600-FKM (FYP1-PP-Rev.

01)

FAKULTI KEJURUTERAAN MEKANIKAL

UNIVERSITI TEKNOLOGI MARA

Final Year Project

Proposal
PROJECT TITLE
REALIZATION OF AUTOMATED HANDLING MECHANISM OF THE POUTRY
CAGE TRANSPORTATION

FADRIL FAIDZAM BIN TAJUDIN

IC NO: 911002086125
STUDENT ID: 2012768783

MAC-JULY 2015 SESSION

600-FKM (FYP1-PP-Rev.01)

FAKULTI KEJURUTERAAN MEKANIKAL

BACHELOR DEGREE PROJECT PROPOSAL

A. PROPOSED PROJECT

1. PROJECT TITLE: REALIZATION OF AUTOMATED HANDLING MECHANISM OF THE

POUTRY CAGE TRANSPORTATION

2. STUDENT NAME: FADRIL FAIDZAM BIN TAJUDIN

3. STUDENT ID :

2 0 1 2 7 6 8 7 8 3

4. COURSE
CODE : EM220

SUPERVISOR NAME: ASSOC. PROF. IR. DR. HJ MUHAMMAD AZMI BIN AYUB
CO-SUPERVISOR (if available) :

...
(Students Signature )

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Name

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Date

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Date

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Cut Here

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT SLIP

I hereby acknowledge receipt of a copy of a report entitled _________________________

_____________________ submitted by _______________________________________
at _ _ _ _ am/pm and the date __/__/2014.

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Received by:

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Chop

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Date

600-FKM (FYP1-PP-Rev.01)

INSTRUCTION FOR PANEL

1. DO NOT ACCEPT THE PROGRESS REPORT WITHOUT VERIFIED BY

SUPERVISOR.
2. PLEASE CHECK THIS REPORT AND PUT REMARKS AT ANY PLACE
SUITABLE TO HIGHLIGHT YOUR IDEAS FOR IMPROVEMENT OR
CORRECTION.
3. PLEASE WRITE YOUR SUMMARY OF COMMENTS OR SUGGESTIONS
INSIDE THE PROVIDED COLUMN.
4. PLEASE MARKS THIS PROPOSAL TOGETHER WITH PRESENTATION
IN FORM 600-FKM.FYP (PPE1-02).R1 - FYP1 PANEL EVALUATION
(WILL BE PROVIDED DURING THE PRESENTATION DAY).
5. DO NOT ALLOW THE STUDENT TO PROCEED FOR PRESENTATION
WITHOUT PROVIDING THE PROPOSAL AT LEAST ONE WEEK
BEFORE THE PRESENTATION DAY.

PANEL COMMENTS

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600-FKM (FYP1-PP-Rev.01)

A. PROJECT ABSTRACT
(Abstract of the proposed project in not more than 200 words):

(20 MARKS)

In the broiler industry, the handling process of broiler usually runs as manually.
There several types of automated handling process system exist nowadays, but the
application of these kind of system sometimes sees by the industrial players as costly and
the output of the system is in uncertainty status, whether it will overcomes the obstacles
that present during manual handling system or not. Sometimes, the automated handling
systems were help to increase the output in-terms of numbers of broilers were handled with
help to reducing the costly manpower required but not so helpful in-terms of ensure of
livestocks walfare. This project was conducted to propose the new working system that to
be applied by the broiler industrial players on their broiler house. The system to be propose
will be evaluate using certain material handling simulation to study it performances and to
be compare to current applied sytem that used in the industry.

B. PROJECT BACKGROUND
(Describe the background of your project)

(20 MARKS)

The broiler chicken industry is an important subsector that able to supply the
protein resources to the consumers at lower cost [1]. The nature of the broiler chicken
thats sensitive to its surrounding leads to the problem of decreasing in the meat quality. In
2013, the consumption of the broilers in Malaysia was recorded at 1.44 million [2] tons and
the number of demands was growing with increasing trends, for that instance, it has
portrayed that it is difficult to operate handling and transportation process of the broiler
manually any longer to ensure the welfare of the livestock during the handling and the
transportation process and to keep the productivity at the highest level.
To overcome the problems occurs during this process, the researcher came out with
the idea to redesign the system for that stated process. The new system proposed came with
the consideration on many aspects such as the effectiveness of the system, the humans
factors that decreasing the work performance and the welfare of the broilers itself.

