Design and fabrication of bio-fertilizer mixing machine using a user-centered quality function deployment

This article presents the application of a user-centered Quality Function Deployment (QFD) methodological framework that integrates human-centric and customer-focused approaches, to develop a sustainable solution for a small-scale agricultural community in a developing nation. The research was conducted at a salt farm in Thailand, with the objective of designing a bio-fertilizer mixing machine. The methodology comprised three main stages. Stage One focused on generating user-centered, innovative solutions to the identified problems using the Design Thinking (DT) approach. In Stage Two, QFD was implemented in two phases for machine planning and part deployment. The first phase translated customer requirements into design characteristics, while the second phase specified part characteristics. Stage Three involved the design and fabrication of the bio-fertilizer mixing machine, utilizing locally available materials and resources. The machine’s performance was evaluated using the Design of Experiment (DoE) method, with the percentage of fertilizer humidity as the performance criteria. The optimal machine settings: blade type 2, revolution speed of 40 rpm, and 45 minutes of mixing time were identified. The machine was successfully delivered and well received by the local community.