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The commercialization of
the technique of making a small item like a tray out of bamboo mat in a
cottage industry or SSI unit has many benefits. No doubt, the quality and
craftsmanship of articles produced in India are praiseworthy but due to
lack of handy tools and machines, mass production is very often hindered.
A household thing like tray is not only a thing of beauty but also a thing
of much use. Such a widely used article needs to be manufactured in mass
scale so that the cost of the article remains within every one's reach.
Technology developed at
IPIRTI is simple and does not require very high cost machineries. The
process can be adopted after undergoing a short training or through IPIRTI
technology transfer and the product can be manufactured in a cottage or
small scale industry. Tray being a part of every household there is a wide
market for this product.
MANUFACTURING PROCESS
After cross cutting and
splitting the bamboo, the epidermal layer is removed. 0.6mm (-15%) thick
slivers are made manually or mechanically. Slivers are woven into
herringbone or rectangular pattern. Prophylactic treatment is given to
enhance durability. The treated mats are dried in the sun or in oven or
dryer. The mats are then soaked in resin and stacked for 2 hours. Resin
treated mats are then dried to 8 per cent moisture content. The mats are
then assembled and hot pressed in a moulded press under high pressure and
temperature. Hot pressed trays are ready to use after minor hand
finishing.
Bamboo mat trays are
eco-friendly products that can be produced by small entrepreneurs unlike
BMB which requires high capital investment. While a small scale industry
with a capacity of 400 trays per day can be established with a capital
investment of less than 20 lakhs, a cottage industry with a production
capacity of 100 days per day can be set up with less than 10 lakhs
investment. Profile for the manufacture of trays in SSI section has been
prepared.
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