SIRIMLink, Issue #2, 2013

ENERGY & ENVIRONMENT

PLANT & MACHINERY

MEDICAL TECHNOLOGY

Driving innovation through technology and quality

116-Mg-127-06-2013:GNPP 18091/05/2013(033524)

INSIDE Vol. 2, 2013

•ChangingmindsetsatSIRIM

•Enhancingbusinesseco-appeal

•MedicaldevicesinMalaysia

•InnovationinmodernbusinessSIRIMLink

A special report

The Three flagships

fb.com/SIRIM.Bhdwww.sirim.my @SIRIM_Berhad

ConformityAssessment

ADVISORDr. Zainal Abidin Mohd Yusof

CHAIRPERSONRaja Yahya Raja Ariffin

MEMBERSAbdul Aziz LongDr. Abd Rahim SaadPn. Futom Shikh JaafarDr. Neelam ShahabDr. Kartini NoorsalMohd Ghazali Mohd YunosAzman HassanSalmah Mohd NordinZanariyah AliInderjeet Singh a/l Sohan SinghKaruwaharan a/l RethinasamyAbd Halim Yacob

Ruhil Amani Zainal AbidinNurazlina Ismail

Published and printed by:SIRIM Berhad1, Persiaran Dato’ MenteriSection 2, P.O. Box 703540700 Shah Alam, Selangor.

Toll Free: 1300 88 7035 Tel: 603 5544 6000Fax: 603 5510 8095

Writing, design and concept:Marcus Gomez & Partners Sdn BhdNo. 27, Jalan SS2/2,47300 Petaling Jaya, Selangor.www.marcusgomez.com

SIRIMLink is an official publication of SIRIM Berhad. The bulletin is distributed free to our clients, associates, business and research establishments. Copyright © SIRIM Berhad.

For further information on the articles featured in this magazine, please contact:

Corporate Communications Section Group Corporate Affairs DepartmentSIRIM Berhad1, Persiaran Dato’ Menteri Section 2, P.O. Box 703540700 Shah Alam, Selangor Tel: 603 5544 6772Fax: 603 5544 6745Or email to: [email protected]

SIRIMLink

1SIRIMLink 01/2013

W hen sirim FirsT UnVeiLeD iTs transformation plan in 2012, it was met with what can only be described as wary enthusiasm. People liked the idea of turning the eminent institution into a total

solutions provider. They just weren’t sure how to do it.

One year later, and all those doubts have been laid to rest. in fact, the general feeling on the ground is one of upbeat optimism. The ministry of science, Technology and innovation has looked upon the changes with approval. researchers are excited about the possibilities of cross-discipline collaboration. Customers are eager to exploit the possibilities of getting complete technology solutions from a single service provider.

many of these changes are due to what has come to be called the “Flagship structure” of the new sirim. Armed with their own marketing mandate and people, the three flagships – energy & environment, Plant & machinery and medical Technology – have been the driving force behind the many positive changes at

sirim. As President and CeO Dr Zainal Abidin puts it in his interview (pg. 6): “Our people began to see the value of collaborating with each other.”

in this issue, we also speak to the senior Directors of sirim’s three flagships to find out how sirim’s transformation has impacted their work and how it will help the institution continue to do what it does best: to drive innovation through technology and quality.

GOOD PROGRESS

FOREWORD

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NEWS & EVENTS 04• SIRIMintroducesnewstrategiestopromote

qualitymanagementandproductexcellence

• Veterandesignerwinsannualdesigncompetition

• SIRIMandTISTRbegintwo-yeartechnicalcooperationprogramme

THE BIG IDEA ...05DR ZAINAL ABIDIN, PRESIDENT AND CHIEF EXECUTIVE

SIRIM’sFlagshipshaveaugmentedthecompany’sroleasatechnologypartnerandnationalinnovationcentre.ButPresidentandChief ExecutiveDrZainalAbidinreckonsthatthebestisyettocome.

40 YEARS OF SUCCESS ...11IR DR MOHAMAD JAMIL SULAIMAN, CHIEF TECHNOLOGY OFFICER, RESEARCH AND TECHNOLOGY INNOVATION

SIRIM continues to lead the way in technological research and product innovation.

CONTeNTSTHE THREE FLAGSHIPS: A SPECIAL REPORT

VOL. 2, 2013

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ECO-MISSION: POSSIBLE Dr Chen Sau Soon, Senior Director, Energy & Environment Flagship

SIRIM’sEnergyandEnvironmentFlagshipwantstohelpthecountrycurbitsemissionlevelsbythetimeitbecomesanindustrialisednationin2020...pg. 12

AN IDEAL PARTNER Dr Azmi Idris, Senior Director, Medical Technology Flagship

Inthehighlycompetitiveworldof medicaldevices,havingatechnologypartnerlikeSIRIMisaterrificadvantage... pg. 18

THE INNOVATION MACHINE Dr Wan Abdul Rahman Jauhari Wan Harun, Senior Director, Plant & Machinery Flagship

ClientscannowleverageSIRIM’sexpertisetobuildintegratedsolutionsforentireindustries... pg. 22

Malaysia uses a lot of pressure vessels. However, the country has to import these vessels because the sophisticated filament winding machines required for manufacturing them are under strict global export controls. Find out how SIRIM helped solve this national dilemma on page 22.

4 SIRIMLink 01/2013

SIRIMintroducesnewstrategiestopromotequalitymanagementandproductexcellence

B eginning This yeAr, sirim wiLL introduce an annual sirim Quality Award to provide recognition to clients who have achieved high levels of quality management and product excellence. The award will

help raise awareness of key quality achievements and promote the development of a quality culture throughout the organisation. This approach is intended to motivate sirim’s clients to meet the challenge of creating products and services that comply with national and international quality standards.

winners of the new Quality Award will receive rebates on any services under the sirim group for a period of one year, usage of the Award logo for publicity and promotional purposes for a period of

three years, as well as a trophy and certificate. The sirim Quality Award for Products will be divided into four categories covering local companies with annual sales of over rm100 million, local companies with annual sales between rm25 million and rm100 million, local companies with annual sales of less than rm25 million, and foreign companies incorporated in malaysia.

meanwhile, the sirim Quality Award for Organisations will cover companies with annual sales of over rm100 million, companies with annual sales between rm25 million and rm100 million, and companies with annual sales of less than rm25 million. Any of sirim’s clients in services and manufacturing as well as government agencies may participate by downloading the form from http://www.sirim.my.

sirim Quality Award winners will be honoured at the sirim industry night 2013 (msi 2013), to be held on 15 november 2013, at sunway resorts hotel, Bandar sunway. For more information, call 03-55446522 or email at [email protected].