600-FKM (FYP1-PP-Rev.01)

C. PROBLEM STATEMENT
(Please state clearly the problem of the proposed project)

(20 MARKS)
The transportation process of broiler from the farm to the slaughterhouse is not an
easy work to be conducted. For information, the capturing and transportation task must be
conducted during night to reduce the risk of death and effect on the immune system that
cause a susceptible disease that lowering the quality of the meat. Imagine that the task of
capturing the thousands of chickens per hour was operated manually in a short period of
time, surely it will be not an easy task. Moreover, the increase of broiler demand will
worsen the situation.
The idea to adapt the automatic system to the mentioned task is something that
interesting to be done. The question now, what kind of automatic handling systems are
most suitable to be implemented according to the nature of the broiler chicken? , and which
one most effective in terms of productivity?

600-FKM (FYP1-PP-Rev.01)

D.

OBJECTIVES & EXPECTED RESULTS

(Please state the objectives and expected results of the proposed project)

(40 MARKS)
Objectives:
1. To study the manual methods of handling's mechanism of broiler chicken cage
during cage transportation process from the broiler houses to the lorry.
2. To realize a new system solution that automate the handling mechanism of the cage
transportation mechanism.
3. To analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of the new mechanism.

Expected results:
At the end of the project, researcher expected to:
1. Design and fabricate the new system to be implemented during broilers handling
and capture process.
2. Increase of effectiveness of the system in term of productivity.
3. Increase of broiler chicken meat quality by reducing the risk of injury.
4. Reduce number of death of broiler chicken during capture and transportation
process.
5. The protection of the livestocks welfare.

E. SCOPE OF WORK
(Describe the scope of the project)

(20 MARKS)

600-FKM (FYP1-PP-Rev.01)

The scope of this project is to design and fabricate the new system to be
implemented to the handling and transportation of the broilers cage from the broiler house
to the lorry. A handling mechanism will be designed to ease the transportation of broiler,
that will not give negative effect to the poultry welfare and reduce the several work done
by the worker, at once can reduce the time taken by this process. To get close to the actual
situation and getting the clearer perspective, the visit to the broiler house is something
helpful.
To generate the design concepts, the researcher will conduct the research on fully
new design system or the research on the current handling mechanism that already
implemented on other sectors such as goods transportation or materials handling on the
manufacturing sector and other sectors will be considered whether it is suitable or not for
the project.
The selected design of the system will be visualized by be drafted using CATIA
software with the specific parameters for the guide during fabrication of the prototype. The
drafted system then will be evaluate using certain material handling simulation software to
study its effectiveness compared to current use system. The working model will be
fabricated during this project to study, analyze and evaluate the effectiveness of the new
designed system.

F. PROJECT METHODOLOGY
(Describe the procedures and methods to be used to achieve the project objectives)

(40 MARKS)

600-FKM (FYP1-PP-Rev.01)

Start

Preliminary study
(objective 1)

New system concepts

generation

Concept selection

Design drafting

Fabricate the working

model / prototype

No

Evaluate the new designed system

Best performance
Yes
End

Phase 1: Collection of information study on broiler chicken behavior and studies on

current techniques were used and the obstacles that exist
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Reading review
To get the design that will give the optimized result in term of reduction of number
of death of broilers during handling and transport process, researchers do a study on the
behavior of broiler by making the review through the journals, articles, news, and other
resources focusing on the cycle of life, the problems that occur due to the use of current
techniques and the welfare of the broiler.
Interview
The researcher planning to conduct an interview to study about the behavior of
broilers and the consideration that need to be considered during the design process. To
capture the accurate information, the interview will be conveyed to the potential clients
which are comprising the broiler farm owners.
Observation
The visit to the broiler house was planned to be conducted to get familiar to the
actual situation about how the broiler been handled during transportation and to get the
accurate data of number of death of the broilers during this process. The results of the
observation will be the primary consideration of the new system or technique of the design
procedure. The visit also conducted to get the actual parameter of the system such as the
desire time needed for loading process, the average weight of broilers, the average weight
per cage, the dimension of cage, the accessibility and other factor that is consider
important.

Phase 2: Design process of the new system

600-FKM (FYP1-PP-Rev.01)

After the data and the essential considerations are available from phase 1, the
design process will be proceed started with the generation of the several concept, followed
by concept selection, the design development, the prototype fabrication and the analysis of
the designed process.
Review on type of internal automated transport system
The new system will be either fully new develop system or will implement existing
automated handling system that usually use on other sectors into this system. The internal
automated transport system will be review about it effectiveness if implement on the new
system.
Design drafting
The design will be develop using the computer aided design computer-aideddesign CAD software which is CATIA. The design be stated with specific parameters and
materials to be use and the design pre-evaluation process be conduct using simulation
programs.
Selected handling system evaluation
The selected design of handling system will be evaluate using certain materials
handling simulation software to study its effectiveness compared to current system that
used in the industry.
Phase 3: fabrication of new system
The working model be fabricate by follows the specific parameters stated during
design process and the realized new system will be evaluate on its effectiveness by conduct
the real working situation to study the differences result produce by last applied system and
the new realized system.

