Wednesday, 30 November 2022, Kapanewon Dlingo, Bantul Regency, is a hilly area with fertile soil that grows various kinds of trees with a tropical climate. Many residents in the Dlingo area make a living as farmers and wood-based furniture craftsmen. No less than 9 SMEs in the Jatimulyo, Dlingo, Bantul areas are engaged in furniture and door/window frame products. After the pandemic hit, people's purchasing power for furniture products tended to decrease. This is considered difficult coupled with the availability of quality raw materials in production, so that not many craftsmen are still surviving today. The main problem faced is the length of time in which the raw materials for wood and boards are ready for production, namely the low moisture content and the surface of the wood and boards being straight. Starting from these problems, the UNY Community Service Team initiated by Lilik Hariyanto and Galeh NIPP, Nur Hidayat, and Dian Eksana W. conducted a problem survey at Putra Jati Mebel and its surroundings.

Based on these conditions, no less than 7 days of preparation must be carried out by the craftsmen to obtain the basic materials for beams and wooden planks that are straight and upright. Not only that, sometimes the moisture content of wood beams and planks is still relatively high, so the resulting furniture products are less durable which results in decreased production of craftsmen. Lilik H., et al. Armed with laboratory and workshop equipment in the Department of Civil Engineering Education and Planning, the Faculty of Engineering, UNY conducted observations, production development, and trials for the design of wood straightening tools. This tool has many advantages, including the relatively large dimensions of approximately 5 meter cubic, made from sawdust/wood powder waste, and is equipped with a moisture meter, so that the user can set the desired percentage of moisture content.

This tool is the result of product development from the UNY service team which is fully designed together with partners (UKM) so that there is a sense of ownership of the tool. After testing the tool, it is hoped that it will not only be used by SME partners who are the initial observers, but can be used through existing Cooperatives, so that all Cooperative members consisting of several SMEs can use them interchangeably. Apart from that, the partners (UKM) also hope that the activities of this service team from UNY can be routine every year to help solve real problems faced by the community, so that it can indirectly improve the economy in the small-medium industrial sector. Details of the news can be seen here.