SIRIMdesignerwinsannualdesigncompetition

S irim VeTeran rOsLAn JALiL FrOm the Product Design section emerged as the champion of the 2012 malaysia Design Competition, winning rm12,000 for his rubber tapping device, “rubtap”.

inspired from memories of helping his grandmother tap rubber during his younger days, Jalil designed the rubtap as a modern and convenient alternative to conventional tapping tools. This is the second time the UiTm industrial Design graduate has won a position at the annual awards, having come in second place in the 2010 awards for his invention Albata, a hand cleansing device.

The malaysia Design Competition is the country’s premier product design competition and is the highest form of recognition for malaysian designers.

NEWS

5SIRIMLink 01/2013

The competition is open to all malaysians in three categories – school students, university students and professionals – and encourages the development of innovative and commercially-viable ideas among malaysians eager to present their concepts to the market.

SIRIMandTISTRbegintwo-yeartechnicalcooperationprogramme

S irim BerhAD hAs enTereD into a science and technology cooperation programme with the Thailand institute of scientific

and Technological research (TisTr), which will cover areas of mutual interest between the two institutes over a period of two years. The Collaboration Arrangement was signed at the sirim’s headquarters in shah Alam on 13 may 2013 by mr yongyut soavapruk, governor of TisTr and Dr Zainal

Abidin mohd yusof, President and Chief executive, sirim Berhad.

mr yongyut together with a TisTr delegation visited sirim Berhad from 13 to 15 may 2013 for the signing of the Collaboration Arrangement. The researchers and staff of sirim hosted the visiting delegation and led them on a tour of the facilities, including the sirim gallery and the wAiTrO Office. mr yongyut and his delegation had a chance to see the science and Technology units, which included the wood Polymer Composite unit, the Ceramics Centre, the industrial Biotechnology research Centre, and the environmental Technology research Centre. The delegation from TisTr also visited granuLab sdn Bhd, the showcase company for the integration of sirim’s research achievement, granumas, a synthetic bone graft material product that has been successfully commercialised. During the tour, the TisTr delegation visited Joining & inspection services as well as the national metrology Laboratory.

Both institutes discussed several scientific and technological fields of mutual interest and agreed to initiate collaborations in these fields. These areas of interest included medical equipment/devices and their laboratory requirements in accordance to isO 13485, biogas, bioethanol, gLP-OeCD approval certification for a toxico- and ecotoxicity laboratory in Thailand, non-destructive testing (nDT) especially TCr (TUV Creep replica) and Failure investigation, measurement and calibration, and other subjects.

Dr Zainal Abidin (left), President and Chief Executive of SIRIM Berhad exchanging documents with Mr Yongyut Soavapruk, Governor of TISTR.

SIRIM designer Roslan Jalil with his mock cheque and trophy for the “Rubtap”.

NEWS

6 SIRIMLink 01/2013

SIRIM’s Flagships have augmented the company’s role as a technology partner and national innovation centre. But President and Chief Executive Dr Zainal Abidin Mohd Yusof reckons that the best is yet to come.

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I t has been just over a year since sirim announced its transformation plan and unveiled the sirim

Flagships: Plant and machinery, energy and environment and medical Technology. much of the time since then has been spent planning the roll-out of these flagships and appointing suitably qualified people to execute the transformation on the ground. in the last quarter of 2012, the management busied itself with securing the buy-in of sirim staff and other stakeholders such as the ministry of science, Technology and innovation (mOsTi) and the ministry of Finance (moF).

“The first quarter of 2013 was about putting the structure into place, by which time we already had a few on-going projects that slipped seamlessly into the flagship system,” says Dr Zainal Abidin. “it was a good start to the year and very encouraging to all of us.”

As initiator and chief executor of sirim’s transformation plan, Dr Zainal Abidin can afford to be smug. support for sirim’s flagships has been unequivocal. when mOsTi called for funding proposals in march, the whole of sirim came together to develop comprehensive project papers across disparate disciplines and work areas. it has also yielded several noteworthy collaborations with other research agencies and brought sirim’s researchers closer together. The synergies have been very interesting.

“Our people began to see the value of collaborating with each other,” says Dr Zainal Abidin. “we

developed forty-four proposals for the scienceFund alone. Twenty-nine of these have been approved for funding across a wide-spectrum of activities that are aligned to the flagships.”

AN ENCOURAGING START

sirim has also submitted a few high value projects that were multidisciplinary to mOsTi. These multidisciplinary, multi-institution

projects are collaborative efforts involving two or more research institutions, and sirim was delighted to have been able to come up with several proposals with its partners. One such project involved the development of artificial corals, which began as a small community project led by sirim’s ceramics research team.

“This is an opportunity for sirim and its partners to develop a more comprehensive artificial coral solution that will involve material scientists, engineers and marine biologists,” explains Dr Zainal Abidin. “more importantly,

the project shows that there is a definite change of mind-set among researchers who are now seeking opportunities to add value to each other’s work.”

Take sirim’s innovations in medical implants, for example, many of which emerged from the company’s material science laboratories at the Advanced materials research Centre (AmreC) in Kulim. here, metallurgists developed innovative composite alloys that are ideal for making complex but immovable orthopaedic implants while improving the materials’ malleability and tensile strength. meanwhile, at sirim’s engineering centre in Bukit Jalil, design engineers were working on developing movable joint implants, making sure they possess the right dimensions and functionality for patients. when the two teams began talking to each other, they realised that the advanced composite alloys developed by AmreC’s metallurgists could also be used for making advanced functional orthopaedic implants.

“The collaboration is resulting in good synergy between these teams,” says Dr Zainal Abidin. “what began as a simple biomaterials research project has now evolved into a full medical technology project.”

That seems to be a recurring lesson in sirim’s transformation so far. it seems that everywhere one looks there is an old project that might be given new life by other experts from other disciplines. There is no telling how an idea might be exploited once you start connecting the dots. For

“... the project shows that there is a definite change

of mind-set among researchers who are now seeking opportunities to add value to each

other’s work.”

8 SIRIMLink 01/2013

“There is a lot more to making steel components than just pouring

molten metal into a mould and waiting

for it to cool.”

TOTAL SOLUTIONS ACROSS THE VALUE CHAINSIRIM’s consultants help evaluate the commercial viability of an idea, turn it into a solid product proposal and then

build a working prototype of the product. The company also organises product trials, quality improvement initiatives

and other pre-commercialisation activities before designing the product packaging and final proof-of-concept.

IDEATION & CONCEPTUALISATION

Businessconsultantsevaluate

thecommercialpotentialof anidea

todetermineitsviabilitygivencurrent

marketopportunities.

PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

Productdesignersandresearchers

collaboratetobuildaworkingprototype

of theproductalongwithapilot

plantthatmakesit.

