Possible applications

Aims of measuring fresh leaves and product tea leaves with the analyzer

１．Improving the quality of fresh leaf
・It is possible to give fresh leaf producers feedback on useful information related to cultivation and harvesting methods.
・It is possible to establish a system which can be fair tea leaf trading based on the weight and active ingredient amount, whereas conventional trade was based on fresh leaf weight only.

２．Quality control of product tea
・In order to measure the quality standard items defined in green tea regulation ISO11287 and black tea regulation ISO3720, quality evaluation according to the international standard becomes possible.

３．High added value of product tea
・Enhance added value and industrial power by combining quantitative quality evaluation with component values with conventional sensory quality evaluation with taste, color, smell, etc.
・It can be considered to apply to efforts for high added value sales such as tea bags under own brand utilizing the analyzer from a simple bulk sales. In fact, there have been successful cases of branding based on green tea ingredients in Japan.

Competitive advantage

Analyzer total cost

＜Initial cost＞
Overseas sales price 5 million-5.5 million JP\ (excluding tax)

＜Operation cost＞
Periodic accuracy adjustment (calibration) is required once every several years to maintain the measurement accuracy.
・Calibration cost 100,000JP\ + travel cost + accommodation cost (There is no travel cost + accommodation cost if it can be commissioned to a local agent)
・Printer paper is a consumable item. (Printer paper 1,500 JP \ / piece)

Near infrared spectroscopy and chemical analysis (High Performance Liquid Chromatography and Folin Ciocalteu method) are analytical methods to measure main tea components which impact tea quality. Chemical analysis has a feature to analyze tea components with high accuracy, but it takes long measuring time and requires significant operation cost. Consumable reagents, measurement containers, and waste treatment facilities are assumed as running cost. Moreover, management and operation process have to be conducted by dedicated operators. These are different points form the Tea Ingredient Analyzer.

KAWASAKI KIKO is a tea machinery manufacturer which was found in 1905. Since that time, KAWASAKI has developed and sold many types of tea related manufacturing machinery: tea processing equipment, tea field management equipment, and tea ingredients analyzer. We believe that our machinery has been contributed to develop Japanese tea industry from the aspect of tea production site. We believe that not only promoting sales of tea ingredients analyzer but also promoting sales of other tea machinery leads to acknowledge that KAWASAKI is all-round tea processing machinery manufacturer which can fully back up all tea-related activities.

Performance

Table 1 Standard error(%) of each model with tea powder by grinding

※ Standard error(%) of Dried_Fresh_Leaf with tea powder by grinding; total nitrogen 0.2, NDF 1.5

＜Unit Specifications-＞
・Weight: 31 lbs/14.06 kg
・Dimensions: (Height) 13.93 in/35.4cm, (Width) 15.52 in/39.42 cm, (Depth) 14.25 in/36.19 cm
・Power Requirements: 120/220 VAC (50-60Hz)
・Voltage Range: 90 to 260 VAC (50 – 60 Hz)
・Serial Computer Interface: RS-232-C and USB
・Printer: Specific Printer
・Sample Integration Technique: Rotating cup
・Filter Bandpass: Approximately 10nm
・Light Source: Tungsten Halogen
・ETL Mark: UL61010-1
・Humidity: 5% RH to 95% RH to 27.7°C noncondensing decreasing linearly to 60% RH at 35° C decreasing linearly to 
   50% at 40°C
・Altitude: Up to 2000 meters
・Operating Temperature: 10 – 40°C (machine accuracy specification 10°C – 35°C)
・Storage Temperature: -20°C to +60° C
・Typical Analysis Time: 10 seconds
・Detector: Thermoelectrically cooled lead sulfide (Pbs)
・Reference Measurement: Through entire optical system, against ceramic disk
・Diagnostics: Diagnostic screens for troubleshooting indoor use only

Technical maturity / Past record of introduction

Tea ingredient analyzers have sold more than 300 units in Japan, and installed in not only private tea beverage makers & agricultural corporative but also Japanese government agencies such as National Research and Development Corporation Agriculture, Food Industry Technology Research Organization, Public tea industry testing stations, and so on. Actually, this product has become the standard in Japanese tea industry because of occupying 100% share in Japanese tea ingredient analyzing market.
More than10 units of model GTN-C7 for roasting green tea has been successfully introduced in China and Taiwan market.
As introduction results in other countries, they have been introduced in Sri Lanka where they were adopted through JICA Verification Survey. KAWASAKI has been steadily engaging in efforts to faithfully fulfill quality management of fresh leaf and high adding value of black tea.
Hereafter, they will be introduced in other black tea production countries.

Information on patent related to this technology

Trademark; DICKEY-john®
                  Instalab®700

International operation

Modality of business transaction

Partnership
Our staff will sell tea ingredients analyzer when visits on business, and counter services and after-sales services will be entrusted by local staff.
Also, KAWASAKI aims to reinforce their own brand power by installing not only tea ingredients analyzer but also other tea processing equipment and tea field management equipment.
It leads to acknowledge to tea industry that KAWASAKI is all-round tea processing machinery manufacturer which can fully back up all tea-related activities.

Schematic illustration of the technology

・Corporate webiste: http://www.kawasaki-kiko.co.jp/en/index.html

・Movie URL for Model GTN-9 tea ingredients analyzer:

Reference materials of KAWASAKI KIKO CO., LTD.
・CompanyGuide
・Tea field management equipment
・Tea process equipment

・3 types of tea ingredients analyzer brochures
GTN-9: GTN-9en Ingredient of Tea・Quality(GTN-9)
GTN-B: GTN-Ben Ingredient of Tea・Quality(GTN-B)
GTN-C7: GTN-C7en Ingredient of Tea・Quality(GTN-C7)

・Pick-up article published by JICA　https://www.jica.go.jp/chubu/story/story_123_171222.html