G. LITERATURE REVIEW & REFERENCES

(Previous work done on the field of study and anything that you consider to be relevant to the hypothesis or research question
and to its investigation.)

(60 MARKS)

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1. Broiler chicken or broilers

Broiler chicken breeding industry be emphasized begin from late 1950s when the
existence of requirements for breeding of dual-purpose chicken that use for meats and eggs
production [1]. In Malaysia, the broiler chicken has become a staple meat source compared to
other livestock. As the main source of protein for the majority of Malaysian population make the
per capita consumption very high. For year 2013, the consumption of broiler chicken in Malaysia
was recorded at 1.4 million tons and the amount of consumption per capita was recorded at 40
kilograms which is among of the highest consumption in the world. Malaysians make chicken
meat as the preferred source of protein because its price is low and stable compared to beef and
pork [2].
Broiler chicken is a type of the chicken that bred and raised for the meat production. The
increase of the demand for chicken meat lead to selection of broiler chicken as the main type of
chicken to be bred as the chicken meat source due to its shortest breeding time [1].
The growth of demand leads to the initiation of an intensive selective breeding that help
to reduce the time take for the broilers to fill the standard weight for the slaughter which is 1.6kg
in average. By nature, the broilers take about 98 days to be mature enough for slaughter but with
intensive selective breeding, it was reduced to only 37 days [1].
Due to the rapid growth, the broilers that at the slaughter-weight show the behavior of
immature chicken this is because the artificial selective breeding help to increase the rate of
growth in physical aspect but not in emotional [1].
The commercial broiler chicken reaches the slaughter-weight within the short period, this
unnatural growth rate puts enormous pressure on the heart and immature skeleton and it is the
cause of many health problems. This situation also leaves the little time for the development of
immune system of the broilers. To prevent broilers from infected several difference disease, the
broilers were vaccinated [1].

2. Handling and transportation of broiler

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In the industry, there are various methods that widely practiced during the catching
process of chickens. The part of chicken body that's been grab was used to classify the method of
catching. The catching process can be carried out by a catcher placing both hands around the
chickens body or use second option which is catcher catch the chickens by its both legs or one
leg that make the chickens held in inverted position. The most common method to catch the
chickens is by grab the chicken's legs. This method was implemented because of the inaccurately
believe that this method needs shortest time and the numbers of broiler captured for each period
of specific time are larger compared to catching by grabbing chickens whole body. By grabbing
the legs of the broilers will lead to the downgrading broiler meat quality. The downgrading
occurs because, when the chickens were captured by their legs, it will tend to fight it by moving
their wings roughly. Usually, the chickens that caught will be held as group of four to five
chickens per hand before the catcher run to the cage. The catcher will grab the chicken femur
head firmly that will cause some bruise on chicken meat [3]. The best method for chicken
catching process definitely is grabbing the chicken by the whole body that had significantly
lower plasma corticosterone concentrations which is a result of the stress of chickens faced
during catching process than plasma corticosterone concentrations generated by catching the
chicken by grabbing its by legs in inverted position [4].
The United Kingdom, enforcing an act of law that discuss about the welfare of the
livestock include poultry during the handling and transportation process as mention in the
Welfare of Animals during Transport Order 1994. The act stipulates that the catching and
handling of birds should not cause the injury to the birds. The stress to the birds also should be
minimized by using blue light as recommended to reduce the fear responds. The mechanical
device that applies during the catching process must be proven humanely enough to the birds [5].
In terms of transportation, this act mention about the suitable provision has been made for
its care during the journey and on arrival at the place of destination. It must be guaranteed that
the bird fits its intended journey. This means that the condition of the transportation itself must
be fit to the broilers nature of life. For these instances, the long journey of broilers from farms to
the slaughterhouse usually runs during night to reduce the thermal stress to the birds or broilers.
The lorry or trucks for the birds transportation must have the suitable ventilation system for
assured the broilers comfort. The good ventilation is important during transportation because the
broilers are sensitive to the hot condition. Usually, the transportation trucks were present as
refrigerated trucks [5].
There are some mechanize or automated techniques that were applied in the industry
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nowadays, one of the technique is mechanical harvesting. This system consists of a selfpropelled harvester which is driven into the broiler house. The harvester has a central retractable
boom and sweeper arms fitted with rotating, foam rubber paddles which move the birds onto an
inclined conveyor. The birds are then transferred into a dump or unrestrained drawer module
located behind the harvester. By compared the stressfulness of harvesting broilers using
mechanical and manual methods and concluded that stress could be reduced by a carefully
designed machine [18].