TRIALS & PRE- COMMERCIALISATION

Consultantshelporganisetrialsfor

theproductandhelpensurethatits

productionisinlinewithGMPorGLP

guidelineswherenecessary.

example: the filament winding machine sirim originally built for making fibre-reinforced cylinders for malaysia’s transport industry will no doubt also prove useful within the oil palm industry, where the mobilisation of biomethane requires pressure cylinders rated at 250 bars or more – just the kind of composite pressure vessel sirim’s filament winding machine was built to make.

when PeTrOnAs brought a few imported products to sirim and asked its technologists to see if they could develop home-grown alternatives to them, sirim was at first hesitant about the opportunity as it would demand significant capital and expertise. however, sirim’s Plant Design and engineering Centre took up the challenge despite these risks involved. Today, the project stands as a testament to the mind-set change that has swept through the company’s ranks.

“As one might easily guess, making metal products for the O&g industry is not easy,” says Dr Zainal Abidin. “The

industry’s technical standards are exceptionally strict and the technological challenges are huge. There is a lot more to making steel components than just pouring molten metal into a mould and waiting for it to cool.”

experts across sirim’s ranks from engineering design,

software engineering, foundry, machining, materials and testing worked together and produced the component as specified by PeTrOnAs. The engineers identified flaws in the formula using finite metal analysis and advanced testing methods and

refined the whole fabrication process according to the necessary strength requirements of the O&g industry’s strict standards.

“The additional input the metal experts gave our foundry team improved their confidence in their calculations,” says Dr Zainal Abidin. “we were able to come up with a repeatable fabrication processes that could consistently deliver the same results every time. The client and PeTrOnAs were pleased.”

GOING THE DISTANCE

Overall feedback to the company’s new way of doing business has been very encouraging across the board. Clients are excited about being able to get complete solutions to their technology challenges in one place, rather than having everything in bits and pieces.

One striking example of how this works may be illustrated by the experience of sirim standard Technology (ssT), a new, wholly-owned subsidiary

THE BIG IDEA

9SIRIMLink 01/2013

“By participating in industry forums at NGOs, we can

pick up clues about what kinds of

products or services they need.”

TOTAL SOLUTIONS ACROSS THE VALUE CHAINWith decades of experience under their belts, SIRIM’s experts are also well-versed at developing full-scale pilot plants

for all kinds of products, helping to ensure that they meet local and global product standards during and after full

scale-up. The value chain is completed with independent third party testing, inspection and verification services.

STANDARDS & qUALITY SERVICES

Consultantshelpensuretheproduct

meetslocalandglobalproductstandards

toincreaseitsqualityappealand

marketabilityabroad.

SCALE-UP & COMMERCIALISATION

Designersandengineersdevelopafull-

scalepilotplantforthenewproductthat

complieswithnecessaryregulations.

TESTING & CERTIFICATION

Theproductisroutinelytestedand

certifiedbyanindependentthirdpartyto

ensureitcomplieswithapplicable

industrystandardsandregulations.

of sirim that offers machinery calibration and maintenance services. Formerly known as sime-sirim Technologies sdn Bhd, ssT has long operated as a calibration service provider to Penang’s electronics manufacturing sector. manufacturing operations of international companies such as motorola and Agilent depend on precisely calibrated equipment. ssT provides services to these companies by repairing and calibrating their faulty equipment.

many of these positive changes are due to the hard work of sirim’s marketing teams. The company used to coordinate all of its marketing efforts from a centralised marketing division, but this was not very effective – there were just too many different messages from its dozen or so technology centres, none of which stuck. The transformation has instead placed a marketing unit within each flagship that is empowered to drive its own marketing campaigns and to make its own decisions. The result is a narrower scope of messaging and improved visibility for all three flagships.

“we let our flagship marketeers explore opportunities the way they best think fit, and one of the key lessons we have learned so far is that scientists don’t always know what industries need,” says Dr Zainal Abidin. “That knowledge isn’t to be found in laboratories or science conventions. it’s in the marketplace.”

sirim’s team have since begun spending more time with industry professionals instead of their scientific peers, becoming more knowledgeable about the challenges of target industries. This will ultimately help them to focus the company’s r&D efforts on a few

key applications that the industry really needs, and they can do so in collaboration with researchers from other disciplines. Dr Zainal cites the development of malaysia’s medical Devices Act a couple of years ago. it was drafted in response to specific feedback provided by medical industry professionals to the government through medical forums – without the input of those doctors and surgeons, the government would have had a much harder time drafting the Act.

“By participating in industry forums at ngOs, we can pick up clues about what kinds of products or services they need sooner rather than later,” explains Dr Zainal Abidin. “not all their problems will become opportunities for us, but there will be enough of them to keep us busy.”

COLLABORATION POWERHOUSE

given the flurry of activity at sirim’s three flagships over the past few months, one would be forgiven for thinking that all of

THE BIG IDEA

10 SIRIMLink 01/2013

the excitement merely stems from new projects or ideas that have come up in the past year. nothing could be further from the truth.

As a national research institute, sirim has naturally aligned all of its efforts to the economic Transformation Programme (eTP). what it has to do next is to simply knock on the right doors and to raise awareness about the company’s capabilities in its target nKeAs. sirim already has quite a number of ePP projects that have been funded by PemAnDU, such as the energy efficiency Testing Laboratory in shah Alam.

“Over the past few years, we have also worked very closely with the ministry of energy, green Technology and water (KeTThA) to develop a sustainability framework for malaysian businesses,” says Dr Zainal Abidin. “we started with our life cycle assessment (LCA) services and the national eco-label scheme, and we are now exploring ways to link these capabilities with our design and modelling engineers to develop full-fledged eco-products. This is an area we are very serious about.”

sirim is also one of the country’s pioneers in environmental technologies, particularly industrial waste processing, and the government has consistently recognised the company’s lead in the area. its biomethane project in Carey island, for example, was funded by mOsTi. sirim has recommended that it be included as a “bioeconomy” ePP given its potential impact on the country: it not only reduces the emissions of palm oil industry, but also gives the

country an extra source of natural gas.

That said, sirim recognises that it does not have all the answers. Dr Zainal and his team would like the company to work more closely with other research and technology institutions to eliminate the duplication of effort and to leverage each other’s expertise. he points to the ongoing oil palm biomass debate, in which half a dozen or so agencies are working

on various competing biomass energy solutions. The agencies’ solutions are all based upon differing estimates of just how much biomass is available in the country and what form it takes – trunks, fronds or empty fruit bunches. some say there is too little biomass altogether; others say there is more than enough. The fact is, no one knows for sure.

“Our response to this situation was to develop myremAP, which aggregates the data of seven different agencies as well as oil palm plantations from different

parts of the country,” says Dr Zainal Abidin. “Over time, myremAP will become a valuable and – most importantly – accurate database of actual bioeconomic opportunities in the country.”

sirim’s energy and environment Flagship (page 12) will soon enhance myremAP further by introducing specialised data refinements (such as ratios) on how biomass is reused in various renewable energy scenarios, and how much is already being consumed by palm oil mills in their own bioenergy initiatives. when completed, the country will have a much better idea of just how much biomass is really going to waste.

