Engineering Bulletin #102 front cover - PALMOILISpalmoilis.mpob.gov.my/publications/POEB/poeb110.pdf · A2.7 Kursus Drebar Enjin 3 ... the Factory and Machinery Act 1967 (FMA) it

PALM OIL ENGINEERING BULLETIN NO. 110 1

Engineering Bulletin #102

front cover

LEMBAGA MINYAK SAWIT MALAYSIAMALAYSIAN PALM OIL BOARD

KEMENTERIAN PERUSAHAAN PERLADANGAN DAN KOMODITI MALAYSIAMINISTRY OF PLANTATION INDUSTRIES AND COMMODITIES, MALAYSIA

Website: www.mpob.gov.my

ISSUE NO. 110 (Jan. - Mar. 2014)


EDITORIAL BOARD

ChairpersonDatuk Dr Choo Yuen May

MembersDr Lim Weng SoonAb Aziz Md Yusof

SecretaryIr N Ravi Menon

Malaysian Palm Oil BoardMinistry of Plantation Industries and Commodities,

Malaysia6 Persiaran Institusi, Bandar Baru Bangi,

43000 Kajang, Selangor, Malaysia.Tel: 603-8769 4400Fax: 603-8925 9446

Website: www.mpob.gov.my

© Malaysian Palm Oil Board, 2014All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, with-

out the prior written permission of the publisher.

Products and services advertised in thisPalm Oil Engineering Bulletin do not

connote endorsement by MPOB.

Editorial

see page 2

CONTENTS

Editorial

TRAINING AND SEMINARSMPOB Training Programme 2014

MPOB Conferences and Seminars 2014

FEATURE ARTICLESGlimpses of Occupational and Health Act 1994 (OSHA) Part 1: Permit to Work - A Must

Lubrication Management for Reduced Contamination and Increased Productivity

Declining Trends in Oil Extraction Rate (OER): Are We Facing an Impasse?

DATASHEET Ready Reckoner for Engineers

1

9

11

10

T

19

15

35

he millers are often tempted to recover residue oil in empty fruit bunches (EFB). The recovery sys-

tem adopted to recover the residual oils is by no means simple, or the recovered oil, a commodity of desirable value. The resid-ual oil, classified as sludge oil, commands half the value of crude palm oil. Now, the question is whether it is worthwhile to go through such a Herculean effort to earn dis-proportionate returns. Despite such efforts, the industry is still struggling to maintain its normal throughputs. No doubt, the ef-forts put in are commendable for a good cause but they are not applied in a place where it can produce results. The correct approach to raise the productivity of the in-dustry is to understand that the oil palm fruits after reaching the mill cannot synthe-sise any more oil than what is within and it is unlikely residue oil loss can be reduced to zero.

The first criterion for achieving the target of increasing the oil extraction rate (OER) is to improve the quality of the crop. The ferti-liser application at the right frequency and quantity will ensure that the mesocarp of the fruit is well developed. The OER is re-lated to the mesocarp thickness of the fruits in the bunch.

The OER of a mill can increase signifi-cantly if the plantation can improve loose fruit collection as loose fruits, being the outer fruits, contains maximum oil com-pared to the inner fruits.

The third important factor is loose fruits collection. The majority of the plantations are facing difficulties in delivering even 4% of loose fruits due to many reasons, the foremost of which is labour shortage. Set-ting high targets of yield and OER will not help to accomplish them unless it is sup-ported by the required labour force.

Another factor, although not so wide-spread is the rodents which consume con-

PALM OIL ENGINEERING BULLETIN NO. 1102

from page 1

CALL FOR ARTICLESPersonnel of the palm oil mills are invited to send in articles of relevance to the palm oil industry in Malaysia for publication in Palm Oil Engineering Bulletin. By sharing your expertise you will be helping the industry and the nation as a whole. The topics of interest are:

1. Plant modifications done in your mill that resulted in improvements in milling operation or main-tenance.

2. Innovations done in your mill that produced improvements in the operation of the mill and that you are willing to share them with others.

3. Any special work done in your mill that directly resulted in improvements in OER and product quality.

Please submit your article to us and we shall be pleased to publish them in Palm Oil Engineering Bulletin. Feel proud to have your articles published in this Bulletin that is circulated throughout the industry and MPOB offices worldwide.

siderable quantity of fruit mesocarp. The damaged fruits could easily be 10%! It needs positive effort on the part of the plantation management to maintain control over well-known pests. An enhanced system of pest control is necessary, otherwise causing fur-ther reduction in mill OER.

The fifth factor is stones and trash accom-panying the crop. This will not only affect the

OER adversely but will also cause extensive damage to the mill machinery. The iron that goes into the crude palm oil should be re-duced to prevent oxidation of the oil.

Some sections of the industry blame the fruit dealers for the poor quality of the crop but they should not be the only ones to take the blame. These issues can be ironed out amicably with serious commitment from every quarter of the industry.


