Total Flex, A Natural Dye Extraction Machine by UB Students

FTP students to create Total FlexFood dye is an additive to be added to improve food or beverage colour. According to BPOM (National Agency of Drug and Food Control) data year of 2012, almost 90% of food industries in Indonesia use a synthetic dye. Whereas, the dangers of using it repeatedly and over a long period can cause allergic reactions, hyperactivity in children, digestive disorders until lead to cancer. This regard encourages University of Brawijaya (UB) students to create natural dye extraction machine named Total Flex.

Five UB students who create Total Flex (Automatic Natural Food Color Extractor) are Bima Adinugraha (FTP 2013), Ahmad MUnawir (FTP 2012), Mas Wisnu Aninditya (FTP 2013), Khoirul Anam Asy Syukri (FTP 2014) and Giovanna Putri Aliefia Madjid (FTP 2014) under supervision of Yusron Sugiarto, STP., MP., M.Sc.

Prototype of Total FlexThe machine elaborates heating technology that based on electro-conductive heating in automatic system. Electro-conductive heating is a heating technology which uses resistance value in ingredients in order to produce internal heating. The technology has excellences such as rapid processing thus to minimize pigments and vitamins damage, improving solutes efficiency and thus to minimize solvent usage, improving result of product extraction and having an energy efficiency more than 90%.

Theoretically, electro-conductive method principle is executed by discharging electric current directly into the ingredients thus able to produce heat which originated from the ingredient itself. This regard leads to heat which able to hit the ingredient uniformly and to minimize damage into the colour pigment content,” said Bima, the Head of Total Flex team.

After testing the result, this team will have stabilization of the voltage and machine control system to increase performance. According to this student group, Total Flex is created to develop technology in the field of natural dye production which based on electro-conductive heating extraction and to give effective solutions towards problems for the community in related with widespread use of synthetic dye. Hopefully by using Total Flex, could assist communities and the government in the efforts in realizing the movement of national food security. [dimas/Humas UB/trans. Denok]

 

  From Berita UB