That said, Dr Zainal is a firm supporter of competition in research and development activities. Unlike competition in other industries where the winner usually takes all, competition in r&D can often result in joint commercialisation ventures as the various players assume different responsibilities for the project’s execution according to their individual expertise and then divide the proceeds from the idea among each other. however, he does see the need for greater cooperation among research institutions so that they don’t waste time covering ground that other researchers have already gone over, especially with high priority projects of national strategic importance. There is simply too much at stake.

“we have to put our competing motives aside and work at producing the best solutions possible,” enthuses Dr Zainal Abidin. when innovation comes out on top, everyone wins..”

“We have to put our competing motives aside and work at

producing the best solutions possible. When innovation comes out on top, everyone wins.”

THE BIG IDEA

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S irim has charted success after success since its founding more than 40 years ago. Building upon its

achievements over the years, the institution is eager to continue its domination of the innovation arena by becoming a complete premier centre for research.

sirim is already well-known as malaysia’s national standards development agency, but it aims to be much more than that. According to ir Dr mohamad Jamil sulaiman, Chief Technology Officer, research and Technology innovation Division, sirim is the spearhead of research and invention in the country, providing added value by highlighting various products and fruitful research in many different scientific fields.

“Our products and research are useful to various industries: healthcare, beauty, machines and tools, robotics, and services,” explains Dr Jamil. “The research and development that we do here at sirim provides benefits not just to the nation, but is recognised and adopted at the global level. These are achievements that malaysians can be proud of, because our technologies are finding their place in the international arena.”

AN ENERGISING fORCE

Acccording to Dr Jamil, sirim owes much of its success to the support of the ministry of science, Technology and innovation

(mOsTi), which has driven the development of high-quality and high-value products in the country.

“in addition to being of the highest quality, our products provide benefits to entrepreneurs and the environment,” says Dr Jamil. “more importantly, they can have an energising effect on industry, increasing productivity

and giving a positive boost to the national economy .”

sirim’s innovations cover medical technology, energy and environmental technology as well as plant and machinery innovations. sirim has also successfully developed health and beauty care products that support the use of natural and locally-sourced materials.

“international brands rely on extensive research and development to produce their beauty products,” says Dr Jamil. “malaysian beauty products have just as much potential, so sirim provides a wide range of research and talented expertise to help local entrepreneurs in the cosmetics and cosmeceuticals industries.”

Besides its commercial activities, sirim also remains committed to social responsibility by contributing extensive research and development efforts to the community.

“we brought micro hydro power generation technology to communities in the interior regions of sarawak and sabah, as well as in raub, Pahang,” says Dr Jamil. “we are very attentive to the needs of the community.”

DR JAMIL: “Our products and research are useful to various industries: healthcare, beauty, machines and tools, robotics, and services.”

40 YEARS OF SUCCESS

SIRIM continues to lead the way in technological research and product innovation.

THE BIG IDEA


ECO-MiSSiOn: POSSiBLE

I f one were to listen to the political c o m m e n t a r i e s of malaysia’s conservationists, it would

appear as though the challenges facing the country are grim indeed. it is ranked third in terms of emissions per gDP in southeast Asia and 85th in the world. As much as 40 per cent of its rivers are allegedly polluted. its cities produce an average of 1.5 million tons of solid waste per year, while its agriculture sector produces over 70 million tonnes of waste annually. Clearly, say these tree-huggers, malaysia has a long way to go before it can be called a developed nation.

however, it’s not all bad news. The malaysian government has committed to reduce the emissions intensity of its gross domestic product (gDP) by 40 per cent by 2020 from 2005 levels, and the country has already made considerable progress in this regard: the country’s emissions per gDP dipped 20.29 per cent in 2010 to 866.49 tCO₂e per UsD million gDP from 1,087.04 tCO₂e per UsD million gDP recorded in 2005. it is therefore not surprising that in the 2012 environmental Performance index of 132 countries published by yale University, malaysia was ranked as a “strong Performer”

at 25th place, just behind Japan and Belgium but far ahead of the U.s. (49th), singapore (52nd) and China (116th). malaysia’s prospects are therefore not as bad as the tree-huggers would have us believe.

many of the improvements in malaysia environmental record over the past two decades are due to a steady but persistent application of ever-stricter environmental initiatives throughout the country’s industrial and agricultural sectors. sirim has been at the centre of many of these projects, building renewable energy demo sites, developing eco-labelling

SIRIM’s Energy and Environment Flagship has a mandate to help the country curb its emission levels and conserve its natural resources by the time it becomes an industrialised nation in 2020.

13SIRIMLink 01/2013

schemes and designing bio-energy systems. it has also supported some of the most innovative eco-projects in the country while helping businesses to clean up their act.

with the transformation of sirim, the energy and environment flagship has streamlined the company’s talents and resources to tackle larger and more challenging issues: keeping carbon emissions low and improving the resilience of natural resources. Dr Chen sau soon, an award-winning environmental researcher and senior Director of the ene Flagship, is on a mission.

RENEWABLE APPEAL

One of the biggest businesses today is renewable energy (re): an industry that is estimated to generate at least rm70 billion worth of revenue for the private sector alone every year. sirim’s energy and environment Flagship is heavily committed in all manner of re technologies, the most prominent of which is bio-energy.

Currently in the pilot plant stage of development, sirim’s biogas project was established on Carey island in cooperation with sime Darby’s east Oil mill in 2010. The project captures and stores the methane released by palm oil mill effluent (POme) so that it can be used in other applications – fuel for natural gas vehicles,

for instance, or as a feedstock for generating electricity. malaysia’s palm oil mills release some 67 million cubic metres of methane into the atmosphere annually, and research by sirim indicates that one cubic metre of completely digested POme produces 28 cubic metres of methane biogas. malaysia also generates 10,000 metric tonnes of municipal waste in landfills, and there is also sewage sludge, animal manure and other organic waste from malaysia’s sago, food and rubber industries to consider. Taken together, these resources could yield approximately 1.5 billion nm3 of methane per year.

“if efficiently converted into electricity, all this biowaste could provide the national power grid with a much-needed secondary source of kilowatt hours, especially in rural areas far off the main energy grid,” says Dr Chen.

while research on methane capture and storage systems marches on, sirim has also stepped up its efforts in the research of biomaterials and b i o c h e m i c a l s from biomass resources abundantly provided in the form of oil palm trunks, fronds and fibre.

“we have submitted several

proposals which could help address the challenge posed by this massive volume of biomass,” says Dr Chen. “One will involve the development of an integrated microbial biorefinery for making high value biochemicals such as succinic (amber) acid and itaconic acid.”

Dr Chen points out that sirim has a microbe data bank of about 20,000 strains of fungi and actinomycetes, many of which could significantly enhance current biochemical processes. The challenge lies in finding collaborators that are willing to put in the hours and money necessary to explore the potential of this rich resource. she is also concerned about the lack of local capabilities and content in the development of malaysia’s biochemical industry – although the raw material itself is sourced locally, most projects today still depend on imported technologies and foreign bioengineering expertise.

