[Stoves] Making Rocket Stoves in China

[David Whitfield]

Hi Dean,
congrats on the mass production advances and sales of first  
container.  You have made it over an important hurdle.

Mike (Apromike) and I cut the first 2mm top for our 2 burner rocket  
design yesterday.  We made one in 2 minutes! with the plasma CNC  
system.  I have never been through a learning curve so steep! We are  
still up to our armpits but advancing.  Looks like we can cut 3 to 4  
sheets of steel at the same time.  If that works out we will be able  
to cut 1,000 stove tops in a 10 hr day.  If only one is cut at a time  
we can cut 1,000 in 38hr period.

We are still a long way to go, having all in our box but are  
significantly further along.  Thanks for the help.

David
On Apr 1, 2008, at 11:34 AM, Dean Still wrote:

> Dear Tom,
>
> Making an inexpensive durable, lightweight, insulative, refractory  
> ceramic
> combustion chamber is not all that easy. It takes special clays and
> knowledge and equipment. The factory in China has specialized in  
> doing this
> for decades and is set up to produce economically at high quality.  
> The clay
> mine is close to the kiln. The sheet metal stove bodies are made  
> 200 meters
> from the kiln. The cat iron grates and stove tops are made close  
> by. The
> steel is delivered at low prices in ten ton rolls. The factory is so
> beautifully set up for inexpensive manufacturing because they have  
> been
> making refractory ceramic/sheet metal stoves for a long time.
>
> Stoves are being very successfully manufactured in India. In country
> production has many advantages!
>
> Last year the Chinese factory made and sold .5 million coal burning  
> stoves
> and 2.5 million combustion chambers sold in China.  We have a  
> production
> capacity now of .5 million wood burning stoves per year to try to make
> available Rocket stoves at affordable prices on a large scale to  
> anyone
> interested. Partnering with the Chinese factory was one way for  
> Aprovecho to
> explore mass manufacturing along with continuing full steam to  
> assist local
> production in many countries. Larry just set up a small factory in El
> Salvador, for example. We are helping to set up a medium sized  
> facility in
> Bolivia. We very much believe that all approaches have merit  
> depending on
> the circumstances. And we want to help get the Tom Reed Billion  
> Stoves Club
> going...
>
> Best,
>
> Dean
>
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: stoves-bounces at listserv.repp.org
> [mailto:stoves-bounces at listserv.repp.org] On Behalf Of Tom Miles
> Sent: Tuesday, April 01, 2008 7:50 AM
> To: 'Discussion of biomass cooking stoves'
> Subject: Re: [Stoves] Making Rocket Stoves in China
>
> Dean,
>
> Why China?
>
> I don't see anything in your photos that would favor production in  
> China.
> Especially if the market is India.
>
> Why did production fail in India? Price? Quality?
>
> I would think that $20 million ($20/stove at 1 million) would be  
> interesting
> to Indian producers.
>
> Tom
>
>
>
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-------------------------------

"We make a living by what we get... we make a life by what we give."   
--  Winston Churchill

David Whitfield V.

Executive Director

CEDESOL Foundation

Alternative Education, Renewable Energy, Social Equality

http://www.cedesol.org


SKYPE - solar1bol