04 material research

Material Research

Visit to Olex Techno Enterprise

Olex Techno enterprise are located in Alendu-Kisumu. The company provides mechanical solutions through designing, innovating and fabricating of modern tools.Some of the notable tools made are sisal decorticating maching and other fibre processing equipment.

My visit was to learn how sisal fibre is processed and I learned that they work closely with sisal farmers who then sell the leves at a fee before they process it into fibre and then add value by producing ropes.

Olex's rope making tool creates only a single strand twine rope. They do not yet have an electric machine that produces three threaded rope.

The fibres are first sun-dried to remove moisture, brushed and then single twine of rope is made before being sold. They do not pre-treat these fibres before they're turned into ropes for the market.

Our agreement was buying sisal fibre and hiring their rope making machine to come up with different thickness of the rope. The machine will be used in their premises due to user safety concerns.

My take from the visit

Olex enterprise will provide sisal fibre and the single twine rope with varying thickness.however, there was a challenge of the rope varying in thickness from start to end but it will be keenly observed and adjustments made to ensure it is standard throughout.

Visit to Dunga Weavers

First Visit

I had a candid conversation with Joseph and Paul, main weavers we've been in touch with so far. We discussed on pattern making of the seatbelt which should cover friction and strength properties.

The weavers shared they had varieties of ptterns that could cover our specification and agreed to provide at least five pattern designs.

I shared a sample of seatbelt that they should use when prototyping for the new seatbelt using sisal and papyrus reed.

A follow-up of the progress was to be made the following day.

Second Visit

Three samples were made using sisal and papyrus reed.

I observed how sisal rope was made by hand from the fibres. The process was not as easy as I had imagined.

In addition simple frames were used to generate the pattern. The looms were made from wood and nails.

From the ropes, I measured three major samples that were made with varying thickness(mm) of 0.03, 3.2, and 4.6.

The weaved seatbelt was made from 3.2 mm thickness of sisal rope.

Papyrus reed had varying measurements ranging from 3mm to 6mm thickness.

Challenges observed and next steps

1. The handmade rops from sisal was time consuming and labor intensive. If a rope making machine can be made at the earlist convenice will greatly help as it will reduce time spent on making the rope.

2. Making of the sisal belt consumed more time. the rope were of reasonable size, however, it took close to six hours to make the sample. This raises th issue of what time will it take to generate a longer seatbelt. Maybe the pattern used is time consuming compared to other patterns we're yet to see?

3. The frame loom used was the simplest and that is what they use when weaving. The weavers do not have a standard loom used in their daily artisanal work. They generate looms with what they have. I noticed that the entire belt generated varied in width size from start, middle to end. If we can generate a better loom for them with exact measurements that we have can make their work easier and the belts will be of the exact measurements that we want.

Another visit will be made to know the remaining 3 patterns that were to be generated.

Third Visit

The weavers managed to get the loop hope at the end of the belt.

One of their suggestion was the possibility of creating the loop separate after weaving is complete because some pattern may not produce the loop hole as required.