Figure 3.1 : Mechanical harvesting unit

Another mechanize harvesting technique available is the multiple conveyor technique.
This technique required numbers of conveyors 7m long each were stacked together to transport
the broilers that were caught manually and loaded onto the conveyor. The broilers will move
along the conveyor to the collecting station where it will be placed onto the cages before loading
onto the lorry [19].

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Figure 3.2 : Multiple conveyor technique

3. Material handling equipment
The materials handling equipment is referred to the mechanical devices or gadgets that
used in materials handling process which is moving and loading or unloading task. In the
industry, the materials be handled in-form of raw materials, intermediate goods and finished
products. Basically, the handling process is not a type of the production that create added values
to the products. Therefore, the time required by this kind of process should be reduced in order to
increase the productivity. Starting with the discovery of wheel technology, the materials handling
process was continuously assisted by the use of equipment and methods that improved from time
to time [6].

3.1 Unit load formation equipment

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Unit load is a concept to move the maximum load at a same time. The individual items
were compiled together into a single unit with the presence of large lifting devices such as pallet,
skid, tray or rack as a base of the compiled unit. The unit can be moved easily with a pallet jack
of forklift trucks. The unit load gives the advantages of reducing the handling and transportation
time and cost, the Loading and unloading time of unit load is less than when managed as
individual or loose material, and the damages and loss during the move from one space to
another are lesser [6].
Pallet and skid are a platform with the open rear end section with enough clearance that enable
the insertion of forks for lifting purposes. Talk about pallet, normally it is formed of wood, but
there is also a pallet constructed of other materials such as rubber, plastic and metal with the size
of the pallet is limited by its deepness and its width or length of deckboards whereas pallet height
which is typically 5 inches is normally not set. Example: Depth (stringer length) x Width
(deckboard length). On the other hand, the skid typically is constructed of metal. Forks can also
be utilized to handle skids since the clearance of a skid is greater than a pallet. Compared to a
pallet, a slip is normally used for heavier loads and when stacking is not needed. A metal skid
can hold greater loads than an equal-weight metal pallet because it enables a platform truck to be
practiced for the lifting, with the platform, providing a larger lifting surface to hold the skid as
compared to the forks used to hold the pallet [7].

Figure 3.3 : a pallet and a skid

3.2 Positioning equipment

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Positioning equipment is used to handle material at a single location so that the material
is in the correct position for subsequent handling, machining, transport, or storage. Unlike
transport equipment, positioning equipment is usually used for handling at a single workplace.
Material can also be positioned manually using no equipment. There are several type of
positioning equipment such as lift/tilt/turn table, air film device, hoist balancer, manipulator,
industrial robot etc.
The lift/tilt/turn table is an adjustable desk used when the positioning process involves
lifting, tilting and turning the loads. The use of this equipment helps to reduce or limit the
workers motion for lifting and reaching the loads. Pallet load levelers are lift and turn tables
used in manual palletizing to reduce the amount of bending and stooping involved with manually
loading a pallet by combining a lifting and turning mechanism with a device that lowers the table
as each layer is completed so that loading always takes place at the optimal height.

Figure 3.4 : Lift/lilt/turn table

Air film device such as air pallets or air skids is a device that are equipped with air
bearings that support and move heavy loads on a thin film of air. This air film eliminates friction,
allowing loads to be moved with only 1/10 the amount of force that would be required on wheels
[8]. The applications of air pallets are same as the applications of the cranes and hoists that use to
move the load inside the manufacturing plans and warehouse. The thin layer of compressed air at
a rate of 10 to 50 pounds are able to float the loads up to 300,000 pounds. The floating action
make the rotating and translating of the heavy loads are enable [9]. The air pallet has it drawback
which the floor surface must be flat and smooth without cracks or holes on it.

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Figure 3.5 : Air pallet / air film device

The hoist is a device that is used for vertical translating purpose which are lifting or
lowering the loads by means of a drum or lift-wheel where the chain or rope wraps around it.
Usually. It was attached to the cranes and monorails to provide the vertical translation capability.
The hoist can be operated manually or be operated as electrically or pneumatically powered [9].

