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Production costs of steel and cast aluminium stoves in Niger by J J Bellamy
[top] [end]Sheet Metal Workers in NigerMai Sauki stoves are being made in Niger by artisans in closed groups entered by several years apprenticeship and which specialise in stove making. They produce for their local market and their output depends on local demand. They use only reclaimed materials e.g. flattened oil drums and steel scrap and their production costs are much lower than those of a workshop set up to make stoves.[top] [end]Foundry Workers Making Aluminium Cooking PotsUrban kitchens in Niger usually have cast aluminium cooking pots made in a range of sizes. This is a well established craft and so the casting skills are available. The material used is entirely scrap aluminium engine blocks etc. sold by the kilo and melted on a charcoal stove with manual draft. The mould for a pot is made in 3 parts from sand and dung and the pattern is a cast pot cut in two. The production costs of the pots are materials - aluminium and charcoal and labour and the pots are made quite thin (less than 5 mm) to reduce cost. In Agadez there were 5 pot founders in 3 foundries which normally made 7-8 pots a day depending on size.[top] [end]Standard SizesEfficient use of the Mai Sauki design stoves requires the pot to sit into the stove up to the pot handles, with a pot to wall gap of 5mm (accurate to about +/- 2mm). Pots are made in a range of sizes, standardized and stamped for each 0.5cm. A survey and classification of the sizes of the pots actually on sale showed that the most common sizes are 3 and 4 for "To" and 1.5 or 2.0 for sauce. Standardization and size consistency for sheet metal stoves requires correct use of standard, accurately made templates to suit the particular assembling and jointing techniques used (normally folded seams). Standardization of production of cast pots is easily obtained by standardizing the patterns.The project started Mai Sauki stove production for sizes 1, 2 & 3 i.e. 67.5, 82, 93cm stove diameters based on the largest size found in each normal pot size to ensure that the pots would enter the stoves and still leave some gap (the use of pot guides to ensure a minimum gap is not reported Ed.). This inevitably reduces efficiency with smaller pots. See example of poster advertising the Mai Sauki stove. [top] [end]Mild Steel Stove CostsCost of reclaimed oil drum sheets -Niamey - 140 . F.CFA - ready to use Agadez - 85 . F.CFA - ready to use Cost of drum - 600 Cutting - 100 Flattening - 100 Burning off - 50 [top] [end]Sale Price of Stoves - Mai Sauki
For the test runs they were sold at 400, 450 and 500. [top] [end]Cost Estimates for a Simple, Sheet Steel Stove with a Cast Aluminium Fire Box
From the following table from P. 30 of the Bellamy report it can be seen that the workshop price of a size 1 cast alumium pot is approx. F.CFA 1000.
Assuming that an aluminium grate and combustion chamber would weigh about 1/3 as much as a pot, it is estimated to cost about half i.e. F.CFA 500 for size I and so would raise the price of the stove from F.500 to F.1000 (the saving on the cost of the steel grate replaced would offset any increased production costs of the sheet metal work and the insulation material). The report gives the estimated family expenditure on fuel as F.150-200 per day. It estimates that if the improved stove saves 33% of fuel compared to 3 stones, then the cost of 2 steel stoves (sizes 1 and 3) i.e. F.1150 would be repaid in 19 days. For two steel/aluminium stoves costing F.2,200 (1000 + 1200) repayment would take about 37 days; assuming fuel consumption to be no worse than for the steel stoves. This does not take into account the greater stove life: 3 stones - indefinitely long steel-body - 2-4 years grate - 6 months steel/al. body - 2-4 years al. grate - 6 months (est. - no experience available) The cast grate makes the stove more solid and safe in use. The above estimated stove cost of F.l,000 is the same as the cost of an aluminium pot and so should be within the expenditure range of the family. It therefore seems that sheet steel stoves with cast aluminium combustion chambers/grates would be economically acceptable and that the necessary skills exist in Niger, at least for experimental production. Further work is needed to determine their fuel efficiency, acceptability, life and ease of manufacture. [top] [end]Contents: Boiling Point 11: Successful Stove Programmes
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Page created:
29 September 2008; Last edited:
29 September 2008; Version: 0 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Pagename: BP11:ProductionCostsOfMaiSauki @HEDON: HVNA | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
