Track: CAD Applications and Computing

Abstract

Price fluctuation of agricultural products in Thailand is caused by several factors such as market demands, economic downturns, increasing oil prices, and the COVID-19 pandemic, which directly impacts employment and labor for galangal producers Uttaradit. The high labor cost for washing galangal, rising shipping costs, and health problems faced by farmers from galangal washing led the research team to see the significance of these problems. Consequently, the research team applied engineering knowledge to the design and construction of a galangal washing machine that is suitably sized for the farmers of Nang Phaya Sub-district, Uttaradit Province, and to study the payback period for the galangal washing machine through comparison with current labor use to determine whether the device is suitable for investment and actual application. According to the findings, the galangal washing machine that replaces traditional washing with manual labor can reduce galangal production costs by 773.07 Baht per day, with the payback period for the galangal washing machine at 88.04 days. Furthermore, the galangal washing machine has an effective capability to support future galangal production growth of as much as 5,000 kilograms per day. With a payback period of only 3 months, this machine can enhance the agricultural production of galangal farmers to increase income while also improving occupational health.