BUYO is a Vietnamese startup that turns bio-waste and plant material into biodegradable plastics for packaging and medical products, sold to B2B customers in the EU, North America and Asia. My main project in a three-month operations internship at its Ho Chi Minh City factory was automating how the line is fed: research, concept design in CAD, market research, an ROI model, and a proposal to the CEO with two costed options, which was approved. It was not built during my internship, so the numbers below are projections.
The problem
Two machines on the line, including a vibratory sieve, were fed by hand, with operators working in the feeding area while the machines ran. Feeding took operator time every day that could go to other work, and kept people close to running machinery.
Approach
Study the line. Time on the factory floor to understand how each machine was fed and where operators stood.
Concept design in CAD. Feeding layouts for both machines, modelled with human figures for scale, plus the hoppers, screw feeders and suction line.
Market research and sourcing. Equipment options and prices to build a real budget for each proposal.
ROI model. Operator time saved, converted to headcount and labour cost, against the equipment budget.
Proposal to the CEO. Presented both options, their budgets and payback.
Two proposals
I designed two options and costed both, so management could trade budget against how much manual work was removed.
Fig 1Proposal 1: screw-conveyor feeds for both machines.Fig 2Proposal 2: vibratory sieve with a suction feed line.
Proposal 1Proposal 2
ConceptScrew conveyors on both machinesSuction feed to the sieve
Budget57.9 M VND37.5 M VND
Operator time saved780 min/day (19,500 min/month)647 min/day (16,175 min/month)
Headcount freed1.441.20
Labour cost saved~10.1 M VND/month~8.4 M VND/month
Payback5.7 months4.5 months
Operator during feedingStays outside for both machinesStill feeds the sieve, helped by the suction machine
Monthly time saved = daily time saved × 25 working days Payback = budget ÷ monthly labour cost saved Proposal 1: 57.9 M ÷ 10.1 M ≈ 5.7 months · Proposal 2: 37.5 M ÷ 8.4 M ≈ 4.5 months
Proposal 1 costs more but takes operators out of the feeding area for both machines. Proposal 2 pays back faster but still needs an operator at the sieve.
Fig 3Component CAD from the project.Fig 4Component CAD from the project.
Other work
Wrote English operating manuals and SOPs for the factory's machines, supporting ISO and OK Compost certification.
Benchmarked competitor pricing across the US, EU and Asia.
Represented BUYO at trade conferences and supported investor and customer visits to the factory.
Helped with packaging finished goods when the line was short of people.
Fig 5Representing BUYO at a trade conference.Fig 6Packing finished goods at the factory.
Summary
CompanyBUYO Bioplastics, Ho Chi Minh City
RoleOperations intern (NUS Overseas Colleges)
PeriodMay – Aug 2024
ProjectAutomated feeding for two production machines: screw-conveyor and suction options
StatusDesigned, costed and approved by the CEO; not built during my internship
Projected647–780 operator-minutes a day; payback 4.5–5.7 months
AlsoMachine SOPs for ISO and OK Compost certification