Training & Seminars

MPOB TRAINING PROGRAMME 2014

A1.2 Intensive Diploma in Oil Palm Management and Technology (IDOPMT)Semester 1 3 – 20 Mar

MPOB HQEstate Attachment 24 – 28 MarSemester 2 31 Mar – 24 AprEstate Attachment 27 Apr – 3 MaySemester 3 5 – 29 May

A1.3 Kursus Operator Mekanisasi Ladang (KOML)Tahap 1 dan 2 Mac (5 bulan) PLASMA Keratong, Pahang

Tahap 1 dan 2 Sep (5 bulan) PLASMA Keratong, Pahang

A1.4 Kursus Pengurusan dan Penyelenggaraan Nurseri SawitBil. 1: Wilayah Sabah 6 – 7 Apr Hotel Embi, Tawau, SabahBil. 2: Wilayah Sarawak 21 – 22 Mei Hotel Dorset, Kuching, SarawakBil. 3: Wilayah Timur/Selatan 3 – 4 Jun Hotel Prime City, Kluang, JohorBil. 4: Wilayah Utara 9 – 10 Sep Hotel Ritz Garden, Setiawan,

PerakBil. 5: Wilayah Tengah 14 – 15 Okt Hotel Gold Coast, Sepang,

Selangor

CODE NO. TITLE DATE VENUE

A COURSES 1 OIL PALM

A1.1 Kursus Kemahiran Menggred Buah Sawit

Bil. 1: Wilayah Sabah 15 – 17 Apr Hotel Pavilion, Sandakan, Sabah

Bil. 2: Wilayah Timur 6 – 8 Mei Hotel Prinz Park, Kuala Terengganu, Terengganu

Bil. 3: Wilayah Selatan 9 – 11 Jun Hotel Desaru, Kota Tinggi, Johor

Bil. 4: Wilayah Sarawak 17 – 19 Jun *Bil. 5: Wilayah Tengah 25 – 27 Jun Hotel Puteri Resort, MelakaBil. 6: Wilayah Utara 26 – 28 Ogos Hotel Grand Court, Teluk Intan,

PerakPeperiksaan Bil. 17 (Semenanjung) 30 Okt *Peperiksaan Bil. 16 (Sabah) 26 Nov *


For enquiry or further information, please contact:

HRD & Conference Management UnitTel. No. : 03-8769 4400 ext. 4865, 4860, 4867Fax No. : 03-8925 7549E-mail : [email protected]’s website : www.mpob.gov.my

All information are correct as at press time.

Training & Seminars

Note: *To be confirmed.

2 PALM OILA2.1 Diploma in Palm Oil Milling

Technology & Management (DIPOM)Semester I 10 – 19 Mar

PLASMA Lahad Datu, SabahSemester II 19 – 28 MaySemester III 11 – 20 AugExamination 29 – 30 Sep

A2.2 Cosmetic Course 5 – 9 May MPOB HQA2.3 The 28th MPOB Oil Palm Products

Surveying Course

The 27th MPOB Oil Palm Products Surveying Examination

23 – 27 Jul

Oct*

*

*A2.4 Kursus Penyelia Kilang Minyak Sawit

Peperiksaan

22 – 26 Sep

24 Nov

MPOB HQ

*A2.5 Kursus Pengendali Makmal Kilang

Minyak Sawit 18 – 28 Ogos PLASMA Lahad Datu, Sabah

A2.6 Kursus Penyelia Bengkel Kilang Sawit 13 – 17 Okt PLASMA Lahad Datu, SabahA2.7 Kursus Drebar Enjin 3 – 6 Nov MPOB HQ

B MPOB CONFERENCES AND SEMINARS1 PAC Seminar 10 Apr MPOB HQ2 Palm Industry Labour: Issues, Performance

and Sustainability Seminar (PILIPS) 20149 Jun

Pullman Kuching, Sarawak

3 TOT Seminar 18 Jun MPOB HQ4 GSAS Seminar 19 Jun MPOB HQ5 Persidangan Kebangsaan Pekebun Kecil

Sawit 201412 – 13 Ogos

RH Hotel, Sibu, Sarawak

6 2014 National Seminar on Palm Oil Mill-ing, Refining and Quality (POMREQ)

3 – 4 Nov Pullman Kuching, Sarawak

7 Seminar on Oil Palm Mechanisation (PalmMech) 2014

24 – 26 Nov MPOB HQ

8 MPOB- Industry Forum * *


Feature Article

* Malaysian Palm Oil Board, 6 Persiaran Institusi, Bandar Baru Bangi, 43000 Kajang, Selangor, Malaysia. E-mail: [email protected]

Glimpses of Occupational and Health Act 1994 (OSHA)

Part 1: Permit to Work - A MustN Ravi Menon*

TINTRODUCTION

he current Occupational Safety and Health Act or OSHA 1994 is com-pletely different from its precursor,

the Factory and Machinery Act 1967 (FMA) it replaced. While the FMA was prescrip-tive, limited and government depended, the OSHA 1994 is based on self-regulation, con-sultation and workers’ co-operation with a broad range of worker’s population. The philosophy and the guiding principles are summarised by Lord Alfred Robens as the responsibilities to ensure safety and health at the work place lies with those who create the risk and those who work with the risks.

The people who are involved in ensur-ing the welfare of the workers should make sincere efforts to make any work place a safe haven to work. Unfortunately in real-ity, this does not seem to be the case, due to lack of concern by the management, as well as the employees for the safety of workers in work places. It is not even necessary for

the government to pass an Act for ensuring the safety and health of workers if the em-ployers are considerate towards their work-ers and undertake measures to ensure their welfare. The need for a legislation for every aspect of interaction between employer and employees indicates that there is room for improvement in mutual relationship be-tween employers and employees.