“if malaysia continues to rely on foreign

capabilities and t e c h n o l o g i e s , we will never build our own b i o c h e m i c a l c a pab i l i t i e s ,” warns Dr Chen. “ B e t w e e n

DR CHEN: “We are exploring new marine applications for our capabilities in materials research, which I think is one of SIRIM’s greatest strengths.”

ECO-MISSION: POSSIBLE


sirim and the rest of country, malaysia has the technical expertise to develop its own solutions. i think it’s high time we did so.”

sirim faces no such challenge when it comes to micro-hydro technologies. The company has successfully implemented three micro-hydro projects so far, although they were all ad-hoc community projects rather than business ventures. Dr Chen intends to change that by systematically developing the business and building sirim’s capabilities in micro-hydro development consulting.

“The first step would be to research populated rural locations throughout the country that are off the national grid and to identify the ones that have suitable geographic terrain for micro-hydro installations,” says Dr Chen. “we want to build at least five demonstration plants that will showcase different micro-hydro systems and how they work

with different types of rivers or populations.”

ENVIRONMENTAL CHAMPION

sirim is frequently selected as a partner for such community projects. And, as with sirim’s micro-hydro projects, these community initiatives can sometimes lead to interesting business opportunities.

Dr Chen cites the example of sirim’s ceramic fish aggregating device (FAD), developed to counter the coral reef crisis in Terengganu and sarawak. The ceramic FAD works, and it works well. however, it was not developed as a commercial product, and much needs to be done before sirim can license the technology for the benefit of other communities. instead of merely scouting around for funds to commercialise the FAD, however, sirim’s energy and environment Flagship decided

to go a step further: it submitted a proposal under the mOsTi Flagship Programme to develop a comprehensive artificial reef system.

sirim’s proposed collaboration partners on the project are the Department of marine Park malaysia, which will co-develop an experimental chamber at one of their research stations in the vicinity of the actual marine environment; the international islamic University malaysia (iiUm), which will undertake the actual marine science workload; and University Pertanian malaysia (UPm), which will determine the socioeconomic impact of the project. sirim itself will be responsible for developing the materials and substrates used for the devices the team develops. The project will also leverage sirim’s design and engineering capabilities in both simulating the movement of marine life and developing a more effective and robust physical structure for the FAD. ill-

A FINE RESOURCETo identify rural communities that

may benefit from micro-hydro

plants, SIRIM will leverage its own

Renewable Energy Resource Map of

Malaysia (MYREMap): a web-based

geographic information system

(GIS) that compiles data from the

country’s nine major renewable

energy resources into a single

interactive map. The tool allows

users to estimate the amount of

resources available at a specific

geographic location and helps them

make decisions on the economic

viability of RE projects.


15SIRIMLink 01/2013

conceived artificial corals tend to get damaged in harsh underwater sea environments. And, believe it or not, they also sometimes fall prey to petty thieves.

“we are exploring new marine applications for our capabilities in materials research, which i think is one of sirim’s dominant strengths,” says Dr Chen. “we will exploit our materials science capabilities to the fullest to differentiate our value proposition in collaboration projects.”

sirim’s environmental management group would also like to explore the potential of resource recovery, particularly from electronic waste materials that contain gallium, indium and other rare earth materials used in the electrical and electronics (e&e) sector. ‘Urban mining’, as the practice is sometimes called, can yield materials that are potentially several times more valuable than the same materials mined from natural resources – ecological impact aside, mining natural resources costs money, time and no small amount of government lobbying. Urban mining avoids these issues altogether and gives businesses and regulatory authorities a feel-good pat on the back to boot.

Dr Chen’s team also has two projects being funded under the eU’s seventh Framework Programme for research (FP7): one for biowaste processing, and one for wastewater treatment. Both are well-established research areas at sirim – the team has a photocatalytic wastewater treatment pilot plant in Cameron highlands and a pilot-scale enzyme

producing system for biowaste conversion.

“The successful bid for these eU projects is timely, as it will strengthen sirim’s exploitation in these two areas through enlarging our network of research contacts across several continents,” says Dr Chen.

Both these projects underscore the general direction of sirim’s future research in water treatment, as it leaves behind conventional

pollution abatement systems and begins to tackle the rising problem of micropollutants: industrial and natural chemicals that contaminate water systems in low concentrations but have significant health impacts.

“Freshwater systems worldwide are being threatened by the thousands of industrial and natural chemical compounds that leach into our waterways from manufacturing and residential sites each year,” says Dr Chen. “if we do not find a way to remove micropollutants such as the endocrine disruptors efficiently, we may find ourselves plagued with

new types of water-borne illness and health problems, some of which are chronic and may surface only in future generations.”

VROOM VROOM

no energy and environmental research institute would be complete without a focus on energy storage, and sirim’s efforts in this regard are directed towards the future: lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries. widely used in both automotive and renewable energy grid storage applications, a study by Frost & sullivan estimates that the global Li-ion battery market was worth about UsD11.7 billion in 2012, but that this is expected to double by 2016.

Besides being the most popular battery in portable electronics, Li-ion batteries are ideal for storing and regulating energy from renewable energy sources, such as solar, wind and hydro. Back in 2010, sirim researchers decided to find a way to make the high-performance battery materials required for Li-ion batteries from locally-available resources. They were able to use paddy husk waste to develop the high capacity anode materials they needed. Over a period of intense research, the team’s hard work and determination eventually resulted in the first pilot Li-ion battery production plant in Penang.

Dr Chen says that sirim hopes to work with the malaysian Automotive institute (mAi) and the University of wollongong in Australia to improve upon this facility and to bring it into full mass production by 2015.

“Between SIRIM and the rest of country, Malaysia has the

technical expertise to develop its own solutions. I think it’s high time we

did so”



“we are also preparing a joint proposal with two other Australian universities for conducting research into batteries that will provide our battery pilot plant with a sound technological foundation,” says Dr Chen. “This will give our battery technology a good competitive edge in the future.”

Besides conventional Li-ion batteries, scientists at sirim’s energy and environment Flagship are also hip-deep in research on supercapacitors. supercapacitors will play a major role in mobility solutions in the future and, like batteries, they need exceptionally high capacitance electrode materials. For this, sirim researchers decided to use carbon nanotubes.

“we hope to move our supercapacitors into pilot production by 2015 and into full commercial production by 2018,” says Dr Chen. “we will also look at recycling systems for these batteries and supercapacitors, as we expect demand for battery recycling to

grow in tandem with the popularity of electric vehicles.”

GETTING WARM

Another hot field of research at sirim is the development of medium temperature solar thermal systems for remote applications. These are most useful in marine farming and aquaculture applications, where produce such as anchovies and seaweed is usually dried on beaches or on platforms at sea.

“we are very close to securing a fifth round of funding for our solar thermal research from the global environment Facility under the geF-5 initiative,” says Dr Chen. “if we get it, we’ll be able to promote our medium temperature solar thermal technology more widely and improve the lot of seaside marine farming communities sooner rather than later.”

