RE-DESIGN OF GAWANGAN AND CHAIRS IN WRITTEN BATIK MAKING

PROCESS

Poppy Nandasari Bambang Suhardi Susy Susmartini

Department of Industrial Department of Industrial Department of Industrial
Engineering Engineering Engineering
Faculty of Engineering Faculty of Engineering Faculty of Engineering
Sebelas Maret University Sebelas Maret University Sebelas Maret University
Surakarta, Indonesia Surakarta, Indonesia Surakarta, Indonesia
nandapoppy@gmail.com bambangsuhardi_ugm@yahoo.co.id susysus2011@gmail.com

Abstract Based on observations in the Perusahaan Batik Merak Manis,

batik crafters at the department of pencantingan (drawing batik) work by sitting on
dhingklik/chair, without backrest made from wood. Workers are sit facing a fabric
were placed in the expanse of bamboo called gawangan. Hence, in the drawing batik,
the positions of batik crafters are sit bow and slightly bent, right hand holding the
canting to attach the wax on the fabric, while the left hand holds the bottom fabric,
feet resting position each other, or sometimes bend. The study objective is produce a
draft of gawangan and chairs to correct the posture of workers on the pencantingan
department. Initial observation was used Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA),
obtained a score of 5, this means that further investigation was needed and needed
immediate repair. In addition used RULA, early observations also strengthened by
Nordic Body Map (NBM) were performed to identify workers discomfort through
complaints. Taking into account the results of the assessment workers posture with
RULA and NBM methods then performed work processes repairing, used value
engineering. Output of value engineering is the recommendation gawangan and
chairs tools on pencantingan process of writing batik, be adjusted by using
anthropometry, with the risk level has decreased from the previous one. So the result
of this design deserves to be continued

Keywords batik, RULA, NBM, product design, gawangan, chair, value engineering

I. INTRODUCTION
One of the Indonesian cultural properties is batik. According to manufacturing
technique, the batik can be divided into three kinds of written, stamp and printing
batik. Written batik is a batik fabric in its manufacturing formed a motif or style of
batik used hand and canting (spouted tools) [7]. Each sheet of batik fabrics made with
this technique with painstaking that takes a long time to complete. Batik fabric has a
characteristic that does not exactly match the shape of each fabric so as to make batik
fabric the price is very expensive.
In producing batik needed various equipment operated manually. Tools used
including of frying pan, brazier or stove, canting, gawangan, pendulum, fabric,
wax/malam, pattern, table, dye vessel, wax solvent vessel, scrape tools, washbasin,
clothesline, and dyes [7]. The production process of a piece of batik is through the
process of examination materials, soaking, batik pattern making, pencantingan,
pelorotan (fabric is put in a hot tub that max off from the fabric), then batik fabric
give isen- isen (giving patterns in certain parts then closed by wax), then the fabric is
inserted into a second bath to soga color (brown) on the new pattern. Lastly, the
fabric which has been given soga then put in a hot tub again, washed and then dried
at a place not directly exposed to sunlight. Once dry, the fabric is folded and allowed
to stand for one night so that the fabric becomes more refined [3].
Based on observations at the Perusahaan Batik Merak Manis, Laweyan
Surakarta, Batik crafters working in a sitting position on dhingklik/chair, without
backrest made from wood. Workers sit facing the batik fabric is placed in the expanse
of wood or bamboo called gawangan. Seat height is 32 cm and gawangan is 88 cm.
Hence, in the batik making process, batik crafters positions is sit bow and slightly
bent, right hand holding the canting to attach the wax on the fabric, while the left
hand holds the bottom fabric, feet resting position each other, or sometimes bend.
Working position like this was happened for long time 8 hours a day.
Through initial observations using the Rapid Upper Limb Assessment
(RULA), current employment position must be corrected immediately. RULA is a
assessment method of work postures that are specifically used to examine and
investigated the disturbances in the upper body [10]. RULA method (Rapid Upper
Limb Assessment) is a method to minimize the work from ergonomic hazard, also a
control program of workers fatigue, evaluate body posture, required strength and
muscle movements when the worker is at work [9].
Based on observations to the workers at the Perusahaan Batik Merak Manis,
used RULA shown that the work posture in batik drawing activity obtained RULA
ratings of 5, which means that further investigation was needed and needed
immediate repair.
In addition to using RULA, early observations also confirmed by interviews
used Nordic Body Map (NBM) were performed to identify workers discomfort with
complaints, and used for assessment of working posture to determine the risk of the
work activities. Based on observations and NBM interviews in the Perusahaan Batik
Merak Manis was obtained the assessment results that workers experiencing pain in
the upper neck and waist of 100%; ass is 67%; nape of the neck, left shoulder, right
shoulder, back and left calf are 50%; as well as the upper left arm and right calf are
33%. Given these complaints, the workers often complain of stiffness or cramping at
parts of their body, so that workers are often seen used a liniment on their body that
feels pain. If this condition was maintained continuously, the productivity may be
declined.
 Taking into account the working posture assessment results used RULA and
NBM assessment methods then done the improvement process on the pencantingan
department. Observations were related to the efforts to improve working posture was
done using value engineering. Value engineering is known as an organized/
systematic approach directed at analyzing the function of systems, equipment,
facilities, services, and supplies for the purpose of achieving their essential functions
at the lowest life-cycle cost consistent with required performance, reliability, quality,
and safety [8].

