The awarding at the 2019 SIIF event in South Korea

ITS Campus, ITS News – The achievement of the Institut Teknologi Sepuluh Nopember (ITS) academicians have skyrocketed internationally. By carrying the idea of an environmentally friendly cooler box called ES-PORT, the team from the ITS Industrial Engineering Department won a gold medal and several special awards at the 2019 Seoul International Invention Fair (SIIF) in Korea which lasted for four days, starting Wednesday (27/11).

SIIF is an annual event for the exhibition of research products which this year was attended by 635 inventors from 30 countries around the world, which involved students and multinational companies. The idea of Portable, Practical, and Eco-Friendly Storage (ES-PORT) products which is the result of collaboration between students and lecturers of the ITS Industrial Engineering Department received special awards from three agencies, namely Taiwan Invention Association, Universiti Malaysia Trengganu, and Patent Office of Cooperation Council for the Arab States of The Guils (GCCPO).

ITS delegation guided by Dr. Adithya Sudiarno ST MT IPM and Ratna Sari Dewi ST MT Ph.D. consisted of three cross-generation students, namely Muhammad Adrian Fadhilah, Reza Aulia Akbar, and Dito Abrar Amanullah.

Adithya Sudiarno, one of the lecturers who took part in the design of the product said, that made the team win a special award from GCCPO was based on the 4 in 1 practically design concept. “The award is one that surprised us as the ES-PORT team,” said the lecturer in the Ergonomics and Work System Design Laboratory of the Industrial Engineering Department.

Furthermore, Adithya explained, the concept of 4 in 1 practically meant is first, the eco-design of the product uses 100 percent Recycled High-Density Polyethylene (HDPE) material. It affects increasing storage capacity. So by adding a new sheet of HDPE in some parts, the capacity of the product will enlarge.

Secondly, it is the cooling components that use thermoelectric (thermal energy conversion devices) and ice gels. Third, the use of solar panels and electricity. And lastly, the design of the product mobility made refers to the principle of anthropometry design (the measurement of human body dimensions) so that the product is ergonomic.

Muhammad Adrian Fadhilah, one of the team members explained, the ES-PORT product had been tested and applied directly to fishermen in the Kenjeran region, Surabaya. “Which is in the test, this product can cool to a temperature of minus 5.5 degrees Celsius for about ten hours,” explained the student who is familiarly called Adrian.

(from left) Dito Abrar Amanullah, Reza Aulia Akbar, Muhammad Adrian Fadhilah while attending the 2019 Seoul International Invention Fair (SIIF) in Korea

Looking back, the product idea departs from the problem of fishermen who 6-7 percent of their catch was often rotted before being sold. It also refers to the environmental problems caused by food storage media that still use Freon (Chlorofluorocarbon). As it is known that Freon contributes to the depletion of the ozone layer.

For this reason, six months ago, ES-PORT products were designed. Explained by Adrian, there are many challenges faced by his team during the prototype design process. “As with the difference between the original idea and the real conditions when making, so that there is a design that must be replaced or re-designed,” he said.

Meanwhile, judging by the fact that the products made by his team got good attention, Adithya as a supervisor said that there will be a further development of the features. “This refers to the inputs we received during the competition while preparing for the copyright of ES-PORT products themselves,” he said. (tri/gayatri/ ITS Public Relation)

Several awards won by the ITS delegation in 2019 SIIF