Figure 3.6 : Hoist

The manipulator is use to runs the vertical and horizontal translation of the loads. It was
acting as the muscle multipliers that counterbalance the weight of load to reduce the efforts by
the operator to lifts the loads up to 1% of the loads weight. The can be operated manually or be
operated as electrically or pneumatically powered. The end-effectors of the manipulator usually
be equipped with the mechanical grippers, vacuum grippers, electromechanical grippers, or other
tooling. The usage of the manipulator fill the gap between the usages of the hoist and the
industrial robot. The manipulator can be used for a wider range of positioning tasks than hoists
and are more flexible than industrial robots due to their use of manual control [9].

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Figure 3.7 : Manipulator

The industrial robot is a multi-axis and multipurpose manipulator that was controlled
automatically with the set of reprogrammable programs. Consists of a chain of several rigid links
connected in series by revolute or prismatic joints with one end of the chain attached to a
supporting base and the other end free and equipped with an end-effector [9]. The industrial
robot is ideal to use in the situation that high output and no errors are required. It also be used to
perform the duties that are dangerous or hazardous to the human workers. Typical applications of
industrial robots include welding, painting, ironing, assembly, pick and place, palletizing,
product inspection, and testing. They are grouped according to number of axes, structure type,
work envelope size, payload capability, and speed [10].

Figure 3.8 : Industrial robot

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3.3 Transport equipment

The transport equipment is an equipment used to move the materials or loads from one
location to another location, whether the movement in the facility or the movement out of the
facility. The transport equipment can be categorized into four groups of categories such as
conveyors, cranes, industrial trucks and be categorized as no equipment.

Figure 3.9
The difference of these four groups of categories is the conveyor is an equipment used to
move materials over a fixed path between specific points, the cranes are an equipment used to
move materials over variable paths within a restricted area and the industrial trucks is an
equipment used to move materials over variable paths, with no restrictions on the area covered
by the movement. Material can also be transported manually using no equipment [11].
3.3.1

Conveyor system

The conveyor system is a type of material handling system that transport the materials or
object from one destination to another destination. The use of conveyor system is beneficial in
terms of health assurance of the workers by reducing the physical stress compared to moving the
object manually. The conveyors are the best option when trying to move a large amount of
products safely to different destinations with the limited resource of manpower. Conveyors are
used when the material is to be moved frequently between specific points, to move materials
over a fixed path and when there is a sufficient flow volume to justify the fixed conveyor
investment [11]. There are the several types of conveyor system, but the most common types that
are used in the industry were belt conveyors, roller conveyors.

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Belt conveyor system consists of two pulleys that attached to the belt with a constant
movement of the conveyor belt rotating to move the product. One or both of the pulleys are
powered, moving both the belt and the product on the belt onward. The belt conveyor is used for
transporting light- and medium-weight loads [12].

Figure 3.10 : Belt conveyor

Gravity roller conveyors have metal rollers that roll on a fixed shaft as the rollers are
spaced to allow free movement. The conveyer belt has a slight incline as gravity is applied to run
the object along its length. Gravity rollers can accommodate numerous objects placed along the
conveyor at one time. By placing rollers closer together, the capacity can be increased as well as
provide a smoother rolling package [12].

Figure 3.11 : Gravity roller conveyor

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The live roller conveyor is similar to the gravity roller conveyor that have metal roller
placed close to each other to move the object that's placed on it. However, unlike gravity rollers
that operate by manually pushing the object on the top of the conveyor, the live roller conveyor is
mechanically powered using a belt or a line drive system with most common speed range from
40 to 100 feet per minute. Industries that need to start and stop the conveyor for merging and
sorting products will utilize live rollers in their operations for complete control during product
transportation [12].

Figure 3.12 : Live roller conveyor

3.3.2

Crane

Another type of transport equipment is the cranes. It is a type of mechanical machine or

device which is used to translating the loads in both vertical and horizontal movements with the
presence of other devices such as a hoist, wire rope or chain and sheaves that be equipped on the
cranes. Cranes are used to move heavy materials over variable paths within a restricted area [13].
The crane was powered with electric, air, hydraulic, or internal combustion means that create the
mechanical advantages that beyond the humans normal capability [14].
The crane is usable when there is insufficient flow volume that caused the use of the
conveyor is no longer an option. The movement of the load is more flexible compared to the use
of conveyor but less flexible than movement of industrial trucks. In terms of the geometry of the
loads handled, it is more varied than loads that can be handled by conveyor [13]. There several
types of cranes that use in the industry.