Dr Chen and her team are also working hard to establish the

country’s first solar photovoltaic (PV) testing laboratory, which will be a boon to malaysia’s solar industry. she explains that the current excitement in solar energy is mostly driven by malaysia’s Feed-in Tariff (FiT) mechanism, which offers re suppliers up to rm1.49 for every kilowatt hour (kwh) they export to the grid. The problem, however, is that some solar installations do not work as promised.

“A local PV testing laboratory can verify that PV solar panels meet the minimum efficiency requirements of standards such as en 12975 (efficiency test) and help manufacturers make better products,” Dr Chen explains. “This way, businesses can compete more efficiently in markets overseas.”

ECO-PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT

global consumerism is fuelling an incessant demand for new goods worldwide,

A RISING POWERLi-ion batteries are great. The

future, however, lies in metal-air

batteries: fuel cells that rely on the

oxidation of a metal from air to

produce electricity. Nanostructured

Ruthenium-doped lithium cathodes

offer double the discharge capacity

of non-doped cathodes and can

retain over 90 per cent of their

original capacity even after 500

charges. SIRIM is also exploring the

potential of sodium-ion batteries

that are expected to be cheaper and

safer than any other battery.

Theoretically attainable energy densitiesof metal-air batteries (Wh/kg)

0

3,0001,200

Iron-air Zinc-a

irSodiu

m-airCalciu

m-air

Magnesium

-airTitan

ium-air

Aluminium

-air

Lithium

-airBeryl

ium-air

1,3002,200 2,500 2,800 3,400 3,600

13,200 13,300

6,000

9,000

12,000

15,000

Source: Institute for Power Electronics and Electrical Drives (ISEA), RWTH Aachen University.


17SIRIMLink 01/2013

many of which are made from resource-intensive materials like plastic and wood. sirim has already developed eco-friendly alternatives to these materials such as biowood polymer composites and bioplastics, and the e&e flagship has a mandate to develop other solutions to help malaysian businesses improve their environmental footprint. The most recent example of this would be nanocrystalline cellulose (nCC): a material produced from biomass that can be added to a wide range of composites to improve biodegradability and physical strength.

“Adopting an environmentally-conscious approach to product design can minimise its environmental impact throughout its lifecycle,” explains Dr Chen. “By simply increasing a product’s expected lifespan and making it easier to assemble and disassemble, a company can significantly improve its environmental footprint. Our job is to find ways to do that.”

sirim spearheaded the application of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) to support malaysian industries in eco-design two years ago. Also known as a “cradle to grave,” assessment, LCA analyses a product’s environmental impact from the extraction of the raw materials used to make it to its eventual disposal or recycling. Using its LCA capabilities as a foundation, sirim recently signed a rm8.8 million deal with the european Union (eU) in a four-partner consortium to develop a quantitative environmental declaration scheme for malaysian building material manufacturers

starting with a carbon footprint labelling programme.

“Carbon footprint labelling will utilise our current capabilities in lifecycle assessment (LCA) as we develop integrated, one-stop eco-labelling solution packages in cooperation with other facilities overseas,” says Dr Chen.

Another key service that sirim has embarked on in the area of sustainability is product safety evaluation. OeCD (Organisation of economic Cooperation and Development) countries require scientific evidence to support product safety claims before allowing products into their

markets. This evidence must be have been proven by studies conducted according to stringent requirements spelt out in a gLP (good Laboratory Practice) system. since attaining OeCD gLP recognition, sirim has taken steps to expand the laboratory service to cover other aspects of product registration so as to serve customers better and to offer them value-added services.

“we offer clients the complete technical dossier they need to complete their product registration, thus easing their plans to place their products in foreign markets,” says Dr Chen. “now, that’s what i call a one-stop solution.”

A solar thermal drying system operates in rain or shine and can shorten drying time by about 50 per cent while keeping the produce clean. The system can also be installed at locations far off the power grid and independent of any other power source, like the solar thermal drying system SIRIM built for the seaweed farming community in Semporna, Sabah.



Fracture plates

Heart monitoring systems

Artificial kidneys

Hip replacement joints

Wound management

Prostheses

Bone implants

An idEAL PARtnER

In the highly competitive and innovative world of medical devices, having a technology partner like SIRIM is a terrific advantage.

19SIRIMLink 01/2013

Fracture plates

Heart monitoring systems

Artificial kidneys

Hip replacement joints

Wound management

Prostheses

Bone implants

T he global medical devices industry is one of the fastest growing industries in the world, with a projected market

growth rate of more than 10 per cent per annum. it is therefore not surprising that malaysia has identified this highly competitive and innovative industry as one of the country’s national Key economic Areas (nKeAs). malaysia exported rm12.9 billion worth of medical devices in 2012, 76 per cent of which comprised medical gloves and catheters. Other major exports included instruments and appliances used in medical, surgical, dental or veterinary sciences, ophthalmic lenses and orthopaedic appliances. however, the global market for medical devices is valued at rm980 billion – there is clearly lots of room for expansion.

The medical device industry is highly regulated and covers a very broad range of products, from contact lenses to pacemakers. malaysia’s medical Device Act 2012 which came into effect on 1 July 2013 provides the legislative framework for the industry, with the medical Devices Authority (mDA) acting as its regulatory body. The regulations governing medical devices differ depending on their potential impact to a patient’s well-being. regulations governing implantable medical devices such as pacemakers and bone implants are necessarily stricter than those governing stethoscopes and tongue depressors. In-

vitro diagnostic medical devices are also quite heavily regulated as their readings determine how a patient will be treated.

“it is not easy to get a medical device product onto the market,” says Dr Azmi idris, senior Director of the medical Technology Flagship at sirim. “The product development cycle from concept to market is quite long, to say the least.”

Dr Azmi is not joking. After years of research and development, a product still needs to undergo in vitro and in vivo evaluations to determine its safety and efficacy. After that, there are controlled clinical trials and then the task of up-scaling the manufacturing plant. All this before the product is put through a continuous battery of tests by accredited third-party or conformity assessment bodies (CABs).

Besides product quality, regulations governing the company’s business practices are also much stricter than many other industries. The manufacturing environment, quality system and product evaluations are all subject to strict medical device manufacturing standards according to the isO 13485 (requirements for regulatory purposes) standard as well as other relevant standards such as isO 14971 (Application of risk management to medical devices). There is also the question of getting the product licensed by authorities such as mDA (for malaysia), Ce (for europe) and the U.s. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). And yet even meeting all these requirements cannot guarantee a product’s success.

“implantable medical products cannot be promoted through advertising or direct selling the way other products can,” says Dr Azmi. “The only recommendations that

are taken seriously in the healthcare

industry are those of doctors. Patients tend to have more faith in their doctors’ opinions than all the advertising in

the world.”

