REPORT

Demonstration Construction and

Training for Formal and Informal
(Artisan) Fabricators of the
Portable Shallow-Bed Batch Dryer
AflaSTOP: Storage and Drying
For Aflatoxin Prevention

July 2015
PAGE 1 OF 12
Prepared by:
Marius Rossouw
Design Engineer
marius@catapultdesign.org

In collaboration with:
Sophie Walker
Project Manager
swalker@acdivoca.org

catapultdesign.org | Billions of people lack access to life's basic needs. We design and implement
human-centered products to help them thrive.

This work was carried out as a partnership between Catapult Design and ASI through the
AflaSTOP project to identify potential drying technology suited to support post-harvest handling
devices for maize smallholder farmers.

Last updated: 21 July 2015

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TABLE OF CONTENTS
1 Background ........................................................................................................................... 4
2 Demonstration unit construction overview and cost breakdown ........................................... 4
2.1 Design/material/fabrication deviations ............................................................................ 5
2.2 High-level Material Cost Breakdown .............................................................................. 6
3 Artisan training ...................................................................................................................... 6
3.1 Artisan fabricator profiles ................................................................................................ 7
3.2 Artisan Training Methodology ......................................................................................... 7
3.3 Design and material selection discussion ..................................................................... 10
3.4 Discussion around Computer Aided Design (CAD) drawings....................................... 10
3.5 Discussion around dryer pricing (material cost, labor and profit).................................. 10
3.6 Conclusion .................................................................................................................... 11
4 Formal fabricator selection and pricing ............................................................................... 11

LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1: Demonstration on how surface area influences velocity ................................................ 7
Figure 2: Discussing assembly, operation and maintenance of the dryer .................................... 8
Figure 3: Discussing the dryer in its entirety including transportability considerations ................. 8
Figure 4: Drying air supply unit disassembled to its core to illustrate maintenance ...................... 8
Figure 5: Discussing critical component and assembly tolerances ............................................... 8
Figure 6: Documenting the shallow-bed components, material selection and tolerances ............ 9
Figure 7: Scrutinizing CAD drawings and the need for self-documentation .................................. 9
Figure 8: Activity to produce the most critical components using only documentation ................. 9
Figure 9: Discussing performance testing that can be done remotely .......................................... 9

LIST OF TABLES
Table 1: Design/material/fabrication deviations of the demonstration dryer ................................. 5
Table 2: High-level material cost breakout of the demonstration dryer ......................................... 6
Table 3: Artisan fabricator profiles ................................................................................................ 7
Table 4: Artisan dryer pricing estimates ...................................................................................... 11
Table 5: Formal fabricator information ........................................................................................ 12
Table 6: Formal fabricator pricing ............................................................................................... 12

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1 Background
The AflaSTOP: Storage and Drying for Aflatoxin Prevention (AflaSTOP) project is identifying
the most promising storage options to arrest the growth of aflatoxin and designing viable drying
options that will allow smallholder farmers to dry their grain to safe storage levels. The project
works to ensure that businesses operating in Africa are able to provide these devices to
smallholder farmers. It is jointly implemented by ACDI/VOCA and its affiliate Agribusiness
Systems International under the direction of Meridian Institute. For more information on AflaSTOP
and other key reports and resources, visit:  www.acdivoca.org/aflastop-publications.

Agribusiness Systems International (ASI) contracted Catapult Design to research, design and
field test a new maize drying technology suitable for commercialization that is adapted to the
needs of Kenyan smallholder farmers, permitting them to confidently, easily, and cost-effectively
dry maize down to safe, long-term storage moisture content regardless of weather conditions.
Performance testing of various maize drying prototypes identified the Portable Shallow-bed
Batch Dryer (henceforth referred to as “the dryer”) as having the highest potential for further
development and possible commercialization. A proposed commercialization and go-to-market
strategy currently being explored is assessing if informal “Jua Kali” fabricators can reproduce a
working demonstration dryer (built by the prototyping fabricator – Kenya Stove) effectively and
so disseminate the technology in a similar fashion that is currently being observed in the
agricultural equipment market. An alternative proposed commercialization and go-to-market
strategy being explored is to assess whether formal fabricators (based in bigger industrial
settings) would be interested in producing the dryer design (since the design is simple enough
for the informal sector to produce) and if so, at what price point would they do so.

