Designing Real Solutions for 'Village Pollution' Through the Lens of Manufacturing Engineering

As a Manufacturing Engineering Technology student, my daily life is synonymous with designing prototypes, analysing material strength, and calculating industrial-scale production efficiency. My mindset is trained to think about how a machine can work as efficiently as possible with maximum output and minimal waste. Everything is centred on factory precision and automation. However, that perspective shifted instantly when I participated in a community service programme in Kertosono Village, Sidayu District, Gresik Regency. There, I was confronted with the reality of waste management that was highly conventional and, from an engineering standpoint, extremely inefficient. The villagers were accustomed to the open burning method. For the residents, burning rubbish was the most practical solution to eliminate piles of household organic waste. Unfortunately, from an engineering perspective, open burning is a failed process. Open burning produces uncontrolled temperatures and poor oxygen circulation, resulting in exhaust emissions in the form of thick smoke. This smoke not only pollutes the air but also disturbs the residents’ health when the wind direction carries it towards residential areas. The heat energy produced is also wasted without any added value. It was here that I realised that manufacturing science does not always have to be implemented on giant machines in industrial zones. Sometimes, the engineering most needed by the community is a simple design solution, using readily available materials, yet capable of having a significant impact on quality of life. The answer to the problem in Kertosono Village was the Rocket Stove. Together with the community service programme team, I applied manufacturing engineering principles to design and build a Rocket Stove facility measuring 75x50x200 cm. We chose lightweight brick (hebel) and refractory bricks for a reason; these materials have good thermal resistance and are cost-effective. The main concept of this stove is to manipulate airflow and combustion chamber design. We designed this system by separating the combustion area into primary and secondary chambers. The controlled incoming airflow creates a strong upward thrust towards the chimney. The result? The combustion temperature increases drastically, so the thermal process takes place much more perfectly (complete combustion). Household organic waste, twigs, and even rice husks can burn completely and quickly, and most importantly, almost without smoke (smokeless). The project in Kertosono Village taught me a valuable lesson beyond the classroom curriculum. It was not just about building a two-metre-high brick stove. It was a process of transferring the logic of engineering to the rural community. We did not just hand over the tool, but also educated the residents, demonstrated how it works, and compiled an SOP in the form of a guidebook so that the facility is sustainable. Ultimately, the true pride of a manufacturing engineering student is not only in successfully designing high-tech machines on blueprint paper. That pride comes when seeing the residents of Kertosono Village now able to manage their waste without coughing from thick smoke, proving that good technical innovation is innovation that is truly grounded and humanises its users.