The Philippines, through the Department of Science and Technology’s Philippine Council for Industry, Energy and Emerging Technology Research and Development (PCIEERD), will host the 3rd Project Review Meeting in Tagaytay and Manila on October 18-20, 2010. The collaborative project under review which focuses on thermal spray coating is initiated by the Association of Southeast Asian Nations through its Sub-committee on Materials Science Technology in partnership with the government of India (ASEAN- INDIA) in advancing surface science and engineering.
Thermal spraying is a coating process in which melted (or heated) materials are sprayed onto a surface. The thermally-sprayed ceramic-based coating is a cost-effective technology that repairs damaged surfaces and improves performance and life span of equipment. Among its perceived benefits are versatility (almost any metal, ceramic or plastic can be sprayed); processing speed (spray rates range from 3 to 60 lb/h depending on the material and spray system); and thickness range (coating thickness range from .001 to 100in).
Participating countries in the project include India, Indonesia, Malaysia Singapore, Vietnam, and the Philippines. Representatives from other ASEAN member-states will also participate in the review that will serve as a venue to share technology updates among participating countries through workshops and forums.
Funded by the ASEAN-INDIA Cooperation Fund under India’s Ministry of External Affairs, the three-day meeting includes an international forum on thermally sprayed coating on Oct. 18 at Hotel Dominique, Tagaytay. The forum aims to present the latest developments on surface engineering and acquaint participants on various processes associated with the technology. Project review is slated on Oct. 19 and a tour of the plasma laboratory of Dr. Henry Ramos at the National Institute of Physics, University of the Philippines-Diliman is scheduled on Oct. 20.
In the Philippines, a group from the Mindanao State University-Iligan Institute of Technology (MSU-IIT) led by Dr. Reynaldo Vequizo has started a project on the synthesis of a bioceramic material which may eventually be used as a thermal spray coating to bone implants.
Engr. Ermie M. Bacarra, ASEAN-SCMST chair and PCIEERD's Human Resource Institution Development Division chief, said that aside from a big molds production company, many Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) in the country are already using thermal spray techniques, hence the forum will benefit said sector. SMEs who wish to participate in the forum may contact Engr. Bacarra through cell number 09161718032.
