The design of molding disposable plates supports eco friendly made of areca nut fronds with temperature control using the pugh method

Abstract

Styrofoam waste from disposable plates has become a serious environmental issue due to its difficulty to degrade and its pollution of soil, water, and oceans. As a solution, the design of a molding system using areca palm leaf sheaths has been developed as an effort to substitute disposable styrofoam-based plates with eco-friendly plates made from areca palm leaf sheaths, in support of SDGs 12 responsible consumption and production.The objective of this research is to identify the market demand for the most commonly used plate dimensions and to design a molding system for areca palm sheath with integrated temperature control. The research method employed is the Pugh Selection Method, applying six appropriate technology criteria to map user needs and select the best molding concept. Testing was conducted through static analysis to evaluate the structural strength of the main molding components. The results show that the areca sheath molding design includes four key functions: the pressing function, the heating function (heater), the temperature control function, and the cutting function (cutter). Static analysis of the areca sheath molding tool resulted in a maximum Von Mises Stress value of 0.6337 MPa, indicating that the molding design can withstand a pressing force of 19.6 kN without deformation, as this value is far below the material’s yield strength of 275 MPa. The maximum displacement value of 0.0003457 mm reflects minimal geometric shift that could affect the molding accuracy. The minimum and maximum safety factor values, both recorded at 15 ul, indicate that the areca sheath molding system has high resistance to loading and provides significant mechanical protection against.