II. METHOD
The design was done using the method of value engineering. This design
consists of five stages, namely the information stage, creative stage, evaluation stage,
development stage, and evaluation stage.
At the information stage was done observation to the working system and was
done identify of needs and desires of workers. Based on observations, the workers are
often complain of stiffness or cramping in the body, so that workers are seen often
using a liniment on their body that feels pain so that workers are not comfortable in
the work, and this was confirmed by the ratings of Rapid Upper Limb Assessment
and Nordic Body Map which workers are look feel complaining of pain or discomfort
while they are working. Once known issues through field study and problems
identification, then to improve the value-added of batik equipment like
dhingklik/chair and gawangan, then researcher was tried to apply value engineering
studies or value engineering, to identify the needs related to the gawangan and chairs.
At the alternatives stage was done brainstorming, and expected the alternative
idea of designs of batik work equipment of gawangan and chair based on the
identification of needs, to be developed and improved from the design of existing
equipments.
 In the evaluation stage was done the analysis and evaluation of each
alternative by assessing strengths and weaknesses by some batik company owners.
At the development stage was done the development design by considering
anthropometric design, and performed an assessment of alternative manufacturing
costs.
At the recommendations stage was done the comparison of using products of
recommendation result with the existing products used the body posture analysis of
Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA).

III. RESULT
A. Information Stage
According to the assessment of Rapid Upper Limb Assessment was indicated
that the workers posture was included in category score of 5, which indicated that
further investigation was needed and needed immediate repair. The next assessment
by Nordic Body Map (attached) was shown that the workers was complained of pain
in the upper body including the upper neck, nape of neck, left shoulder, right
shoulder, left upper arm, back, waist, left calf, and right calf. This was corroborated
by the workers are often used liniment on their body that feels pain.
The need identification was carried out to get information directly to the
complaints and expectations of workers that directly related to the working system
being studied. Identification was used the interview method based on the Garvin
method. In accordance to the type of work or batik drawing activity then the aspects
were studied including of performance, conformance, features, durability, and
serviceability. The need identification of workers for gawangan was shown in Table
1 below :
TABLE I. IDENTIFICATION OF GAWANGAN NEEDS
Dimensions of Needs Technical Needs of
No. Question
Quality Identification Tools Design
1 Performance and What the workers Workers are feels Given the gawangan
Conformance complaints during the pain in the body design in accordance
batik drawing part of the upper to the anthropometry
activity? neck, and nape. dimensions
Required chair Needed new mode
dimensions of + B2: of gawangan that
F8 in accordance to there is a placemat
the user to hand.
anthropometry.
2 Feature What additional Workers want a Given the gawangan
features are feature that caused design which in
desirable in the fabric keep from accordance to the
gawangan be falling to the floor length of fabric, or
designed beside the and caused dirty. design that has a
main function of the brace or drawer so
tool? that the fabric does
not fall to the floor
3 Serviceability Is the treatment The company wants Using materials or
(maintenance) of tools maintenance is components that are
tool design will do easy and can be easily found in the
their own or turned done alone. market.
over to the experts? Easy installation and
replacement of
components
 The identification of the workers needs for chair was stated in the following
table.
TABLE II. IDENTIFICATION OF NEED FOR CHAIR
Dimensions of Technical Needs
No. Question Statement
Quality of Tools Design
1 Performance and What the workers Workers feel pain Required backrest
Conformance complaints during in the body at the on the seat.
batik drawing waist, and back.
activity? Workers feel pain Required the chair
in body parts of left dimensions in
thigh and right calf, accordance with
because to the chair anthropometry
are too low, legs
position is bent, or
resting one another

