1. Product Description: Hand tools are widely used by craftsman in industries of all types. These tools are hammer, spanners, screw drivers, hacksaw, file, pliers, wire cutters pincers, etc. Hammers, spanners and screw drivers are relatively more common hand tools. As their name imply, these tools are manually operated. This project ideas is about producing screw drivers, hammers and spanners. Spanners are gripping and adjusting type of hand tools. Spanners or wrenches of various designs are used for bolt-fastening (tightening and loosening) operations. Screw drivers are used to drive the slitted head of screws. They are used for tightening and loosening screws. Hammers are used for hammering, stamping or pressing operations.
2. Rationale: Practically all hand tools used in the country are imported. Some types of winches were started to be produced in the Spare Parts Factory at Akake. However, they do not seem to penetrate the market. There must come a time when our country produces most of if not, all the hand tools we use. If the Amhara Region takes the first initiative to establish a factory that will produce these three important hand tools, it will have an advantage over other regions, in the development of the whole hand tools industry.
3. Market Potential: Thousands of each hand tool is imported into the country every year. As the economy expands demand for these tools will increase. Even the present levels of imports justify the domestic production of these tools.
Imports of Hand Tools
Source: - External Trade Statistics of Customs Authority, 1999-2000
4. Source of Raw Material:- The “raw material” for these tools will be different types of steel; and this will be imported.
5. Production Process & Technology: The productions of the three hand tools have different production processes.
a) Screw driver- drawn wire of mild steel of smooth surface finish is cut into required lengths. One end of the blank (the cut steel) is notched, serrated or grooved to provide stability and for the plastic handles. The other end is made slant by flattening and gradually tapering to the end, till the edge thickness of the flant becomes that of the standard slit to which the screw driver is used in standard practices. The flattening and tongue shaping are carried with a suitable press. Plant and machinery include power hacksaw, grinder, electroplating and finishing equipment.
b) Hammers- production process include cutting of steel bars – which are called stocks, heating the stocks in a forging furnace, forging, hole punching for handle, peening, machining, heat treatment, grinding, testing, antirust coating, wooden handle assembly. Main machinery and equipment include drop forging hammer, power press, furnace, surface grinder, polishing machine, tanks and accessories.
c) Spanners- Process includes cutting of steel blanks, heating up to forging temperatures, forging of steel, trimming and mechanical finishing, grinding, hardening and tempering, finishing and electroplating. Main machinery and equipment include blanking process, hot gorging press, trimming press, grinder, embossing machine, tanks, and accessories
6. Estimated Investment:
Buildings: 2000m2 at Birr 1000/m2 2,000,000
Plant and Machinery Birr 3,318.000
Total 5,318,000
7. Benefits: Saving of foreign exchange for the country, new skills and technology to the Region.
8. Location: Combolcha or Debre Berhan.