Published on
Wednesday, 7 October 2026
Malang, ITS News — The Harapan 6 Women Farmers Group (KWT) in Sobo Hamlet, Madiredo Village, Pujon District, Malang Regency, still faces challenges in the production process of processed agricultural products. The manual process of chopping ingredients and monitoring draining requires considerable time and energy. This condition prompted the community service team (Abmas) from the Instrumentation, Measurement, and Power System Identification Laboratory (LIPIST) of the Department of Electrical Engineering, Sepuluh Nopember Institute of Technology (ITS) to increase production efficiency through the SunChips innovation.
SunChips is an integrated system that combines an automated shredding machine, an Internet of Things (IoT)-based draining rack, and an off-grid photovoltaic (PV) system. Implemented by the ITS LIPIST Abmas team, this innovation is designed to help the Harapan 6 KWT accelerate production, simplify draining monitoring, and provide a more sustainable alternative energy source.
The SunChips implementation took place on Monday (August 10th), with the installation of all equipment at the KWT Harapan 6 site. The three systems that make up SunChips an automatic shredding machine, an IoT-based drainage monitoring system, and a photovoltaic system were installed and tested. After testing, all equipment was declared safe and ready for use in production activities.
The automatic shredding machine is a key component of SunChips, replacing the manual shredding process. The machine allows for
faster cutting of ingredients and more uniform cuts, allowing for a more efficient and streamlined production process. Meanwhile, an IoT-based monitoring system is designed to help people easily monitor the duration of the shredding process using digital devices.
The activity then continued with outreach to the target community, particularly members of the Harapan 6 KWT, led by Atik Muda. During the activity, the community was directly introduced to the SunChips system, from how to operate the machine, monitoring the draining process via the IoT system, to the utilization and maintenance of the photovoltaic energy system. The outreach also served as part of an effort to increase public understanding of the use of appropriate technology and renewable energy.
The implementation of SunChips has transformed the production process of KWT Harapan 6. A process that was previously manual and took up to 12 days can now be assisted by automated equipment, shortening production times. In addition to speeding up the slicing process, the use of machines also results in neater, more uniform cuts. The presence of a monitoring system also simplifies production monitoring compared to the previous conventional record-keeping method.
Through the implementation of SunChips, KWT Harapan 6 is expected to be able to operate and maintain equipment independently and utilize digital technology and renewable energy in its production activities. Thus, the implementation of SunChips can encourage a more efficient production process while strengthening the community’s capacity to utilize appropriate technology. This aligns with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), particularly point 9 on Industry, Innovation, and Infrastructure and point 12 on Responsible Consumption and Production. (*)
