Rubber Smoking Innovation Being Tested In Nakhon Si Thammarat

[sbk]

Rubber smoking innovation promoted

Published: 10/06/2009 at 12:00 AM

Newspaper section: Business

A new rubber smoking furnace that works faster and consumes less energy is being promoted by the Industrial Technology Assistance Programme (iTAP).

The new furnace holds a big promise: working faster while using 35% less charcoal. A prototype is being tested in Nakhon Si Thammarat.

The iTAP study found that planters in the area, which produces about 440 tonnes of smoked rubber sheets a year, spend about 1.60 to 1.70 baht per kilogramme of parawood charcoal for smoking rubber sheet, now priced at 50 baht per kg.

With conventional furnaces, up to 1,000 kg of parawood charcoal is used to smoke about 1,200 kg of rubber sheet for five days.

continued: http://www.bangkokpost.com/business/econom...vation-promoted

-- Bangkok Post 2009/06/09

[jamescollister]

Read the article, but I don't think they got the numbers right. I have 2 smoking sheds that can [if full] do 4000 kg each. Though I have never had one full,but they cure in 3 days and would not use more than an open fire on a cold winters night. We use wood not charcoal and the wood is for smoke not heat. The system must be ok as we sell RSR 2 to the Government buyers and they have never complained about the rubber. JIM

[Mosha]

Not sure of the prices either. Around here cup rubber is 46 and unsmoked mats 52 Bt/Kg