Workers feel pain / Required

heat in the buttocks, comfortable foam
because the hard in the chair
chair.

Workers feel the Required the chair

seat is too narrowly. dimensions in
accordance with
anthropometry

2 Serviceability Is the treatment The company wants Required the chair

(maintenance) of tools maintenance dimensions in
tool design will do is easy and can be accordance with
 their own or turned done alone. anthropometry
over to the experts?

B. Creative Stage
At this stage it was expected to appear the design alternatives of batik drawing
equipment that is gawangan and chair based on the identification of needs, and then
developed and improved based on the design of existing tools. Design alternatives of
gawangan and chairs will be outlined in a tree diagram of gawangan and tree
diagram of chair.
In accordance
Appropriatetoto the
Dimension
the anthropometry
anthropometry

Iron
Gawangan Material

Wood

Gawangan adjusted to the

Added fabric length
Features Drawer for place of fabric
that have been batik

Fig.1. Tree Diagram of Gawangan

Appropriate to the
Dimension anthropometry
Chair
There are backrests
Features on the seat

Fig. 2. Tree Diagram of Chair

 Appeared alternatives were used as consideration in the selection of batik
work equipment, in the efforts to develop the designs alternative of existing batik
work equipment facilities.

C. Evaluation Stage
Evaluation stage is the stage to evaluate the alternatives that appear was
related deficiency and strength.
1. Alternative 1
Based on the identification of needs, and then designed the gawangan and
chair based on needs. In alternative 1 given gawangan design appropriate to the
anthropometry dimensions so that workers do not feel pain in the body, there is a
placemat for hand so that workers do not feel pain in the shoulder, upper arm and
forearm, as well as gawangan design is appropriate to the length of the fabric so that
the fabric does not fall to the floor. The using of iron pipe material because the
components are easily found in the market, with cheap price.
The chair design was adjusted to the anthropometric dimensions so that
workers do not feel pain in their body, given foam in the seat of the chair so workers
comfortable while working, and there is a backrest so that workers do not feel pain in
their body.

Fig.3. Alternative 1
TABLE III. COST ESTIMATED OF ALTERNATIVE 1
No Components Materials Number Cost
1 Black iron pipe inch x 2.63 mm x 6 m 2 Rp 95,000.00
2 Super Borneo wood board 2 cm x 20 cm 3 Rp 105,000.00
x4m
Gawangan
3 Iron paint 200 gram 2 Rp 32,000.00
4 Brush 2 inch 1 Rp 5,000.00
5 Thinner liter 1 Rp 90,000.00
6 Meranti beam wood 6 cm x 12 cm x 4 1 Rp 80,000.00
cm
7 Chair Super Borneo wood board 2 cm x 20 cm 1 Rp 35,000.00
x4m
8 Foam 1 Rp 20,000.00
9 Iron 25 x 25 1 Rp 46,000.00
10 L iron 4 cm x 4 cm (1 kg) 0.5 Rp 8,500.00
Stove place
11 Super Borneo wood board 2 cm x 20 cm 1 Rp 35,000.00
x4m
12 Labor cost Rp 150,000.00
Total Cost Rp 620,500.00