The Act is applicable in all economic ac-tivities specified under the first schedule:

• manufacturing;• mining and quarry;• construction;• agriculture, forestry and fishing;• utilities: electricity, gas, water and

sanitary service;• transport, storage and communica-

tion;• wholesale and retail traders;• hotel and restaurant;• finance, insurance, real estate busi-

ness services; and • public services and statutory author-

ities.

However, onboard ships are excluded as it is governed by Merchant Shipping Ordi-nances 1952 for Peninsular and 1960 for Sa-bah and Sarawak, and Armed Forces.


Feature Article

GENERAL

The employers and self-employed persons ‘so far as applicable’ should under Section 15(2) (a) of the OSHA 1967 Act provide and maintain safe plant and system of work without risk to health.

The dust particles in the kernel station can be considered to be detrimental to the health of workers. Now the question arises as to what extent the clause ‘as far as prac-ticable’ can be applied. It is certainly pos-sible to reduce the impact of excessive dust particles by using masks or by trapping the dust particles in bags through an induced draft fan, as this can be taken up under, ‘as far as practicable’. If the cost is not prohibi-tive, the mill management should strive to remove the dust from the kernel station, as the dust can be hazardous to health. If the cost is prohibitive with the available sys-tems it is always possible to find a cheaper alternative like face masks.

PERMIT TO WORK

The maintenance work carried out in palm oil mill conveyors such as screw convey-ors is carried out with insufficient attention given for the safety of the workers. When work is carried out there are instance of conveyors being switched on. This arises

Figure 1. One-door steriliser cages linked together - one link has broken loose.

due the absence of safety precautions like electrical and mechanical isolations of the plant, hanging danger boards on starters and removal of fuses. In palm oil mills such a system does not exist despite the number of accidents. It is high time such a system is in force.

It is not uncommon for workers to enter sterilisers to hook back the short chains that connect two steriliser cages, when the cages get detached, as shown in Figure 1. There are reported cases of someone who appear at the scene and unaware of one worker be-ing inside, closes the door and admit steam into the steriliser. The very thought of the plight of the worker when steam at 142°C envelopes him is disturbing. Even if such incidences may be far flung it should never be allowed even once and the only way is to have the following precautionary measures professionally executed.

• Issuance of a permit to work (PTW) al-lowing a worker to go inside the steri-liser with his name clearly written in the permit;

• Locking up the steriliser control switch board after removing the fuses to cut off the electrical supply to the steriliser control unit;

• Placing a danger board on the control panel;

• Steriliser door to be kept in open posi-tion and locked in that position with a

DISCONNECTED


Feature Article

chain and pad lock so that no one can close it;

• A sign board to be hung on the door with the words ‘Worker inside. Do not close’even if it is for a short time the procedure must be followed to safe-guard a man’s life; and

• Similar system must be used for any emergency conveyor maintenance that need to be done after starting the mill processing.

DANGER BOARDS

This is generally written in the language used by the workers. If most of the workers are Bangladeshis then it is logical to get the signage in their language as the idea is to communicate as easily as possible. It is no use writing in English if they cannot read or understand English.

In the next issue, we shall discuss the PTW in more detail.


Feature Article

Lubrication Management for Reduced Contamination and Increased Productivity

Esther Liew*

L

* SKF Malaysia Sdn Bhd., MY-432 Jalan Ipoh, 51200 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. E-mail: [email protected]

INTRODUCTION

ubrication plays a vital role in ma-chinery maintenance but most of the palm oil mills generally rely on un-

skilled workers to carry out this vital task with almost no guidance or proper training given to the persons handling the actual job. This article was written in response to a paper from SKF on the role of lubrica-tion management and has been specifically adopted for the Palm Oil Engineering Bulle-tin for the benefit of the industry.

‘At best’, poor lubrication causes ma-chine downtime; ‘at worst’ it contaminates final product, leading to rejected deliveries and therefore lost business. This article ex-plains how better lubrication management practices can save money and increase pro-ductivity by preventing contamination of the lubricant, as well as the final product.

A lot of money can be lost when palm oil shipments are rejected because they have been contaminated by mineral oil.

“Today, all major countries make checks for mineral lubricating oil contamination of imported palm oil and if traces are found then the oil will be rejected,” explains Janne Lundgren, SKF Food and Beverage Seg-ment Manager for Asia Pacific.

It is not only the final product that can have an impact from faulty lubricant prac-tices but also in the other process stages (Figure 1).

There are many sources of potential con-tamination that have to be overcome in the palm oil industry. For example, large hy-draulic systems for screw presses can leak considerable quantities of oil into palm oil through over-lubrication of bearings and chains due to seal failures caused by the harsh industrial environment – an addi-tional cause of potential contamination.

“To prevent product contamination and machine downtime, one of the areas with major impact is proper lubrication manage-ment,” says Alain Noordover, SKF Main-tenance Products, Netherlands. “This will also improve productivity, which means plants can achieve more production from existing capacity”.


Feature Article

FROM LUBRICATION TO LUBRICATION MANAGEMENT –

THE 5R APPROACH

A good lubrication programme can be de-fined by applying the 5R approach:“The right lubricant, in the right amount, reaches the right point at the right time us-ing the right method”. This simple and logi-cal approach, however, requires a detailed action plan, while a structured process can enhance the benefits.

