Rancangan Alat Bantu Panen Tanaman Hidroponik dengan Metode Ergonomic Function Deployment (Studi Kasus: UKM Qian Hidroponik)

Abstract

Agriculture plays an important role in the global economy and food security. Hydroponics emerged as a soil-less cultivation technique that allows plants to grow in nutrient-rich water solutions, even in environments unsuitable for conventional farming. Hydroponic farming faces serious challenges, especially in the manual harvesting process that is common on a small scale. This process has the potential to cause muscle fatigue, risk of injury, and reduced crop quality. Although several harvesting aids have been developed, small-scale hydroponic farmers face cost and information barriers. One SME that has experienced this is Qian Hydroponic SME in Timbang Langkat Sub-district, East Binjai District. The high demand for vegetables forces the harvesting process to be done quickly and in large quantities, increasing the risk of fatigue in workers. Through interviews and observations, it was found that work postures during manual harvesting were not ergonomic, with bodily complaints measured using the Standard Nordic Questionnaire (SNQ) and work posture analysis using the Rapid Entire Body Assessment (REBA) method showing medium risk. This has the potential to reduce SME productivity. This study aims to design harvesting tools with an Ergonomic Function Deployment (EFD) approach to meet the needs of workers. The dimensions of the tool are adjusted to the anthropometric data of the workers, and the 3D design is made using SolidWorks 2020 Software. The result of this design is a tool design that can improve work posture, as evidenced by the potential decrease in REBA score from 7 (moderate risk) to 1 (negligible risk). Therefore, the proposed tool is highly recommended to be implemented and improve productivity in similar SMEs.