The dryer’s inner workings, including related material selection and fabrication techniques, were
demonstrated, discussed and documented by eight (8) informal fabricators in a two (2) day
workshop held at Kenya Stove from 29 - 30 June 2015. Three (3) formal fabricators covering a
spectrum of fabrication capacities and sophistication were invited to a demonstration day (1 July
2015) with two (2) attending on only one (1) showing interest in pricing the dryer.

The purpose of this document is to report back on the construction of the demonstration dryer
including deviation from original design documentation and reasons for deviations; the training
of the artisans including details of potential fabrication issues identified in the training; and the
selection of a formal fabricator including respective pricing estimates.

2 Demonstration unit construction overview and cost

breakdown

Kenya Stove (the prototype fabricator) was contracted to construct the final dryer design to be
used as a demonstration unit for artisan training. Instructions were given to for it to be
constructed in such way that it can assembled and disassembled without having to remove
material (welding) and some minor construction details were altered to enable this approach. A
complete set of phase 1 deliverables including CAD models, PDF drawings and a Bill of Material
(BOM) was provided to produce the design and highlight any fabrication detail or material
selection concerns. The demonstration dryer took four (4) workers a total of 64 hours to
construct (excluding the canvas components that were outsourced). Kenya Stove was also
instructed to provide a complete material cost breakdown for the build to better inform future
manufacturing efforts. Below follows descriptions of deviations from the original design

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(excluding changes made to allow for assembly and disassembly) supported by reasoning
behind it as well as an overview of the material breakdown.

2.1 Design/material/fabrication deviations

Table 1: Design/material/fabrication deviations of the demonstration dryer

Component Description: Original Deviation

Part # 800-ASI-022 - Cob Drying Basket Handle Design: Design:
Solid Swivel
The original cob drying basket handle ran the risk of
heating to the point of a safety hazard when placed Material: Material:
in close proximity to the furnace. It was replaces with 25 mm Square 10 mm Round bar
a swiveling handle that can be stowed away from tubing
heat during operation.
Part # 800-ASI-031 - Bed overlap Material: Material:
40 x 5 Flat Bar 40 x 3 mm Flat bar
Material change due to lack of accessibility within
Kenya.
Part # 800-ASI-032 - Middle X Support Material: Material:
25 x 6 Flat Bar 25 x 3 mm Flat bar
Material change due to lack of accessibility within
Kenya.
Part # 800-ASI-033 - Coffee Mesh Frame Material: Material:
20 x 3 Flat Bar 25 x 3 mm Flat bar
Material change due to lack of accessibility within
Kenya.
Part # 800-ASI-038 - Bed Support Connecting Design: Design:
Angle: Angled Flat

Replaced part with Part # 800-ASI-039 to bring cost Material: Material:

down by decreasing custom fabrication parts. L 38 x 38 x 3 4 mm Black Sheet
Part # 800-ASI-040 - Sidewall Clip Material: Material:
20 x 6 Flat Bar 25 x 3 mm Flat bar
Material change due to lack of accessibility within
Kenya.
Part # 718-ASI-002 - Lubrication Tube Material: Material:
Copper Rubber
Incorporated an off-the-shelf component due to time
constraints.
Part # 805-ASI-012 - Rain Fly Panel: Design: Design:
Triangular panel Triangular with
Combined Part # 805-ASI-013 - Side Flap Panel in rectangular addition
the design to bring cost down by decreasing custom
fabrication parts.

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2.2 High-level Material Cost Breakdown
Table 2: High-level material cost breakout of the demonstration dryer
000-ASI-001 - PORTABLE SHALLOW-BED BATCH DRYER MATERIAL COST BREAKOUT
Material
First Level Second
Top Level Cost
Sub- Level Sub- Qty Thumbnail Description
Assembly Total
Assembly Assembly
(KES)

Portable Shallow-bed Batch

600-ASI-001 1 51,883.96
Dryer

Portable Shallow-bed Batch

601-ASI-001 1 34,657.08
Dryer - Drying Air Supply

Drying Air Supply Unit Main Body

602-ASI-001 1 18,105.27
Assembly

602-ASI-002 1 5.5 HP Engine and V-Belt Drive 16,551.81

Portable Shallow-bed Batch

601-ASI-002 1 17,226.88
Dryer - Shallow-Bed Assembly

602-ASI-003 1 Shallow-Bed Assembly 8,626.88

602-ASI-004 1 Canvas Plenum Assembly 7,600.00

602-ASI-005 1 Canvas Rainfly 1,000.00

3 Artisan training
Eight (8) informal artisan fabricators (also known as the Jua Kali sector) from various
geographical maize growing regions within Kenya (South Rift, North Rift and Meru) were invited
to attend a two (2) day workshop held at Kenya Stove from 29 - 30 June 2015. The aim was to
assess if the final dryer design was simple enough for this sector to reproduce and to determine
what level of documentation is appropriate to disseminate the design in a soft format if at all
possible. Below follows and overview of the artisan profiles as well as the approached used to
communicate the design followed by discussions around material selection, fabrication
techniques and pricing to fabricate the dryer.