HOW CAN A STRUCTURED LUBRICATION MANAGEMENT

PROGRAMME HELP THE PALM OIL INDUSTRy REDUCE TRACES OF MINERAL OIL IN PALM OIL?

SKF lubrication management process:

• SKF client needs analysis lubrication management;

• SKF lubrication audit;• Improvement proposal;• design and implementation; and• optimisation.

The starting point is to perform a first assessment to ascertain main goals and concerns. The output is an appraisal of the

lubrication programme’s maturity level as well as an identification of the main strengths and areas with major opportuni-ties for improvement.

SKF Client Needs Analysis Lubrication Management

The second step is to evaluate the under-lying weaknesses. This requires a detailed assessment of lubrication practices. A SKF lubrication audit is conducted mostly on the plant floor, requiring the involvement of the team in charge of lubrication. The audit questionnaire is structured to cover the dif-ferent aspects of a lubrication programme.

SKF Lubrication Audit

Here are some of the most important ones:

Lubricant delivery, storage and handling.

• Does the lubrication storage room pro-vide a clean and safe environment for the lubricants?

• Lubricants can become unusable if in-correctly stored in a contaminated or a hot environment. For example, grease

Figure 1.

Frequancy of occurrence

Failu

re m

odes


Feature Article

can harden or soften beyond the limits required in these situations; it can also oxidise or be subject to excessive oil separation. Moreover, food grade lu-bricants (e.g. NSF H1 certified) should be stored in separate locations from the non-food grades to avoid mixtures or later misapplications of lubricants.

Lubricant selection.

• Is there a structured selection and con-solidation process to optimise both the lubricants for the application and the inventory? Have food grade oils been considered as replacement for mineral oil, in areas with highest contamina-tion risk of final product?

Lubricant application.

• How is it ensured that only the right lubricant is being supplied in the right way at the right point?

It is important to minimise the likelihood of oil/grease spills and contamination during the lubrication process and to apply the correct lubricant in the correct way. The time interval between each application of lubricant can also have a dramatic effect on the efficiency of the system, as can the volume of lubricant applied (Figure 2).

Lubricant contamination and condition control.

• How is the monitoring, removal and control of lubricant contamination handled?

Lubrication programme management and personnel development.

• Is there a structured and consistent process to execute and follow up lu-brication tasks? Does it include key performance indicators, training and constant improvement goals?

Lubrication practices standardisation.

• Are all procedures properly docu-mented, implemented and kept updat-ed?

Environmental, health and safety (EHS) practices.

• Are EHS regulations considered in the lubrication programme?

Automatic lubrication system practices.

• Is the plant taking full advantage of available technologies to optimise ma-chinery lubrication conditions?

The output of an SKF lubrication au-dit is a comprehensive report of current lubrication programme and its efficiency. It includes a detailed list of strengths and improvement opportunities along with a series of recommendations. It can also in-clude a calculation of the potential financial benefits in improving the lubrication pro-gramme.

Once a complete diagnosis has been es-tablished and improvement opportunities have been identified, the third step is to cre-ate specific activities that can be undertaken to improve the lubrication programme.

Figure 2. Impact of excess lubrication.


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Improvement Proposal

Typical proposals might include, but are not limited to:

• lubricants selection and consolidation;• lubrication routines design: tasks, in-

spections, lubrication cards;• storage room design;• colour coding implementation: tools

and lubrication points;• oil analysis programme design;• contamination control programme;• standard procedures generation; • training; and • centralised lubrication systems.

The fourth step is to design and imple-ment an action plan. SKF can offer support by providing a range of maintenance tools and services: from consultancy to guiding the actual execution of a given activity, to training programmes and more.

Design and Implementation

The fifth step concerns the evolution of the programme, which is measured through the use of key performance indicators. It

is important to determine any required adjustments and periodic reassessments which will provide insights into the overall evolution of the programme.

Optimisation

By implementing this structured, pro-cess palm oil plants can reduce the risk of product contamination, whilst improving machinery efficiency and uptime. This means less rejection of palm oil shipments, more production from existing capacity and maximised profits.

In addition to lubrication management expertise, SKF has a unique understanding of rotating equipment and how machine components and industrial processes are interrelated, in every major industry world-wide – including the palm oil industry. This knowledge – coupled with its expertise in sealing solutions, lubrication systems, lin-ear motion, machinery maintenance, power transmission, mechatronics, and services – enables SKF to deliver real-world solu-tions that help maximise mechanical perfor-mance over the entire life cycle of an asset.


Feature Article

Declining Trends in Oil Extraction Rate (OER): Are We Facing an Impasse?

N Ravi Menon*

A

* Malaysian Palm Oil Board, 6 Persiaran Institusi, Bandar Baru Bangi, 43000 Kajang, Selangor, Malaysia.

