Iqbal Nur Fahmi, a Mechanical Engineering student of Universitas Muhammadiyah Yogyakarta (UMY) of batch 2012 successfully designed a machine of folding clothes with electro-pneumatic system controller and programmable logic controller (PLC) for convection industries. The machine has been used a t-shirt company in Yogyakarta, Inteeshirt.

In an interview on Monday (17/10), Iqbal informed that the machine had been made since November 2005. He worked on the machine with two Mechanical Engineering lecturers of UMY Wahyudi, S.T., M.T. and Bambang Riyanta, S.T., M.T.

The idea of the tool-making was because Iqbal saw Inteeshirt had barriers in folding clothes. “Folding clothes in Inteeshirt was manually undertaken by two employees. They used a carton to fold, and they were able to fold only 750 clothes for 8 hours,” Iqbal explained.

He told that a machine of folding clothes has been produced overseas, but the machine and import cost is expensive. Thus, domestic convection industries have hesitated to employ the machine.

“Seeing the circumstance, I attempted to innovate by making a much lower cost machine but the result of folding remains good. This machine can be used to fold 1,152 clothes for 8 hours. It is 60% more efficient and reduces cost approximately 100,548 rupiahs,” Iqbal informed.

The use of the folding machine was done in a workshop place of Inteeshirt that Iqbal acted as the designer assisted by the two employees of Inteeshirt. The folding machine-making spent 22,280,000 rupiahs founded by the Inteeshirt. The machine was tested immediately by the Inteeshirt owner, and will officially be utilized in the end of 2016.

This machine-making did not aim at reducing the number of employees. “Indeed, there will be two more employees, one to operate the machine, and the other to check final products,” Iqbal stated.

Iqbal expected that he will achieve Intellectual Property Rights (HAKI) for the machine. “Besides, I hope that the machine can be produced in the great number,” Iqbal wished.