Clients for the country’s first state-of-the-art electronics and semiconductor test lab, the Advanced Materials Testing Laboratory (ADMATEL) of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST), are expected to double this year as the global electronics and semiconductor (S&E) industry sees a stronger outlook.
This was learned during DOST’s media briefing “Agham na Ramdam” at the ADMATEL facility in DOST Complex, Bicutan, Taguig City.
“It has been two years since President Aquino came here to inaugurate this facility which is DOST’s contribution to invigorate our local manufacturing industries,” says DOST Assistant Secretary Raymund E. Liboro. “And the public should know the strides that ADMATEL had since then.”
ADMATEL’s services, since the lab opened its doors in 2013, have steadily picked up the pace as clients from the local S&E industry send sample hardware for testing and analysis in the facility.
The laboratory offers local testing and analytical services on electronic chipsets, virtually slashing rates by 40 percent. Also, ADMATEL has a shorter turn-around time of 24 hours on test results compared with a 5- to 6-day turn-around time when done outside the country. This means chips productions resume with less delays.
Reports say that local companies are spending $9-18M annually in tests and analysis which are the identified gaps in a study by the Nomura Research Institute.
According to ADMATEL General Manager Virgilio Aguinaldo, in 2013 alone, the electronics testing lab has received more than 40 electronics components for failure analysis and materials characterization from various S&E companies.
Aguinaldo added that the number of client companies has doubled since then. He said that he is expecting to serve 170 clients this year.
Surprisingly, Aguinaldo reveals that 38 percent of ADMATEL’s clients came from outside its target industry. Companies from the allied industries such as construction and energy, medical, and automotive industries have been sending samples for analyses.
“We had a client from the auto industry who had us test a specific model because of the model’s lack of power when driven off-road. And the result showed us that the unit’s oil filter had foreign objects that block the air flow,” explains Aguinaldo.
ADMATEL is looking forward have a round-the-clock operations once the demand for testing and analysis will rise in the next few months.
ADMATEL does five types of testing in the facility. It conducts failure analysis to determine the cause of the product inefficiencies. It also undertakes process development testing to help manufacturers optimize their procedures. Also, ADMATEL aids in product development, quality inspections, and research and development.
Aguinaldo says that the laboratory is open for R&D collaboration with the academe. “That is what we really are encouraging our students to do. Actually, we have students coming here to have their hardware tested for their thesis. Some are joining robotics events,” explains Aguinaldo.
For students, Aguinaldo says that ADMATEL is offering a socialized fee while clients from the micro, small, and medium enterprises are billed at a 20-percent reduced rate.
The lab has already applied for ISO 17025 accreditation for its three laboratories.
ADMATEL is one of DOST’s initiatives in strengthening the manufacturing industry. With the S&E as one of the country’s leading and important industries, and giving support to the manufacturing industry, it generated $21 billion in 2013.
DOST is now pushing the industry to hit $50 billion by the year 2016 and become a major player in the global electronics supply chain.
“Agham na Ramdam”, organized by the DOST-Science and Technology Information Institute, is a series of media briefings highlighting DOST program milestones and updates.
