Not only helping agricultural sector in Indonesia, TractorPack also seeks to empower Small and Medium Industries (lit. Industri Kecil Menengah (IKM)) in West Java to make tractor components.
“We do not only produce each component in our place by purchasing an expensive equipment, but we also use the existing industries to make tractor components,” he ended (Reta Amaliyah S).