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3.1 Artisan fabricator profiles
Table 3: Artisan fabricator profiles
Richard Joseph Jacob Moses Ben Lelai Gilbert David

Photo

South South South South North Nanyuki/

Service area North Rift North Rift Meru
Rift Rift Rift Rift Rift
Welder Welder, Welder, Welder, Welder, Welder, Welder, Welder,
Grinder, Grinder, Grinder, Grinder, Lathe, Grinder Lathe, Lathe, Bench
Major
Drill, Drill Drill Metal Grinder, Grinder, drill, Vice
fabrication
Motor bender Vice Metal
equipment
and shaper,
(in their
pulley, Bench
own words)
Spanner drill
kit
Most Sheller Water Sheller Posho Water Combining Stone Compressor
complicate pump mill, pump, two tractors crusher
project built sheller sheller
Sheller Creative Youngest Worker, Educated Oldest, Skilled, Professional,
as , CAD , first to not the , sheller, mechanic built technical,
General primary drawing attempt boss, involved fans outsider due
observation income, familiar fan build very in Beta before to location
involved engaged testing
in Beta
testing

3.2 Artisan Training Methodology

Capacity building within this sector was more important than simply understanding if the artisans
can reproduce the dryer or not. It was important to explain how the current design of the dryer
came to be and how any alterations may influence performance since most of the fabricators
expressed interest in changing the design to accommodate a larger drying batch size. Grain
drying principles were discussed first to ensure that any alterations made by the artisans did not
affect the dryer’s performance negatively and potentially ruing the design’s reputation.

Practical demonstrations were used to illustrate that

components within the dryer design are interconnected
and dependent on one another and that changing one
component would warrant a change in another. The
photo on the left was a demonstration to illustrate that
the size of the shallow-bed is dependent in the drying
air supply fan capacity and that increasing the surface
area of the beds would require a higher air volume and
therefore a bigger fan to maintain the required drying
air velocity over the maize.
Figure 1: Demonstration on how surface area influences velocity

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 The next step was to look at the dryer design in its
entirety to make sure that all of the artisans fully
understood the dryer’s assembly, operation and
maintenance. It was important to include this
overview in the training workshop since these artisan
fabricators could ultimately be the point-of-sale for the
dryer, requiring them to explain to potential clients
how to assemble the dryer, operate it and maintain it
in the field. The assembly, operation and
maintenance manual produced in phase 1 was used
to discuss these points in more detail.
Figure 2: Discussing assembly, operation and maintenance of the dryer

Transportability is a major influencing factor in the

current design and it was important to explain to the
artisans that limiting the size and weight of the drying
air supply unit is important when considering how the
dryer will be used within the smallholder farmer
context. With the drying air supply unit and the
shallow-bed assembly being compact and weighing in
at around 138 kg and 91 kg respectively, it was
suggested that two motorcycles should be able to
move the dryer to potential clients in relative remote
locations.
Figure 3: Discussing the dryer in its entirety including transportability considerations

The drying air supply unit was then disassembled

piece by piece until only the core (level of
disassembly required for maintaining the heat
exchanger) remained. Each component was
discussed with regards to material selection,
fabrication processes and important attributes that
ensure performance. Some sheet metal bend details
were unfamiliar to most artisans as metal breaks
(machinery used by Kenya Stove) are uncommon
outside of big cities. Allowable changes were
discussed and some liberties granted to the artisans.

Figure 4: Drying air supply unit disassembled to its core to illustrate maintenance

Critical component tolerances and how they relate to

performance - or lack thereof - were discussed.
Particular attention was given to the drying air supply
fan (450 mm) and how the clearance between the
edge of the fan blades and the surrounding scroll will
impact the fan’s ability to build pressure against the
grain bed (static pressure) and how this is important
for grain drying. The heat exchanger (HX) panel
squareness and fit was also discussed and how
irregular panels will hamper a tight assembly.