E-mail: [email protected]

INTRODUCTION

re we facing an impasse in our drive for an increase in productiv-ity? All the efforts taken to ensure

that only good quality crop is delivered to the mill do not seem to have made any significant impact in achieving the goals. There are limitations in what human be-ings can do as many contributing factors for increased production are beyond human control. While oil loss, harvesting ripe crop and trash control are manageable by hu-man effort, climatic conditions, weevil ac-tivity, inflorescence sex ratio etc. fall under the domain of mother nature, where we have little control. Many papers have been presented on all the possible areas where oil losses can take place leading eventually to a decline in the oil extraction rate (OER). They were written by different authors rep-resenting different plantation agencies and as a result they were not fully integrated to give the operational people a holistic view for them to effectively enforce them. The agronomists, planters and millers often pre-sent their views from different angles that may confuse the owners or the Chief Ex-

ecutive Officers (CEO) of companies who would be unable to make the right deci-sion to benefit the company as a whole.

In our enthusiasm to achieve a continu-ous increase in the OER, we have over-looked certain environmental factors that will not permit us to follow our vision-based direction. This can be achieved pro-vided ideal conditions prevail in all quar-ters and mother nature is obedient to our biddings. This article intends to review as much information as possible from differ-ent sources in order to generate a platform for making focused decisions (MFD) so that palm oil productivity may hopefully increase to meet the desired targets.

REVIEW OF PUBLISHED PAPERS

Our focus thus far has been on the efficien-cy of field activities and milling as contrib-uting factors for the decline in the mill oil extraction rates. These two components have played such an important role in OER, that other factors have been virtu-ally ignored and have became non-existent. Some of the comments of the researchers are reviewed here.

• Hor (1996) commented that the bunch-es had lower oil contents and that low


Feature Article

oil content and the low OER could not be blamed on poor oil recoveries as a result of declines in field and mill effi-ciencies. According to Ng (1993), there is nothing seriously wrong with the mills or the supplying estates to bring about a drastic decline in OER based on his studies in Kumpulan Guthrie.

• The impact of fertiliser application is usually limited to crop yields and is sel-dom linked to the oil content but Wood (1978) in the two trials he conducted in Malaysia observed that potassium chloride fertiliser treatments depressed oil-to-bunch ratios on inland soils. This was confirmed by Foster et al. (1987) in a trail conducted in Papua New Guin-ea. Similar depression of oil-to-bunch was reported by Green (1976) based on a trial conducted in Zaire (now known as the Democratic Republic of Congo) when using potassium chloride as well as magnesium chloride. However on coastal soils, the reverse was true. The potassium chloride increased the oil-to- bunch ratios!

• According to the observation by Ng

(1993), moisture plays a very impor-tant role in depressing OER. As can be expected, a 5% increase or decrease in moisture content in fresh fruit bunch (FFB) can either depress or increase the mill OER. On rainy days, the mill OER will be easily depressed by 1%. In cases of this nature, there should be a provi-sion to incorporate a FFB correction factor to eliminate the error due to the additional moisture content caused by the rain. This is a gain by the estate but a loss for the mill. For private mills, the bunch moisture content can be artifi-cially created by the dealer by spraying water comparable to that of a rainy day. In addition, the moisture in the bunch could also serve as an adhering base for sand on the bunch. The impact of moisture is clearly illustrated in Table 1.

Ozone concentrations caused by vehi-cle exhausts and other industrial activities and excess sunshine in even unpolluted areas were reported to be 5 to 10 times that of the levels prevailing about a cen-tury ago. Ozone has many quantitative and qualitative effects on plant lipids. Higher concentrations can cause membrane degra-dation, catabolism of membrane lipids and fatty acid oxidation. Acute exposure to high ozone can reduce normal chloroplast and increase the accumulation of triacylglyc-erol (Sakakai et al., 1990). With the above evidence, Harwood (1996) was convinced that ozone has the potential of reducing agricultural production significantly. As the vehicle emissions are not likely to diminish with the passage of time, we may expect a gradual rise in the concentration of ground level ozone from the average 100 parts per billion (ppb) now to perhaps more than 200 ppb. Currently, the specific impact of ozone on oil palm crop yields has not been inves-tigated.

Excessive rain and the resulting wa-ter logging can cause oxygen starvation to palms producing toxic effects, according to Harwood (1995).

Harwood (1989) and Maksymiec et al. (1992) also observed that the heavy met-als like copper, cadmium or nickel can also contribute towards suppression of fatty acid de-saturation. In oil palm plantations, where intercropping with pineapple is car-ried out, the use of copper sulphate and its toxic effect on the palms may have to be monitored closely.

Several fungicides have been proven to affect lipid metabolism. If herbicides are used near oil palms, they are likely to cause adverse effects on yield or quality. In such cases, Harwood (1996) cautions the indis-criminate use of herbicides as it may play a role on oil quality if not the yield.

Rajanaidu et al. (1996) in a trail conduct-

ed on the bunch weight and its influence on


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TABLE 1. FRESH FRUIT BUNCH MOISTURE EFFECT ON OIL EXTRACTION RATE

Parameters Dry day Normal day Wet dayFresh fruit bunch (t) 95.0 100.0 105.0Moisture loss on sterilisation (%) 8.4 13.0 17.1Sterilised fruit bunches (t) 87.0 87.0 87.0Oil recovered (t) 20.0 20.0 20.0Oil extraction rate 21.0 20.0 19.0

bunch components noted that there was an increase in all bunch components except the mesocarp to fruit ratio which decreased with the bunch weight. He observed that the adequate pollination by weevils, could have produced compact bunches with in-sufficient space for the inner fruits to devel-op their mesocarp.