AN IDEAL PARTNER


AN ENVIABLE ADVANTAGE

medical devices are classified into four different groups depending on the risks they present, with Class A being the least risky product and Class D being the most risky. sample collection containers and tongue depressors are fairly non-invasive, short-term devices, and so are considered Class A medical devices, whereas long-term implants are considered Class C and D products. while the medical devices industry is quite lucrative and promises to remain so for quite some time, the Flagship is focused on developing three types of products, all of which are at least Class C devices: ceramic and metal-based hard tissue implants, soft tissue wound management systems and drug delivery systems.

“we see ourselves as being able to bring the greatest value to Class C and D devices because

of our background in standards development and product testing,” says Dr Azmi. “sirim also has the best manpower in the country – from material scientists to molecular biologists to plant engineers. This gives us a terrific advantage when it comes to implantable medical products.”

A lot of work goes into identifying potential projects at the medical Technology Flagship. high-level discussions are regularly conducted with senior researchers and the teams come up with product roadmaps for each of the flagship’s focus areas – drug delivery systems, prostheses and implants and medical equipment. each idea is critically evaluated in terms of its potential impact on society, its commercial viability and the technological challenge it will present. The ideas are then shortlisted until only the most promising remain, after which a

project team will be set up to begin drafting the funding proposal.

THE ART Of COLLABORATION

Collaboration with industry partners and medical experts is more than just crucial; it is essential. Dr Azmi cites the example of a current project his flagship is trying to explore involving wearable dialysis machines. As things stand, patients spend several hours a week at dialysis centres. A wearable dialysis machine – or artificial kidney, as it is sometimes erroneously called – would significantly reduce the inconvenience suffered by dialysis patients, thereby allowing them to enjoy more fulfilling lives at work or with their families. The project involves engineers and material scientists from sirim as well as nephrologists who will collaborate

BONY GOODAbout 30,000 orthopaedic

procedures are conducted in

Malaysia each year, of which one-

third are estimated to involve bone

grafting procedures. The research

team led by SIRIM developed

GranuMas as a local alternative to

imported synthetic bone, which can

cost as much as RM1,500 per cubic

centimetre – far too expensive for

the average patient. The project

involved experts from the Malaysia

Nuclear Agency as well as dental,

veterinary and orthopaedic surgeons

from Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM),

Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia

(UKM) and International Islamic

University Malaysia (IIUM).

AN IDEAL PARTNER

21SIRIMLink 01/2013

on the project as medical experts and provide sirim valuable input on the project.

“For this project, material scientists will work on the dialyser’s filter membrane, whereas the actual product design and engineering will be carried out by engineers at our Bukit Jalil facility,” says Dr Azmi. “The medical experts help by contributing their ideas and expertise on improving the product’s efficacy and usability when it is ready to be clinically tested later on. we can’t do the work without them.”

One of sirim’s most successful medical technology projects to date was developed in this way: granumas™ – a synthetic bone material based on a biocompatible material called hydroxyapatite. The local market for medical devices is expected to grow by 15.9 per cent annually to hit rm8.9 billion by 2017. This is one of the reasons why sirim welcomes the participation of private corporations with the foresight to see the opportunities in

malaysian-made medical devices such as granumas. As an example, granuLab (m) sdn Bhd was sirim’s industry partner for granumas and the company has also entered into agreements for commercialisation rights to gentaCap (an antibiotic drug delivery system) and Osteopaste: a self-hardening bone cement that will soon embark on pre-clinical evaluation studies and controlled clinical trials.

“getting a medical product on to the market with public funds takes a lot of time,” says Dr Azmi. “having a committed industry partner early in a project can significantly accelerate the r&D process, and when the product is ready to be commercialised, the company can take it to market immediately. The company is also able to provide researchers with invaluable feedback from its customers that can help with the product’s development.”

however, commercial considerations are only a part of sirim’s roadmap in medical technology. The company’s projects are

also driven by

strategic considerations, such as creating competition to force importers to lower their prices the way granumas did when it was released to market

sirim is also interested in seeing how it can help support malaysia’s medical Device Act 2012. One of the limitations of the current regulatory regime is that there are few facilities available in the country that are able to conduct third-party cytotoxicity and biocompatibility tests, which are crucial for implantable medical devices. sirim has OeCD-gmP-compliant facilities that can conduct both at its industrial Biotechnology research Centre in shah Alam.

“The success of a medical technology project cannot always be measured in purely commercial terms,” explains Dr Azmi. “sirim serves a much larger purpose than to make money. we serve the needs of thirty million malaysians. And that always comes first.”

SIRIM researchers have developed a binder material made out of palm stearin that is ideal for making intricate medical implants via Metal Injection Moulding (MIM) or Powder Injection Moulding (PIM).

AN IDEAL PARTNER


thE innOVAtiOn MAChinE

SIRIM’s Plant & Machinery Flagship allows clients to leverage the collective knowledge of all of SIRIM’s expertise to build complete manufacturing facilities.

23SIRIMLink 01/2013

I t takes two things to make a product: raw material, and a production process. The first is easy enough to find: malaysia

is rich with natural resources and has a burgeoning processed materials sector that offers all the plastics, chemicals, metals and textiles would-be manufacturers could need. And, even if malaysia does not have these raw materials, they can be imported quite easily provided they are legal. But sourcing raw materials only solves half the problem. The bigger challenge lies in setting up a production process that can put all those things together.

A plant consists of several different machines that perform different tasks. First, there are the manufacturing machines for tasks like punching, moulding, mixing, filling and labelling. And then, there are machines that do more complex processes, such as chemical synthesisers, herbal active ingredient extractors, bioreactors and waste water treatment systems. Again, finding machines that do these things is easy – there are literally hundreds of companies around the world that make these kinds of machines, with varying degrees of capacity and quality. But who do you call if you have a unique product that needs a particularly unique process?

MORE THAN A TECHNOLOGY CONSULTANT

you call sirim, of course. For over three decades, the institution has championed automation and mechanisation among malaysian businesses, acting as consultant, system integrator and – when required – inventor or innovator of new machines for highly specialised tasks that are unavailable on the open market. some examples of these machines include semi-automated looms and tjanting machines for uniquely malaysian textiles such as songket and batek as well as several food processing machines for malaysian delicacies such as kuih makmur, kuih bahulu, curry puffs, dodol, banana chips and many more.

however, sirim’s real advantage lies in developing

machines with strategic applications. For example: malaysia’s oil palm industry disposes of millions of tonnes of palm oil mill effluent (POme) fibre, kernel shells and empty fruit bunches every year. however, much of this waste may be harnessed for other applications, particularly biomass, biomethane and even biodegradable plastics. sirim has taken up the challenge of developing machines and plants that can do all of the above.

“A sirim Flagship coordinates the delivery of sirim’s services across a whole swath of related areas so that we can serve larger projects,” explains Dr wan Abdul rahman, senior Director of the Plant & machinery Flagship. “The whole idea is to come up with integrated solutions for entire industries or national strategic

DR WAN: “Malaysia can save millions of ringgit by producing components locally.”