Figure 5: Discussing critical component and assembly tolerances

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 Similarly, the shallow-bed was disassembled into all
of its components with discussions held around
material selection, fabrication processes and
tolerances. It seemed as if the design was simple
enough with limited conversations focusing on the
design and how it assembles or functions. The
majority of the discussions were around material
selection the availability of heavy duty PVC fabric for
the plenum and what alternatives are available. Some
artisans also commented on better ways to secure
the coffee mesh for easier maintenance.
Figure 6: Documenting the shallow-bed components, material selection and tolerances

Once the dryer and all its components were

discussed, the artisans were instructed to
supplement the CAD drawings they were given with
additional information that would allow them to
reproduce the dryer remotely without a physical
sample to copy (a practice most commonly used in
this sector). An interesting observation was that only
one artisan referenced the CAD drawings with the
remaining ones opting to redraw the design by hand
from scratch. When asked why they decided to self-
document, they responded that it was easier.
Figure 7: Scrutinizing CAD drawings and the need for self-documentation

One critical activity was to assess if the artisans

could reproduce respective fans (the most
complicated components) remotely and understand
how they went about it. They were given time to
inspect and document the design and then instructed
to fabricate a blade according to their documentation
only. Natural teams formed around location with the
South Rift team succeeding the first time around and
the North Rift team requiring three attempts. Each
artisan was then given their large and small fan
blades to use as templates remotely.
Figure 8: Activity to produce the most critical components using only documentation

Upon reassembly of the drying air supply unit,

inexpensive and simple performance tests that can
be done remotely were demonstrated and discussed
with the artisans. This was important since a small
deviation in fan blade design could potentially
influence overall drying performance. Head-to-head
performance comparisons with the demonstration
dryer will highlight any concerns regarding fan blade
and heat exchanger (HX) design or tolerances. This
information will then help identify if the problem lies in
the design, fabrication capacity or documentation.
Figure 9: Discussing performance testing that can be done remotely

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3.3 Design and material selection discussion
Below follows a summary of discussions observed throughout the two day workshop specifically
around the overall design of the dryer and the material selection.

The drying air supply unit looked intimidating at first glance but proved simple and self-
explanatory once dismantled. The only fabrication process in question is bending long, straight
continuous edges out of sheet metal. This method is preferred if a metal break is available since
material and labor cost is low. A technique used by artisans to obtain the same detail is to use a
railway track and hammer. Shorter lengths are usually not a concern, however longer lengths
are achievable but much more difficult. Artisans requested to alter this detail by replacing the
single bent sheet with a combination of angle iron and sheet metal (a construction detail
common within the sector). This detail would increase material cost but decrease labor and
should even out in the final price. This request was granted on the condition that artisans pay
close attention to tolerances to ensure tight connections. Expanded metal, off-the-shelf hinges
and the grease gun extension were also highlighted as costly items to be eliminated if possible.

The heavy duty PVC canvas, plastic end caps and off-the-shelf hinges raised concerns around
availability and cost with respect to the shallow-bed. Durability may be an issue if the PVC
canvas cannot be sourced locally, however comparable material is available (truck tarpaulins)
and should suffice as an alternative. Recommendations were made to increase the height of the
rain fly and to replace the plastic endcaps with welded metal tabs for durability. One last
recommended alteration was to replace the rivets with bolts on the bed frames. This was mainly
suggested to facilitate the ease of replacing the coffee mesh (an inexpensive consumable) once
it gets damaged.

3.4 Discussion around Computer Aided Design (CAD) drawings

Artisans were given a full set of CAD drawing upon arrival and encouraged to work their way
through them as they became familiar with the dryer design. An early observation was the only
one artisan spend time looking at the drawings. Even at the time of documenting the design, no
artisans used the drawings and opted to redraw the dryer by hand. Artisans were instructed to
spend the evening of day 1’s workshop looking through the drawings for discussion and
questions the next morning. Upon return, no had questions when prompted and it was then
learned that no one took the time to look through the drawings. It was important to understand
why this was the case.

As a starting point, 6 out of 8 artisans have never worked with engineering drawings. Equipment
is almost always copied from actual working devices. When prompted to discuss the drawings,
comments were made that the measurements were too complicated as the unit designation was
not obvious. It also came to light that centimeters are preferred over millimeters. Important
tolerances should also be highlighted instead of dimensions where applicable with more close-
ups of interlocking components also preferred.

