Assessment of productivity and costs of three wheeled loader: case study of Sao Hill forest plantation - Mufindi Iringa, Tanzania.
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Date
2021
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Sokoine University of agriculture
Abstract
In recent years logging operations are either semi-mechanized or full mechanized. This
has emerged due to shortage of labour in logging operations and the presence of new technology which simplifies work and increases productivity. Loading equipment such as three-wheel loaders have been used in logging operations in Tanzania but their productivity and costs are not documented. This study was done at Sao Hill Forest Plantations to determine productivity and costs of three wheel loaders used in loading operations. The study focused on determination of total time taken for the
whole operation of the loader, the production rates of the loader, fuel consumption rate and unit costs of the three wheeled loader. Purposive sampling technique was used in making 244 observations. Primary data were collected by the use of snap-back time study. Secondary data were collected through interviews, office records and reading published journals and articles. The findings indicated that total average time taken for the loading operation was 1.56 minutes while total average productive time was 1.33 minutes.
Production rate of the three wheeled loader was estimated to 59.71 m 3 /h when only
necessary delays were considered and 43.03 m 3 /h when all delays were considered. This
showed that the loader had high production rates but omission of unnecessary delays
increases productivity.
Fuel consumption rate was estimated to be
0.0027 litres/min which was very economical in comparisons to other loading equipment.
Total cost of using the three wheeled loader was estimated to 21 153 000.00 TZS/year
hence the unit cost of production was 10 922.01 TZS/m 3 when all delays were considered
and 7 872.30 TZS/m 3 when only necessary delays were considered. This illustrated that
unit costs of production reduces when unnecessary delays were omitted.
It was
concluded that the three wheeled loader has high loading production rates and reasonable
unit costs of production.iii
DECLARATION
I, Edson Dennis Kaniki, do hereby declare to SENATE of Soko
Description
Dissertation
Keywords
Sao Hill Forest plantation, Three wheeled loader, Mufindi, Iringa, Tanzania