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A jib crane is a type of crane where a horizontal member which is jib where the moveable
hoist was supported on it. The jib structure was fixed to a wall or to a floor-mounted pillar. The
jib may swing through an arc, to give additional lateral movement, or be fixed. Similar cranes,
often known simply as hoists, were fitted on the top level of warehouse buildings to enable goods
to be lifted to all floors [13].

Figure 3.13 : Jib crane

An overhead crane, usually called a bridge crane, is a type of crane that consists of
parallel runways with a traveling bridge spanning the opening. A hoist, the lifting component of a
crane, travels on the bridge. This type of cranes enables the load be handled in three-dimensional
[13].

Figure 3.14 : overhead crane

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Gantry crane is similar to an overhead crane except that the bridge for carrying the trolley
or trolleys is rigidly supported on two or more legs running on fixed rails or other runway. The
gantry crane used for a smaller portion of the work area as compared to a bridge crane [13].
Compared to overhead crane, the gantry crane can be used outdoors.

Figure 3.15 : Gantry crane

The stacker crane is similar to a bridge crane except that, it uses a mast with forks or a
platform to handle unit loads instead of a hoist. Usually, it is considered as fork trucks on the rail.
The stacker crane is used for storing and retrieving unit loads in storage racks, especially in highrise applications in which the racks are more than 50 feet high. It can be operated by controlled
remotely or by an operator controlled in a cab on the mast [13].

Figure 3.16 : Stacker crane

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3.3.3

Industrial truck

The industrial truck is a type of transportation equipment that's designed to carry the
materials within facilities with the maximum flexibility of motion. Some truck has lifting
capabilities which enable vertical movement of the load. The industrial truck is usable when
there is an insufficient flow volume that made the use of the conveyor is no longer an option. The
industrial truck was not licensed to travel on public roads [13]. The common types of industrial
truck that was used in the industry are pallet jack, stacker, and forklift.
The pallet jack is a powered truck with a mast used to lift and move pallets around. Pallet
trucks are outfitted with a carriage area and extended blades. The front wheels are bound within
the end of the blades, and as the hydraulic jack is raised, the blades then separated upright from
the front wheels, carrying the load upward until it clears the land. It is a quite simple and
effective method of dealing with heavy loads. Pallet Jacks are used in all sorts of warehouse and
manufacturing plants. There are two types of pallet jack that was normally used nowadays, which
are manual handling or be called a pump jack and a more sophisticated type called powered
pallet jack or hydraulic lift [14].

Figure 3.17 : Pallet jack

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A walkie stacker is a walk behind pallet truck with a mast for lifting pallets. There are
several types of walkie stackers that are suitable for different applications. It can be either
powered or manually operated. They are most commonly used for transporting & lifting pallets
where a forklift is not necessary, such as in store rooms, small warehouses and specialized
warehousing sections or as a replacement for more expensive forklifts.

Figure 3.18 : Common type of walkie stacker

These machines are perfect for small capacity items transported around a facility for less
than 5 hours a day. Unlike the forklift, the walkie stacker is only desirable for indoor usage and
recommended to be used on a flat concrete floor because of their size and capacities. The
advantages of walkie stacker are, the operators do not require a license to operate a walkie
stacker compared to forklift unless it is a ride on type stacker. It also gives the better operator
visibility due to its smaller size that allow the operator to see the load that be handled.

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Figure 3.19 : Pantographic scissor mast

There is a type of stacker that equipped with a pantographic scissor mast. This means the
mast is able to move loads forward away from the body of the stacker [15].
The forklift is also known as a lift truck in essence because it is a truck that can lift loads
using a set of forks. A forklift can be applied in numerous situations such as warehouses, mills,
farms, shipping yards and much more [16]. It is normally practiced in the industry due to its
flexibility that is able to be operated indoor or outdoor over a kind of dissimilar types of surfaces
[17]. There are various types of forklift with their typical applications.

Figure 3.20 : Forklift

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The electric counter balance forklift is used to lift medium to large loads with a battery
powered engine, making it less pollutant and most suitable for indoor usage with lower operating
costs. Another type of forklift is internal combustion engine trucks. It is the most commonly used
forklift normally outdoors. This type of forklift is typically cheaper to purchase and able to lift
heavier loads, and operates using all types of fuel such as liquified petroleum gas (LPG), liquid
propane, diesel and compressed natural gases (CNG) [16].