Chin et al. (1996) observed that there is a declining trend in mean fruit weight (MFW) and also an increasing trend for the estimat-ed number of fruits per bunch. Observations did not suggest any declining trend in the percentage oil-to-bunch but the fruit weight reduced from 12 - 16 g to 7 - 11 g.

Problems associated with pollination has been a much discussed topic, especial-ly with the voluntary assistance offered by weevils.

• Turner and Gillbanks (2003) after their detailed investigation in the oil palm growing countries, have highlighted some aspects of the adverse impact of the prevailing weevil (Elaeidobius ka-merunicus Faust) pollination despite its major benefits.

• According to Henson (1996), pollination is the most critical ‘environmental‘ fac-tor affecting O/B and K/B and as such extra vigilance is recommended. He also warned that the sex ratio must be kept low. Periodic poor pollination re-sults in poor fruit set containing a sig-nificant percentage of parthenocarpic

fruits that will drastically reduce the mill OER. Fruit growth can still take place without fertilisation, but the re-sulting parthenocarpic fruits will not at-tain the normal healthy fruit size but the dry matter and the oil content in such fruit will be very low.

• Apart from the pollination inefficiency,

the vapour of the herbicide picloram can also induce parthenocarpic fruit sets in bunches (Turner and Gillbank, 2003).

• Low male inflorescence will invariably cause the decline in the population of weevils, as they are completely depend-ent on male inflorescence for their life cycle. New replants without the older palms in the vicinity are subjected to a low male to female inflorescence ra-tio of below 10% in which case, the likelihood of poor fruit set is high. If the weather conditions are unfavourable, it is possible to even have zero male in-florescence and in such situations the productivity will decline significantly. Such bunches most likely may be mis-taken for unripe bunches. There will be a large number of unfertilised ova-ries in partially pollinated inflorescence brought about by rains that restrict wee-vil activities.

• Another problem is the possible decline

of the weevil population caused by the annihilation of weevil larvae by rats, and the adults by birds and frogs, even

see page 29


though its impact has not been reported as significant enough to have a drastic impact on its population. But it can add on to the other adverse conditions af-fecting productivity.

• The rats feeding on the weevils are like-

ly to increase its population. Rats are re-ported to be responsible for a crop loss of 10% of the loose fruits in a field, pro-ducing 25 t FFB ha-1 according to Liau (1990). This is significant, as a loss of 2.5 t ha-1 on a 5000 ha estate is 12 500 t of crop per year, worth RM 7.5 million at a FFB price of RM 600 per tonne.

• Floral abortion believed to be due to earlier drought will reduce the devel-opment of inflorescence and eventu-ally also influence the sex ratio in young palms.

In Costa Rica, it was reported by Sterling et al. (1996) that between 1990 to 1995 the fruit-to-bunch ratio dropped significantly due to a drop in the population of pollinat-ing weevil that resulted in low fruit set val-ue. This same scenario may be applicable to Malaysia now.

According to Sterling et al. (1996), the yearly variations in solar radiation and rainfall distribution will also change the oil content in the mesocarp.

After conducting extensive investiga-tions on declining OER, Lim et al. (1996) concluded that there were no significant changes in the oil content in the bunch dur-ing the monitoring period. They suggested that the declining OER can be addressed by improving the management standards in all aspects of harvesting and crop qual-ity. Although their conclusion has its mer-its, other factors such as weather patterns, weevil inactivity, declining weevil popula-tion and the unfavourable sex ratio of inflo-

rescence, which have a profound influence on fruit-to-bunch ratios seem to have been overlooked.

The trash content in FFB is one of the major contributors of low OER in mills but the trash content can be eliminated. A 10% trash in the FFB consignment will cause a decline of OER by 2.2%. In FFB consign-ment of 1000 t containing 10% (or 100 t trash) the oil produced is 200 t. The declared OER will be 20%, but the actual OER based on the FFB weight of 900 t will be (200/900) x 100 = 22.22% boosting the OER by 2.22%. If a plantation can actually reduce the trash content in its consignment, then the mill OER will experience a welcome boost. The other quality boosters are long stalks, empty fruits and unripe bunches.

Loose fruit collections do not seem to be getting the attention they deserve. This is a controllable loss. Gan et al. (1993) have demonstrated that a loss of 20 loose fruits per bunch from 6 to 15 years old palms can reduce the mill OER by 0.46%. If 100 fruits per bunch are uncollected, the OER depres-sion will be 2.3%. This is a very significant contributor of declining OER. The shortage of labour is considered to be one of the fac-tors.

Water deficit can also play a major role in lower yields as can be seen in Table 2 by Corley and Hong (1982).

Milling losses as compiled by Ng (1993) are given in Table 3.

The mill losses in general range from 1.5% to about 2.0%. If the target for the losses is 1.77%, and if a mill which has a process loss of 2.0%, it means that the loss exceeded the target by only 0.23%. This, compared to the trash and loose fruit con-tribution is 2.22 % + 2.3% = 4.45%, or 19 times more than the difference between the mill target and its actual losses. Now this is something worth pondering upon.

from page 21

Feature Article


Feature Article

REFERENCES

CHIN, C W; FOOG, S F and MOHD, H M S (1996). FFB. Production, oil and kernel yields over a 14-year period for Felda’s ly-semeter and two surrounding palms. Proc. of the 1996 International Conference on Oil and Kernel Production in Oil Palm - A Global Per-spective (N Rajanaidu, N; Henson, I E and Jalani, B S eds.). PORIM, Bangi. p. 55-77.

