Digital wood moisture meter figures in international exhibit
FPRDI’s Digital Wood Moisture Meter was one of the technologies showcased during the 5th FAJR International Inventions and Innovation Exhibition 2013 held last 4-7 February 2013 in Tehran, Islamic Republic of Iran.
Among the 1,000 inventions screened, only 330 were chosen to be part of the event. Representing the Philippines were FPRDI’s Dr. Marina A. Alipon, Scientist 1, and Ms. Grecelda A. Eusebio, Chief of Business Development and Intellectual Property Section - Technical Services Division.
“The exhibit was a good venue to showcase our moisture meter, as well as form linkages with other science agencies worldwide,” said Alipon. According to her, some engineers, university professors, and businessmen showed interest in adopting the technology.
Alipon led the team that developed the digital wood moisture meter in 2009. Designed for small industry players, it is a device that reads the moisture content particularly of Philippine wood species. It was built using local spare parts and is Php 10,000 to 15,000 cheaper than imported meters at only P5,500 per unit.
“Knowing how much moisture a wood contains is extremely important to ensure the quality of wood products. For example, the moisture content of products bound for temperate countries must be low enough (about 7-10%) so as not to distort, shrink, or crack while in service,” explained Alipon. About 100 handicraft and furniture firms nationwide are now using the gadget.
The wood moisture meter has already won several awards, including the Outstanding Utility Model at the 2010 National Invention Contests and Exhibits; Third Prize in the 8th National S&T Fora and Competition in Industry and Energy Research and Development and the F.O. Tesoro Technology Transfer Award in 2009, among others. It has also been granted a Certificate of Registration on Utility Model by the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines.
The international exhibit was organized by the National Elites Foundation of the Islamic Republic of Iran and the IOR-ARC Regional Centre for Science and Technology, and was participated in by 31 countries. ### (Apple Jean C. Martin, 19 February 2013)