2. Alternative 2
The alternative 2 functionally is equivalent to the alternative 1. In this
alternative was given gawangan design in accordance to the anthropometric
dimensions so that workers do not feel pain in their body, there is a placement of
hand so that workers do not feel pain in the shoulder, upper arm and forearm. The
difference with the alternative 1 design is the result drawers aimed the batik fabric
results do not fallen to the floor and causing dirty, and abangan design does not too
high. The using of wood material as the main component, because it is easily found in
the market.
For the chair design was adjusted to the anthropometric dimensions so that
workers do not feel pain in their body, given foam in the seat of the chair so workers
comfortable while working, and there is a backrest so that workers do not feel pain in
their body.
 Fig.4. alternative 2

TABLE IV. COST ESTIMATED OF ALTERNATIVE 2

No Components Materials Number Cost
1 Super Borneo wood board 2 cm x 20 cm x 4 m 21 Rp 735,000.00
2 Meranti beam wood 6 cm x 12 cm x 4 cm 2 Rp 160,000.00
3 Hinge 4 x 3 x 2 mm 1 Rp 36,000.00
4 Gawangan Solid cylinder iron 4,5 x 1 inch 1 Rp 13,000.00
5 Wood paint 1 kg 1 Rp 48,000.00
6 Brush 1 Rp. 5,000.00
7 Thinner 1 liter 1 Rp 18,000.00
8 Meranti beam wood 6 cm x 12 cm x 4 cm 1 Rp 80,000.00
9 Chair Super Borneo wood board 2 cm x 20 cm x 4 m 1 Rp 35,000.00
10 Foam 1 Rp 20,000.00
11 Iron 25mm x 25 mm 1 Rp 46,000.00
12 Stove place L iron 4 cm x 4 cm (1 kg) 0.5 Rp 8,500.00
13 Super Borneo wood board 2 cm x 20 cm x 4 m 1 Rp 35,000.00
14 Labor cost Rp 150,000.00
Total Cost Rp1,389,500.00

Assessment of alternative designs of batik drawing facility repairing was

involved seven different batik business owners. This was done with the objectives to
sharpen the analysis and reduced the subjectivity factor in assessing selection of
alternative process improvement of bating drawing facilities. The assessment results
of alternative development of gawangan and chairs design are described in Table V
and Table VI
TABLE V. ASSESSMENT RESULT OF ALTERNATIVE 1
No. Advantages Deficiency
1 The making cost is cheaper than Rusty
alternative 2

2 Easily moved Upper brace would damage batik wax.

Upper brace can be made more flexible.

3 Simple Table hinges were not balanced so easy

to shake, can be made into fix.

4 Facilitate worker to duplicate batik Stoves place lacking in features to

motif accommodate canting and wax

5 The design is almost similar to this

time gawangan, making it easier for
experienced workers to use the new
tool.

6 Fabric was not easy dirty because it

does not fall to the floor

For alternative 2 benefits and deficiency are as follows:

TABLE VI. ASSESSMENT OF ALTERNATIVE 2
No. Advantages Deficiency
1 Fabric was not easy dirty because it does The making cost is more expensive than
not fall to the floor alternative 1

2 Not easily moved, due to the weight.

3 Interesting design, but its complicated

manufacture
 4 Facilitate worker to duplicate batik
motif

5 Upper brace would damage batik wax.

6 Susceptible to termites

7 Stoves place lacking in features to

accommodate canting and wax

D. Development Stage
From a series of analysis that has been done in the previous stage, it was
showed that seven company owners have the same opinion that choose alternative 1
as the selected alternative.
To address the issues related to the compatibility between workers and
existing work facilities on designing of gawangan and chairs for written batik is
needed anthropometric data as follows:

TABLE VII. PERCENTILES DATA OF WORKERS ANTHROPOMETRY

No. Information
1 Sitting shoulder height
2 Seated elbow height
3 Shoulder width
Percentile
Objectives Application
(cm)
56.83 (P50) Used to determined the maximum high of
backrest that provides support in the
lumbar region
22.5 (P50) Used to determined the height of the table,
should not be too low because it will
result in increasing burden on the
shoulders
49.4 (P95) Used to determine the width of the chair
backrest.
4 Hips width 41.52 (P95) Used to determine the width of the chair
pedestal.