27

600-FKM (FYP1-PP-Rev.01)

REFFERENCES
[1].

AnimalsAustralia; Broiler Chicken Facts Sheet. Available at

www.animalsaustralia.org/factsheets/broiler_chickens.php,
(accessed 2015-04-25)

[2].

Wouldpoutry, Mar 24 2014; Malaysia poultry industry meeting domestic demand,

Available at http://www.worldpoultry.net/Broilers/Markets-Trade/2014/3/Malaysian-poultry-industry-meeting-domestic-demand-1486503W/
(accessed 2015-04-25)

[3]

Eduardo Cervantes Lopez, Mar 2 2011 ; Reducing Downgrading Starts with

Capturing,
Available at http://www.worldpoultry.net/Broilers/Processing/2011/3/Reducingdowngrading-starts-with-capturing-WP008566W/
(accessed 2015-04-25)

[4]

Kannan, G. and J.A. Mench, 1996. Influence of different handling methods and
crating periods on plasma corticosterone levels in broilers. British Poultry
Science, 37:1, page 21-31.

[5]

Department of Environment Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) UK, July 2002;
meat chickens and breeding chickens, code of recommending for the welfare of
livestock, catching, handling and transport. UK, Defra Publication, page 20.

[6]

Siddharta Ray, Dec 2011; Material Handling, New Age International Publisher.

[7]

North Carolina State University; Material Handling Equipment Taxonomy, III.

Unit Load Formation Equipment.
Available at http://www.ise.ncsu.edu/kay/mhetax/UnitEq/index.htm
(accessed 2015-05-16)

[8]

Aircaster; Air Pallets, Engineering the Heavy Move.

Available at http://aircaster.com/products/air-pallets/
(accessed 2015-05-16)

[9]

North Carolina State University; Material Handling Equipment Taxonomy, II.

Positioning Equipment.
Available at http://www.ise.ncsu.edu/kay/mhetax/PosEq/index.htm
(accessed 2015-05-16)

[10]

RobotWorx; What is an industrial robot.

Available at http://www.robots.com/faq/show/what-is-an-industrial-robot
(accessed 2015-05-16)

28

600-FKM (FYP1-PP-Rev.01)

[11]

North Carolina State University; Material Handling Equipment Taxonomy,

Transportation Equipment, I-A. Conveyors.
Available at http://www.ise.ncsu.edu/kay/mhetax/TransEq/Conv/index.htm
(accessed 2015-05-16)

[12]

Paul Lengyell, July 18 2013; Types of Conveyor Systems.

Available at blog, http://blog.hicube.com/blog/bid/318118/Types-of-ConveyorSystems
(accessed 2015-05-01)

[13]

North Carolina State University; Material Handling Equipment Taxonomy,

Transportation Equipment, I-B. Cranes.
Available at http://www.ise.ncsu.edu/kay/mhetax/TransEq/Crane/index.htm
(accessed 2015-05-06)

[14]

Task Forklift; Pallet Jack Known as a Pallet Trucks.

Available at http://www.taskforklifts.com.au/Pallet-jacks-known-as-a-pallettrucks-bgp2390.html
(accessed 2015-05-18)

[15]

Adaptalift Hyster, May 23 2012; What Is a Walker Stacker? Logistic & Material
Handling Blog.
Available at http://www.aalhysterforklifts.com.au/index.php/about/blogpost/what_is_a_walkie_stacker_basic_types_application_guidelines
(accessed 2015-05-14)

[16]

Adaptalift Hyster, Dec 25 2010; Forklift Terminology Part 4, Type of Forklift &
Tyres, Logistic & Material Handling Blog.
Available at http://www.aalhysterforklifts.com.au/index.php/about/blogpost/forklift_terminology_part_4_types_of_forklifts_tyres
(accessed 2015-05-14)

[17]

North Carolina State University; Material Handling Equipment Taxonomy,

Transportation Equipment, I-C. Industrial Trucks.
Available at http://www.ise.ncsu.edu/kay/mhetax/TransEq/IndusTr/index.htm
(accessed 2015-05-06)

[18]

Duncan I.J.H., Slee G., Kettlewell P., Berry P. & Carlisle A.J, 1986; Comparison
of the stressfulness of harvesting broiler chickens by machine and by hand. British
Poultry Science, 27 (1), page 109-114.

[19]

Kettlewell, P.J. and Turner, M.J.B, 1985; A review of broiler chicken catching and
transport systems. Journal of Agricultural Engineering Research 31, 93-114.

