Itenas Mechanical Engineering Community Service Program: Utilization of Corn Cob Waste in Ciherang Village
The initiative taken by the academic community of Institut Teknologi Nasional Bandung to empower the community and reuse unused items deserves appreciation. On September 21 and 22, 2023, lecturers and students from the Mechanical Engineering program had the opportunity to provide training on making briquettes from corn cobs waste to the community in Ciherang Village, Bandung Regency. This activity was carried out as Ciherang Village is a major corn-producing village for the largest livestock feed supply in West Java.
The initiative was led by one of the lecturers, Mr. Yusril Irwan, S.T., M.T., assisted by two other lecturers, Mr. Eka Taufik Firmansjah, S.T., M.T., and Mr. Fery Hidayat, S.T., M.T. Seven students also contributed to this community service program, including Athfal Fauza, Davin Pratama, Sony Aguspiyana, Rizqi Nur Syifa, Putra Fajar Dwi Aprilian, Ferdi Gandika, and Alfi Syahar.
The training on making briquettes from corn cobs waste was fully supported by Ciherang Village and funded by the Directorate of Research, Technology, and Community Service of the Directorate General of Higher Education, Ministry of Education, Culture, Research, and Technology for the Fiscal Year 2023. The head of Ciherang Village, Mr. Toufik Mufti Ismail, along with the sub-district head of Nagreg, attended this activity as a form of support and was followed by the youth of the Karang Taruna sub-district of Ciherang with enthusiasm.
On the first day, participants were given explanations about briquettes and introduced to the briquette-making tools designed by Itenas Mechanical Engineering students. After being introduced to the tools, participants underwent training in briquette making demonstrated by the students.
The first-day manufacturing process focused on burning corn cobs for three hours to reduce their moisture content and transform them into carbon. The burned material was then crushed into charcoal powder and sifted to facilitate the molding process.
The manufacturing process continued on the second day by mixing charcoal powder and tapioca flour in a ratio of 9:1. Afterward, hot water was poured into the mixture to make it thick and moldable with a manual press tool. The molded briquettes were then dried under the sunlight to reduce the moisture content. Subsequently, the briquettes were tested for combustion, and the results were satisfactory, with the briquettes able to burn for 2 hours at temperatures up to 200 degrees Celsius.
For information, the equipment used for briquette production was the result of students’ final projects and the Mechanical System Engineering Project course. This equipment was donated to the Ciherang Village Youth Organization (Karang Taruna Desa Ciherang) to facilitate the villagers in making corn cobs briquettes in the future.
It is hoped that the training provided, and the equipment donated by the Mechanical Engineering program of Itenas to Ciherang Village will enhance the local economy and serve as an alternative fuel for daily activities. On the other hand, this activity demonstrates that Itenas lecturers and students can apply their knowledge for the common good.
Previous