Mr. Tran Dinh Lai, age 35, resident of An Xuan village (Quang An, Quang Dien, Thua Thien Hue) is the inventor of the pressing machines which turn husk into firewood – an invention which has earned him a living as well as created employment for a number of people.

Lai’s workshop is now having to work all day and night in order to suffice the firewood demand of local people. His present success is the result of efforts and enthusiasm. Born in Quang Dien – an area depending entirely on agriculture, Lai, however, has had a passion for drilling, cutting machine in the workshops of his village since childhood. In 1994, he began taking vocational course on mechanics in Hue city. Having both passion and skills, he spent all his saving money on making simple machines such as water pumpers and drillers.

In 1999, he ventured to open his own workshop. However, due to the lack of business experiences, his shop received few orders and could not find enough materials and skilled workers, thus the shop could not be sustained for long. In 2003, he temporarily left his shop to go to a number of mechanical workshops in Soc Trang, Can Tho, Vinh long, An giang, Ca Mau… As an apprentice, he was able to learn different techniques and gained valuable experience.

After the apprenticeship, Lai came home with a several ideas. At first, he thought of making a combined harvesting and thrashing machine, but with his current condition the idea could not come into reality. On a trip to his mother’s village, while riding on his bike, he noticed piles of husk all the way throughout the village, the idea of creating a machine which would turn husk into firewood flashed through his mind. 

Determined to make this idea come true, in 2009, he put all his efforts to make the machine based on the operating principle of pressing machine – the screw pivot type with mould. After months of tinkering, eventually Lai’s machine was finished and produced the first batch of wood from husk material. This pressing technology does not require adhesive substance but still produces naturally firm bars.

 With only 1.1 kg of husk the machine can make a kilogram of wood, each plank of wood is 40 cm in length and has diameter of 78 cm. Profits from selling husk wood is rather attractive. With each kilogram of wood sold, after subtracting input costs, Lai could have a profit of 350 dong, meanwhile his wood pressing production line is able to produce 200 kilograms of wood an hour.

Lai’s daily profit from his shop is about five hundred thousand dong. At the moment his production line is employing 10 to 15 workers, taking full advantage of discarded firing materials and help conserving the village’s environment.

Lai, as the shop owner, is in a hurry handling test registering and production protect application forms at the office of Department of Industry and Trade of Thua thien Hue. He tells us that although there has not been any advertising for the machine, with the price of just 32 million dong per machine, the husk pressing machines have received many pre- orders.

“I intend to open a factory to produce wood from husk in Sia with production line capacity of 3 tons per day, first to meet the demand of local people as well as create employment for hundreds of youngsters”, said Lai.

By Thu An