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600-FKM (FYP1-PP-Rev.01)

H. PRELIMINARY OUTCOME
(Discuss the current status & expected outcomes of the project)

(80 MARKS)

Since the fyp1 is a part of the final year project process, the outcome that obtained
is not comprehensive. For now, Progress on the project is now in a transition stage between
the first and second phases.
Outcome of the first phase
The first stage, which runs to accumulate the information study on the broiler
chicken behavior and studies on current technique that were employed and the obstructions
that exist.
The stage was run with three approaches which are by reading reviews, interview
and by observation. The outcomes of reading review help the researcher to identify the
behavior of the broilers. The reviews stated that the broilers that reached the slaughter
weight are not a matured in terms of ages, which make they are sensitive to their
surrounding conditions. The unmannered capturing, handling and transportation process
will leads the increasing of plasma corticosterone concentrations of the broilers that was

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600-FKM (FYP1-PP-Rev.01)

affecting the quality of the meats. The reading review also helps the researcher to identify
the suitable handling equipment to be implemented onto the design concept generation
phase.
The interview and observation were run simultaneously thank to Mr. Mohd
Muzamri the owner of HS Gemilang with his cooperation that allowing the observation
process be conducted at his broiler house. The visit was conducted two times on 20 th of
May and 8th of June 2015. From the observation, the researcher find that the capturing,
handling and transportation process were run manually that required slightly higher
numbers of manpower with the highest level of workload. Mr. Muzamri told that the entire
capturing and loading cages onto the lorry. The process for one lorry take around 45
minutes to 1.5 hours depends on the workers' performance.

Further, in this chapter,

researchers will discuss the outcomes that were obtained during this visit.

Visit to broiler house

The first outcome that was obtained during the visit is about the catching process and the
transportation of the cages from the house to the lorry. The catching process of the broiler
was operated manually by numbers of manpower around 6 to 8 workers. The catching
process was runs with the houses light was turned off to ensuring the broilers level of
stress at the minimal level. The second outcome that was obtained is about the
transportation of broiler cages out from the house to the lorry. The process of transporting
broiler cages to the lorry system that was adopted at the visited broiler house is as below:
1) The cages are manually unloaded from the lorry and got into the broiler house.

Figure 4.1
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600-FKM (FYP1-PP-Rev.01)

2) The cages, then were loaded with the broilers depends on the request of the
customer order, usually 6 to 8 birds per cages depends on the size of the broiler.
3) After the catching process was done, the loaded cages were resend to the lorry. The
task to move the cages was helped with the use of rails where the cages were placed
on the top of it and be pushed along the path. The function of the rail is to reduce
the workloads of the workers to move the cage.

Figure 4.2

Figure 4.3

4) Before the cages were reloaded onto the lorry, the cages were weighed.

Figure 4.5
5) After being weighed, the cage will be placed on a truck to be arranged as 8 stack.
From the reflection, the amount of manpower required to operate the process are 8
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600-FKM (FYP1-PP-Rev.01)

persons which are 4 persons to push the cages, 2 persons to weigh the loaded cages
and 2 persons required to arrange the cage on the lorry.

Figure 4.6

6) The loaded cage that has been placed on the truck then washed to ensure that the
body temperature of chickens is at optimum level all the way to the slaughterhouse.
From the observations, the researcher found that the system to be created should take into
account several aspects such as animal welfare, employee workload, the structure of the
broiler house and the time taken for this process.

33

600-FKM (FYP1-PP-Rev.01)

34

600-FKM (FYP1-PS-Rev.01)

PROJECT PLANNING
(List the main activities of the project. Indicate the length of time needed for each activity.)

Planning
Project Activities

Actual
Mac
1

April
3

10

May
11

12

13

Mid-term & Gawai Break

June
14
15
16
17
18

Search supervisor
Confirm title
Register title
Problem and
objective
identification
Literature review
Visit to the broiler
house
FYP project
monitoring (Mid
Term Review Form)
Submission of
proposal
FYP 1 Presentation
Submission of
logbook and report

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600-FKM (FYP1-PS-Rev.01)

Planning

Concept generation
Concept selection
Design drafting
Design evaluation
Fabrication of prototype /
working model
Model evaluation
Writing report
FYP 2 Presentation

Sep
2
3

10

Nov
11

12

Mid-term break
Dec
14
15
16

17

18

Industrial Training

Project Activities

Actual
Oct
6
7

Submission of logbook and

report

36

600-FKM (FYP1-PS-Rev.01)

37