A new laboratory for additive manufacturing was inaugurated on Tuesday, the Department of Science and Technology – Industrial Technology Development Institute (DOST-ITDI) said.

A project under the Science Department’s Advanced Additive Manufacturing R&D Program or AMCEN, it employs additive manufacturing or AM and undertakes research and development on materials for use in additive manufacturing abled or AMabled products. Their aim is to reduce cost of raw materials by using local resources and increase effective use of AMabled products.

Also a DOST Grants in Aid (DOST-GIA) Program funded project, MATDEV Laboratory is one of two facilities housed under AMCEN. The DOST-GIA Program provides financial grants to higher education institutes and research and development institutes to conduct programs and projects attuned to the Harmonized National Research and Development Agenda (HNRDA).

“The establishment of AMCen as the country’s technological hub for additive manufacturing and other advanced manufacturing technologies is proof of our strong commitment to strengthen and expand the country’s capabilities in 3D printing and advanced design and manufacturing.  This center will harness 3D printing’s potential to improve our aerospace and defense, health, agriculture, automotive, and many other sectors,” said DOST Secretary Fortunato dela Pena.

AMCEN is a shared facility between ITDI and the Metals Industry Research and Development Center (DOST-MIRDC). The second facility inside AMCEN is MIRDC’s RAPPID-ADMATEC (Research on Advanced Prototyping for Product Innovation and Development using Additive Manufacturing Technologies).  

During the inauguration, dela Pena shared that AMCen’s significance was especially highlighted during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.  

He said that the two-component facilities of AMCen, the ITDI-led MATDEV laboratory, and the MIRDC-led RAPPID-ADMATEC, made significant contributions in the country’s response against the COVID-19 pandemic through prototyping and production of various PPEs and medical components and devices that were suddenly in short supply.

MATDEV’s pandemic response includes 3D printing of face shields, ear relief bands, diffusers, door knobs/handles, and respirator valves.  MATDEV also helped a hospital through the characterization of alternative filters to the Heat and Moisture Exchange (HME) filters, which were also in short supply during the pandemic.

The Matdev Team also improved the nebulizer mask design and developed a 3D-printed filter attachment for use in commercially available masks, such as the Modified Oxygen Concentrator Mask. It also collaborated with a university for the 3D printing of various components of Telepresence Robots.  

A telepresence robot, which allows users to view and interact with remote environments, will be useful for the new normal, especially for hospitals, homes, manufacturing plants, and businesses.

“I am confident that with the management of the Industrial Technology Development Institute, the goals of the laboratory will be fully realized.  I see AMCen and its component facilities, MATDEV and RAPPID-ADMATEC, to continue to push the boundaries and drive the Philippine industry forward,” Dela Pena said.


Source: Manila Bulletin (https://mb.com.ph/2020/12/23/dost-launches-new-lab-for-additive-manufacturing/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=dost-launches-new-lab-for-additive-manufacturing)