5 Popliteal length 45.75 (P95) Used to determine the length of the chair
pedestal.

6 Popliteal hight 39.33 (P95) Used to determine the height of the chair
surface

7 Length of forward hands 62.19 (P5) Used to determine the width of the table
range

8 Length of side hands 142.26 (P5) Used to determine the length of the table.
range

The design pencantingan process tools were designed based on components

and dimensions were specified in previous stages. The drawing of pencantingan tools
design pictures was done using SolidWorks Premium 2013 software.

Fig.5. 2D Selected Alternative

 Fig.6. Selected alternative

TABLE VIII. DESCRIPTION OF SELECTED ALTERNATIVE PICTURE

No. Information Function
1 Drawer on gawangan Saving fabric has not been drawn

2 Clamp A place to put the upper brace.

3 Fix brace To clamp the bottom fabric.

4 Table A place for prop the hands if workers feel pain.

5 Stoves place A place to put the stove.

6 Drawer on the stoves place A place to put canting

7 Wax place A place to put batix wax

8 Upper brace Used to clamp the fabric, and used as a ballast

From a series of in-depth analysis in the previous stages, it showed that the
first alternative has many advantages compared to alternative 2 in the viewing of
batik entrepreneurs.
 The working mechanisms of the selected alternative concepts are as follows:
1. The fabric be put in the drawer (Figure No.1)
2. Then workers took the wax located in Figure No.7 and start heating the wax
on the stove located on Figure No. 5
3. Take some of fabric that will be drawn, clamp the fabric on the bottom
(Figure No.3) and clamp the top (Figure No. 8)
4. Once the wax is hot, the workers took the canting placed in the drawer
(Figure No. 6), then the workers start by taking a batik wax that has liquid
from the pan, and make batik in the area between the upper brace and bottom
brace.
5. After the all of fabric has been make batik, then upper brace moved to higher
clamp.
6. If all of fabric has been make batik, then upper brace pulled to the side of the
other gawangan and brased used as ballast.

E. Recommendations Stage
On the recommendation stage, the result of this design then was testing used
Rapid Upper Limb Assessment (RULA) methods.
 Fig.6. Recommendations Results

Based on the final RULA score can be determined that:

TABLE IX. RULA ASSESSMENT RESULT
No. Variable Observation Result Score
1 Upper Arm Occurs the flexion at an angle of 2
42.60

2 Lower Arm Occurs the flexion at an angle of 1

111.55

3 Wrists Occurs the flexion at an angle of 2

3.53

4 Wrist Twist Wrist round in mid-range 1

Table A Score 3

5 Muscle Use Movements repeated 4x per minute 1

6 Force / Load Load < 4.4 lbs 0

Total Score of Table A 3

 7 Neck Occurs the flexion at an angle 1
of 47.34

8 Trunk Occurs the flexion at an angle 1

of 0

9 Legs Rests on two legs 1

Table B Score 1

10 Muscle Use Movements repeated 4x per 1

minute

11 Force / Load Load < 4.4 lbs 0

Total Score of Table B 1

Final Score of RULA 3

The risk level has decreased from the previous, so that the design is feasible to
continue.

CONCLUSION
The highest score of the working posture on the Rapid Upper Limb
Assessment (RULA) method was obtained in pencantingan department workers is a
grand score of 5, which means that further investigation was needed and needed
immediate repair. After improving the design of gawangan and chairs, in the
pencantingan process of written batik, was adjusted using anthropometry, the results
were obtained from assessment of the selected alternative is 3, with the risk level has
decreased from the previous, so the design is feasible to continue.