OUR STAFF REPORTER ISLAMABAD - The University of Agriculture, Faisalabad (UAF) has redeveloped a wheat thresher by using the reverse engineering process, decreasing the cost of production at Rs 50,000 of the said machine and reducing 300 kilograms in its weight. It also saves 1.5 liter of fuel per hour and work with improved efficiency. The University has also redeveloped a wheat chopper reducing the prices of the chopper Rs 75,000 and decreasing 500 kilograms of its weight. The thresher and chopper aim at making the machines at par with international standards and to make it affordable for a common farmer. Both the machines were procured from market. The machines were disassembled and evaluated for their specification regarding the requirements of function, durability and power requirement. The design facilities of High Efficiency CAD laboratory of the University were employed to redevelop the parts of both the machines. Some local industries provided help for fabricating and assembling the different parts. A technology transfer/ farmers day was organised at Universitys Postgraduate Agricultural Research Station (PARS). Field operation of both the machines (conventional and redeveloped) was conducted and shown to the participants. The response of the participants was very positive. It was revealed at the inaugural ceremony of the machines at the Post Graduate Agricultural Research Station (PARS), UAF. Dr Muhammad Ashfaq, Dean, Faculty of Agriculture was the chief guest. Dr Muhammad Iqbal, Principal Investigator and Muhammad Azam Khan, co-PI from the University along his team carried out the work under the project Skill Development Inverse Engineering Agriculture Machinery, UAF. Dr Iqbal briefed the participants about the features of the machines. Dispelling the impression that heavyweight thresher is more efficient, he stressed the need to dismantle the idea and urged the participants to determine the efficiency purely on the basis of science.