[Stoves] Why TLUDs are not mass produced

[Crispin Pemberton-Pigott]

Dear Bob

 

I agree with Dean on this - it depends on the quality control you need. As a
manufacturer not only of stoves for many years, I have been manufacturing
production tooling for hand operated business for even longer. Sometimes it
pays to make things locally and sometimes not. 

 

For example in Uganda, material is hard to come by in quantity and often
comes at a premium. I can probably supply components (flat punched) to the
stove manufacturing operations (hand op) for less or equal to the cost of
sourcing the material locally. This matters. If a stove is to have known
performance and quality control, why not take advantage of the things of
offer??

 

There is nothing magical or virtuous about making something that has higher
costs and squeezes more out of the customer.  The material has to come from
somewhere. Uganda does not make thin stainless steel sheeting. If they are
going to buy it, why not buy it in the correct shape? After all, if you want
to create extra work for nothing, buy thick sheets and pound them thin on
site then start cutting with tin snips. At what point does the producer
realise that it is not worth making their own pop rivets or screws or tiny
bolts? 

 

All these parts are routinely produced by specialists at very low cost.
Blanking sheet metal to shape is cheap and really fast and predictable in
the result. These are absolutely necessary to having a good product name and
predictable performance.

 

I love hand production - I have actually made a living making hand
production machinery - but we don't suggest people draw their own wire out
of a pig of iron, we suggest they find a reliable local source of it. We
have to be realistic. Uganda needs many many stoves and long before they are
produced, the first ones will start failing. 

 

It is not for no reason that people buy finishing nails by the kg. To make
them by hand is a complete waste of time and energy. Thank goodness we have
moved beyond that.

 

Regards

Crispin

 

 

 


Stovers, 
 I have been working with Paul on methods for increasing TLUD stove
production with hand and foot powered tools and machines. I have a
presentation in progress (which I sent with attachment but the message
didn't get through) that shows what I have found. Tinsmiths with only a
hammer, chisel, punch, and railroad rail cannot manufacture as many high
quality stoves as we need.
see:
http://stoves.bioenergylists.org/node/3133
 Bob
 

	

 

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