3.5 Discussion around dryer pricing (material cost, labor and profit)
A roundtable discussion was held to better understand how artisan fabricators determine the
selling price of a specific piece of equipment they have designed/built. The approach of pricing
the offering according to its ability to pay for itself within a certain timeframe is a foreign concept
and a tendency to overinflate the first production run of a new product is often observed. This is
mainly done to capitalize on the limited offerings available in the market before competing

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fabricators copy the design, increasing the availability and lowering the price. The conversation
around the dryer was structured to address material cost, labor and profit. The material cost
discussion was open form and concluded that material in the South Rift area was more
expensive with the total estimate landing at around KES 70,000. North Rift suggested a material
cost of around KES 50,000.

To avoid one artisan influencing another’s opinion, artisans were requested to submit
anonymous estimates on labor and profit. These estimates were then discussed in the group
with the conclusion that labor runs around 50% of the material cost regardless of location
(averaging KES 26,000) but profit is subjective depending on client and sales environment and
can range from KES 10,000 to KES 60,000, averaging KES 21,800 amongst this group. This
places the total price of the dryer in a range from KES 97,000 to KES 180,000 depending on
where it is built and by whom.

Each artisan was requested to submit a bid for producing the dryer in private with the results
tabulated below.

Table 4: Artisan dryer pricing estimates

Richard Joseph Jacob Moses Ben Lelai Gilbert David

Material
Cost 64,500 85-90,000 41,000 44,400 46,300 48,400 35,250 60,000
(excluding
canvas)
Canvas 12000 15000 10000 15000 15000 10000
TBC TBC
estimate
45,000 30,000 30,000 28,000 32,000 40,000 30,000
Labor 45-50,000

Profit
TBC 40-50,000 TBC TBC 60,000 TBC 40,000 30,000

Total Price
121,500* 170,000* 86,000* 84,400* 149,300 95,400* 125,250 120,000*
(KES)
* Final price missing component pricing/profit to be confirmed (TBC)

When asked for a fabrication timeline, most artisans commented that a first attempt of building
the dryer will take around 2-3 weeks to complete.

3.6 Conclusion
In conclusion, the artisans went away from the workshop with an understanding of maize drying
principles and how these principles resulted in the current design for the dryer. CAD drawings
were not as helpful as originally perceived with the preferred and common way to disseminate
this information being a physical unit to copy and reproduce. Artisans succeeded in reproducing
the most complicated component (the drying air supply fan) and documented and priced the
dryer within acceptable margins. The true test will be to see if the quality, function and
performance of Jua Kali built dryers stand up to the demonstration unit and if not, why not.

4 Formal fabricator selection and pricing

Three (3) formal fabricators covering a spectrum of fabrication capacities and sophistication
were selected, visited and invited to a demonstration day (1 July 2015) to see the dryer in
action, gauge interest and provide a tangible unit to price for production.

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Table 5: Formal fabricator information
Kariobangi - Lower End Middle Top End
Nyaweco Engineering Makiga Engineering Numerical Machining
Works Ltd. Services Ltd. Complex Ltd.

Information

Specialist in: Industrial Specialist in: Soil Block Specialist in: Custom Gear
Incinerators, Boiler Repairs, Making Machines, Multi- Milling and Fabrication, Water
Electrical Works, Pipe fittings, Purpose Construction Pumps, Mini-Hydro Plants, Pillar
S/S Tanks, Painting, Soap Vibrators, Posho Mills and Drilling Machines, Lathes and
Plodder, Candle Laying Stone crushers. Hydraulic Presses.
Specialty
Machines, Posho mill,
Area
Sausage Mixers, Cladding &
Lagging, General Fabrications
of Parts and General
Suppliers.

Webpage http://www.nyawecoeng.co.ke/ http://www.makiga- http://www.nmc.co.ke/

engineering.com/

Only two of the three invitees (Nyaweco and Numerical) attended the demonstration day with
the assembly, operation and maintenance of the dryer demonstrated and discussed. Time was
spent on documenting the design with only Nyaweco Engineering Works Ltd. returning a quote
for fabrication.

Table 6: Formal fabricator pricing

No. Item Description Unit Price (KES) Unit Price (KES) Total (KES)

33,500 5,360 38,860

1 Structure: -Consumable/Structural Materials
12,000 1,920 13,920
2 Engine 6.5 HP

8,000 1,280 9,280

3 Canvas

4 Panel Cover: - 13,000 2,080 15,080

Sheets
5 Labor 13,320 2,131 15,451

6 Total 79,820 12,771 92,591

It is not clear why the other fabricators did not attend the demonstration day or price the dryer.
One can only speculate and reference a comment made that the design is simple enough for
the Jua Kali sector to build and that formal fabricators do not want to building capacity/commit to
a product that can easily be copied by the informal sector as soon as the first unit makes it to
market.

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