CORLEY, R H V and HONG, T K (1982). Irrigation of oil palm in Malaysia. The Oil Palm in Malaysia in the Eightees (Pushparajah and Chew, P S eds.). Volume 11. Incorpo-rated Society of Planters Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur. p. 343-356.

TABLE 2. THE EFFECT OF IRRIGATION ON FRESH FRUIT BUNCH (FFB) YIELD AND BUNCH COMPONENTS IN MALAYSIA

Treatment FFB(t ha-1 yr-1)

Oil/WM(%)

Oil/DM(%)

Oil/bunch(%)

PO yield(t ha-1 yr-1)

Control 24.72 48.51 74.53 25.25 6.24Irrigated 25.32 49.93 75.28 26.05 6.60% gain 2.4 2.9 1.0 3.2 5.8

Note: WM – wet mesocarp. DM – dry matter. PO – palm oil.

TABLE 3. APPROXIMATE OIL LOSS IN PALM OIL MILLS

Source % on loss/fresh fruit bunch

Fruit trapped in empty bunches (EFB) 0.02

Unstripped bunches (USB) 0.05

Oil absorbed on the surface of EFB 0.45

Condensate from sterilisation 0.10

Nut surface after pressing 0.05

Fibre after pressing 0.55

Sludge from the separators 0.45

General oil spillages or washing from tanks 0.10

Total milling losses 1.77

FOSTER, H L; TARMIZI, A M; MOHD TAYEB, D and HALIM, A H (1986). Ferti-lisation recommendation for oil palm in Peninsular Malaysia (first approximation). PORIM Technology No. 13: 42.

GAN, L T; HO, C Y; CHEW, J S and LAN, K S (1993). Effects of harvesting practices in oil extraction rate. Proc. of the National Semi-nar on Palm Oil Extraction Rate: Problems and Issues (Ariffin Darus and Jalani, B S eds.). PORIM, Bangi. p. 68-75.

GREEN, A H (1976). Field experiments as a guide to fertilizer practice. Oil Palm Research (Corley, R H V; Hardon, J J and


Feature Article

Wood, B J eds.). Elsevier Press, Amster-dam. p. 235-256.

HARWOOD, J L (1996). Environmental fac-tors that can affect lipid synthesis. Proc. of the 1996 International Conference on Oil and Kernel Production in Oil Palm - A Global Per-spective (Rajanaidu, N; Henson, I E and Jalani, B S eds.). PORIM, Bangi. p. 1-18.

HARWOOD, J L (1988). Annual review plant physiology. Plant Molecular Biology, 39: 101-138.

HARWOOD, J L (1995). Plant Lipid Metab-olism (Kader, J C and Mazliaka, P eds.). p. 361-368.

HOR, T Y; SOH, A C; CHAN, K S; CHEW, P S and GOH, K J (1996). Studies on oil palm bunch characteristic effects on oil extraction ratio. Proc. of the 1996 International Conference on Oil and Kernel Production in Oil Palm - A Global Perspective (Rajanaidu, N; Henson, I E and Jalani, B S eds.). PORIM, Bangi. p. 229-236.

LIAU, S S (1990). Rat population in oil palm replant and crop loss assessment. Proc. of the 3rd International Conference on Crop Protec-tion in Tropics. Vol. IV. p. 8-18.

LIM, K C and CHAN, K W (1996). Bunch component studies over the past two decades. Proc. of the 1996 International Conference on Oil and Kernel Production in Oil Palm - A Global Perspective (Rajanaidu, N; Henson, I E and Jalani, B S eds.). PORIM, Bangi. p. 133-150.

MAKSYMIEC, W; RUSSIA, R; URBANIC-SYPNIEWSKA and BASZYNSKI, T (1992). Effect of excess Cu on the photosynthetic

apparatus of runner bean leaf treated at two different growth stages. J. Plant Physiol: 14052-14055.

NG, S B (1993). Measurement of oil extrac-tion ratio and milling losses. Proc. of the National Seminar on Palm Oil Extraction Rate: Problems and Issues (Ariffin Darus and Jala-ni, B S eds.). PORIM, Bangi. p. 99-109.

RAJANAIDU, M; AHMAD KUSHAIRI DIN and JALANI, B S (1996). Variation for oil and kernel to bunch and total economic product in oil palm germplasm and breed-ing materials Proc. of the 1996 International Conference on Oil and Kernel Production in Oil Palm - A Global Perspective (Rajanaidu, N; Henson, I E and Jalani, B S eds.). PORIM, Bangi. p. 19-35.

SAKAKAI, T; SAITO, K; KAWAGUCHI, A; KONDON, N and YAMADA, M (1990). Role of ozone on plant lipids. Plant Physiol, 94: 766-772.

STERLING, F; MONTOYA, C and ALVA-NADO, A (1996). Variance of some bunch components with palm age and climatic condition in Coto, Costa Rica. Proc. of the 1996 International Conference on Oil and Ker-nel Production in Oil Palm - A Global Perspec-tive (Rajanaidu, N; Henson, I E and Jalani, B S eds.). PORIM, Bangi. p. 121-127.

