Improvement of Tea Pruning Machine

茶树修边机改良

在日常观察中，我逐渐发现茶厂女工们在日常作业中面临现实困难。传统的修边机普遍为手持式，不仅重量较大，而且在狭窄、凹凸不平的茶树过道中操作时存在较大的安全隐患。女工们需要长时间举着机器修剪茶树，不仅体力消耗大，还容易因地形限制导致机器失衡甚至摔倒，存在安全隐患和用工风险。这种情况直接影响到茶叶修剪的效率和工人们的身心健康。

By watching the daily work in the tea factory, I noticed the difficulties faced by the female workers. The traditional pruning machines are usually handheld. They are heavy and hard to use safely in the narrow and uneven paths between tea bushes. The workers must hold the machine for a long time, which causes tired arms and backs. Because of the rough ground, the machine can also become unbalanced and may even cause falls. This makes the work unsafe and lowers the efficiency of pruning.

为寻找解决方案，我在网上查找了二十多家茶叶机械设备制造厂，发现了一款配备承重轮子的推行式修边机能够较好地解决上述问题。这种新型设备可以像推车一样在茶道中前行，既减轻了工人手持的负担，又提升了修剪过程的稳定性和安全性。对于女工们来说，使用这款机器不再需要持续用力支撑重量，也减少了腰背和手臂的劳损。

To find a solution, I researched more than twenty tea machinery manufacturers online and found a wheeled push-type pruning machine that could help solve these problems. This machine can be pushed forward like a cart, so workers do not need to carry the full weight. It makes the work safer and more stable. The workers feel less tired because they no longer have to hold the machine up all the time.

然而，在实际投入使用的过程中，我很快发现了新的问题。由于该茶园地形复杂，且黄茶茶树的枝条往往向下垂生，新修边机在行进过程中常被这些向下延伸的枝条阻挡，造成机器前进受阻，修剪效率显著降低。更重要的是，这些低垂的枝条若不能及时剪除，还可能成为绊脚隐患，增加女工在狭窄茶道中跌倒受伤的风险。

But when we used the machine in the tea garden, I saw a new problem. The land was very uneven, and many yellow tea branches grew downward. These branches blocked the machine and made it hard to move forward. This slowed the pruning work a lot. If the branches were not cut, they could also become tripping hazards and make the work even more dangerous.

针对这一情况，我与茶厂老板沟通，提出对修边机进行底部装置的简易升级方案：在机器底部加装一条具有“开路”功能的铁条，用以提前格挡并托起低垂枝条，使修边机能够顺利前行并完成剪修。此改进方案成本不高，实施简便，却能显著提升修剪效率和操作流畅度。更重要的是，通过这一装置的改良，女工们在作业过程中能够更安全地行走，避免被茶树枝绊倒。

I spoke with the tea factory owner and suggested a simple upgrade: adding an iron bar under the machine that could push the low branches aside. This “path-opening” bar would let the machine move forward smoothly and cut the branches without stopping. The upgrade was cheap, easy to add, and made the machine work much better. Most importantly, it made the work safer because workers were less likely to trip.

上图是改良前和改良后的修边机。

The above images show the tea pruning machine before and after the improvement.

事实证明，这一升级不仅优化了设备的适应性，还提升了整个茶厂的生产效率和安全标准。女工们普遍反馈工作负担减轻、作业节奏更连贯，茶厂老板也表示这种改良为后续设备选型和管理提供了参考价值。这次针对修边机的改进，不仅是一次技术上的优化，更是一次以使用者需求为中心的实践探索，让劳动场景变得更加安全、科学和人性化。

After the change, the machine fit the tea garden much better. The pruning was faster and smoother, and the workers felt less tired. The factory owner said this improvement was helpful for choosing and managing machines in the future. This upgrade was not just a technical fix—it showed how listening to workers’ needs can make their work safer, easier, and more efficient.