TURNER, P D and GILLBANKS, R A (2003). Biological aspects of growth and yield. OilPalm Cultivation and Management Text Book. p. 17, 18 and 20.

WOOD, B J (1998). Research in relation to natural sources - oil palm. The Planter, 54: 414-442.


Datasheet

Saturation Temperatures of Steam without using Tables A B C D Actual value F G Approx. Pressure 1st SQRT 2nd SQRT 100 x steam tab deviation Error as % correction bar(a) of A of A C (oC) of actual factor +/- 1 1.00 1.00 100.0 99.6 -0.4 -0.40 0.083333 2 1.41 1.19 118.9 120.2 1.3 1.06 0.083333 3 1.73 1.32 131.6 133.5 1.9 1.42 0.083333 4 2.00 1.41 141.4 143.6 2.2 1.52 0.083333 5 2.24 1.50 149.5 151.8 2.3 1.49 0.083333 6 2.45 1.57 156.5 158.8 2.3 1.44 0.083333 7 2.65 1.63 162.7 165.0 2.3 1.42 0.083333 8 2.83 1.68 168.2 170.4 2.2 1.30 0.083333 9 3.00 1.73 173.2 174.4 1.2 0.69 0.083333 10 3.16 1.78 177.8 179.9 2.1 1.15 0.083333 11 3.32 1.82 182.1 184.1 2.0 1.08 0.083333 12 3.46 1.86 186.1 188.0 1.9 1.00 0.083333 13 3.61 1.90 189.9 191.6 1.7 0.90 0.083333 14 3.74 1.93 193.4 195.0 1.6 0.80 0.083333 15 3.87 1.97 196.8 198.3 1.5 0.76 0.083333 16 4.00 2.00 200.0 201.4 1.4 0.70 0.083333 17 4.12 2.03 203.1 204.3 1.2 0.61 0.083333 18 4.24 2.06 206.0 207.1 1.1 0.54 0.083333 19 4.36 2.09 208.8 209.8 1.0 0.49 0.083333 20 4.47 2.11 211.5 212.4 0.9 0.44 0.083333 21 4.58 2.14 214.1 214.8 0.7 0.34 0.083333 22 4.69 2.17 216.6 217.2 0.6 0.29 0.083333 23 4.80 2.19 219.0 219.5 0.5 0.23 0.083333 24 4.90 2.21 221.3 221.8 0.5 0.21 0.083333 25 5.00 2.24 223.6 223.9 0.3 0.13 0.083333 26 5.10 2.26 225.8 226.0 0.2 0.08 0.083333 27 5.20 2.28 228.0 228.0 0.0 0.02 0.083333 28 5.29 2.30 230.0 230.0 0.0 -0.01 0.083333 29 5.39 2.32 232.1 231.9 -0.2 -0.07 0.083333 30 5.48 2.34 234.0 233.8 -0.2 -0.10 0.083333 31 5.57 2.36 236.0 235.6 -0.4 -0.15 0.083333 32 5.66 2.38 237.8 237.4 -0.4 -0.19 0.083333 33 5.74 2.40 239.7 239.2 -0.5 -0.22 0.083333 34 5.83 2.41 241.5 240.9 -0.6 -0.24 0.083333 35 5.92 2.43 243.2 242.6 -0.7 -0.28 0.083333 36 6.00 2.45 244.9 244.2 -0.7 18.44 0.083333

Total 30.80 3.00

Deviation range: -0.7 to 2.3= 3 3.0/36= 0.08333

Note: SQRT - square root.Saturation temperature of steam is roughly equivalent to the 2nd square root of the absolute. Steam pressure multilplied by 100 (close enough as a rough guide). Source: Ir G Achuthan Nair, PT Tolan Tiga, Medan, Indonesia.

READy RECKONER FOR ENGINEERS


Organised byMALAYSIAN PALM OIL BOARDMINISTRY OF PLANTATION INDUSTRIES AND COMMODITIES, MALAYSIAwww.mpob.gov.my

First Announcement

3-4 November 2014Pullman Kuching, Sarawak

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2014NATIONAL SEMINAR ONPALM OIL MILLING, REFINING, ENVIRONMENT AND QUALITY

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ADVERTISEMENTue to the increased cost of printing, the advertisement rate is RM 700 per issue for an A4 size page of black and white, whereas the cost for colour is RM 900. One year of complimentary Vendor’s List advertisement for every one page A4-size colour or black & white advertisement. Advertisers are required to submit to us either their own black and white or colour artwork in CD. Cheque should be made payable to the ‘Malaysian Palm Oil Board’. If you have any queries, please contact the following at MPOB.

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ollowing a decision by the Editorial Board to further increase the role of Palm Oil Engineering Bulletin to serve the industry better, a new addition called Palm Oil Mill Vendor’s List has been introduced similar to Telekom Yellow Pages to assist mill engineers to know where to source materials or services pertaining to the industry. In order to make this useful, we need the co-operation of the mill engineers/managers to persuade their vendors to advertise in the Vendor’s List for a nominal fee of RM 100/year. If you have any queries, please contact the following at MPOB.

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Engineering Bulletin #102 front cover - PALMOILISpalmoilis.mpob.gov.my/publications/POEB/poeb110.pdf · A2.7 Kursus Drebar Enjin 3 ... the Factory and Machinery Act 1967 (FMA) it