THE INNOVATION MACHINE


initiatives rather than merely specific tasks or applications.”

in the course of these projects, Dr wan’s team also helps sirim’s researchers identify industry-relevant research opportunities and so give them the direction they need for preparing funding proposals. sirim has expertise and experience in many different areas – from biotechnology to machinery engineering to materials research – and the flagships allow sirim’s clients to leverage the collective knowledge of all these experts rather than in piecemeal fashion.

Of course, sirim’s technology centres continue to undertake the routine jobs that come in every day – these range from simple reverse engineering assignments to the more complicated tasks of determining the suitability of specific microbes for particular bioprocesses. At the flagship level, however, sirim’s business will be driven by projects of national economic importance that involve several technology areas and disciplines. Luckily, PemAnDU has already done most of the hard work in identifying the national economic priorities with the release of the economic Transformation Plan (eTP) and its associated national Key economic Areas (nKeAs). sirim’s flagship efforts are largely directed by these twelve nKeAs, one of which is oil and gas (O&g).

“malaysia would like to start ‘malaysianising’ some parts of its O&g sector,” explains Dr wan. “sirim is not an O&g company, of course, so we don’t offer leading-edge technologies for ultra-advanced O&g applications.

But we can serve malaysian O&g vendors which would like to design and produce their own, made-in-malaysia high-end components. These businesses face significant technology challenges, and that is the gap we aim to fill.”

From sirim’s observation, the vast majority of these

high-end O&g components are currently imported from manufacturers overseas. some of these components may have been designed and tested in different environments and thus may not provide optimal operating performance in malaysia’s oilfields. They are also very, very expensive.

“There are tremendous economic benefits to overcoming the technology challenges for

making these components,” Dr wan says. “malaysia can save millions of ringgit by producing components locally, such as the tubular yT joint sirim designed and fabricated for one of the biggest Lng plants in the world in Bintulu.”

EVERYTHING IN BETWEEN

Another nKeA that has been identified by PemAnDU and which sirim has been heavily involved in recent years is seaweed. specifically, eucheuma seaweed, which is an important source of “carrageenan”: a halal, vegetable-based alternative to gelatine that is used in various foodstuffs, toothpastes and shampoos and cosmetics.

malaysia’s seaweed industry is mainly centred off the coast of semporna in sabah and its surrounding areas. Like the rubber plantations of yore, the seaweed farming industry is a mishmash of big business and small enterprise. some seaweed cultivation plots are owned by large corporations and government agencies, but many hundreds more are owned by smallholders eking out a living for their families. These smallholders do not have the productivity or yield of the bigger players and sometimes have to resort to selling their seaweed crops at artificially low prices. however, given the right tools and technologies, they will be able to enhance the quality of their produce and get a much better deal. The sabah Department of Fisheries has been working hard to put these tools and technologies into the hands of these farmers so as to boost their incomes and standards of living.

SIRIM’s foray into the O&G industry got off to an impressive start last year when it helped Petroclamp Sdn Bhd design and test its proprietary Downhole Controline Protector, the first dual cable protector of its kind in the world and the first controline protector ever designed and patented in Malaysia. Supported by PETRONAS, the company received its first order for the product from O&G giant Schlumberger. The SIRIM and Petroclamp collaboration is now recognised as Malaysia’s first manufacturing-based vendor in the oil and gas industry.

Cou

rtes

yof

Pet

rocl

amp

Sdn

Bhd


25SIRIMLink 01/2013

“we chose seaweed as it is a very high value commodity and because of the potential impact we could have on raising the incomes of rural communities in semporna and Tawau in sabah,” says Dr wan. “Our research also shows that carrageenan is indeed as good a product as the market seems to think – it is one of the most effective all-natural anti-oxidants and whitening agents known to man. The prospects for the industry are very bright.”

sirim’s first area of improvement for smallholders increases efficiency in the planting of seaweed. seaweed farmers traditionally use raffia string to tie seaweed seedstock along the “long-line”: a long nylon rope floated on the water’s surface with empty bottles and anchored to the seabed by hand – a risky underwater process that requires years of practice to master. The rope and raffia string also tend to deteriorate due to the harsh environment at sea, and fibrous fragments of both generally wind up in the seaweed during harvesting six weeks later.

sirim’s innovation to this whole process was to introduce the use of several ingenious devices made of polyamide plastic that is resistant to salt and seawater and able to withstand high outdoor temperatures of up to 150°C. The reusable seahook apparatus attaches seedstock to the long-line without the need for raffia string, while the seaLock provides an easier and more reliable way to attach the rope to anchors. Farmers also used to harvest the seaweed manually by cutting each raffia string attached to the rope with a knife. But with sirim’s seaCut

method, farmers need only pull the rope through a guillotine-like device that harvests the seaweed easily and efficiently. And, since seahooks replace raffia string, there is no more contamination of the harvest with raffia debris.

essentially, sirim plays the role of technology supplier for the whole value chain of the seaweed industry in sabah, and the recommended improvements have all contributed towards accelerating the harvesting process. But before the seaweed can be processed

further, it must be dried. This is one of the most time-consuming parts of the production process, so sirim developed a solar thermal dryer system that could be used in situ to accelerate the process.

“The tools we have designed have not only helped raise the productivity of seaweed farmers there, but have also significantly enhanced the quality of the product,” says Dr wan. “we have also learned a lot about the marine farming business from these projects, and can now offer more

The Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) estimates that the global market for Eucheuma seaweed was worth about USD 1.07 billion in 2011, almost five times more than in 2006. The world’s biggest producers are the Philippines, Tanzania and Indonesia and the small island of Kiribati in the Pacific. Malaysia, South Korea, Japan, Solomon Islands and Fiji Islands are also exporters.



enhanced solutions for other types of crops.”

sirim also has a strong record as a technology partner in the oil palm industry, for which it has developed all kinds of innovations: mesocarp slicers, biomass processors, bioenergy converters and bioplastic processors, among others. One of its biggest current projects is the development of a harvester to accelerate the oil palm fruit bunch harvesting process and reduce the need for manpower.

“malaysia is the clear technology leader for oil palm processing, but the harvesting process itself is still very dependent on manual labour, which raises socioeconomic issues,” says Dr wan. “Labour also poses challenges for plantation owners, as workers are susceptible to emotional and physical stress which can sometimes cripple the estate’s production process.”

A NEW APPROACH TO BUSINESS

One of the biggest advantages to sirim’s new approach to business is its ability to give customers total solutions. naturally, sirim’s biggest customers are government agencies, but it also courts smaller companies which make components or parts for the big boys. These small companies do not have the resources to innovate their own products to compete against foreign-made imports, hence sirim’s role as a technology partner.

sirim’s design and modelling capabilities feature prominently

in projects involving large machines and systems. it is also turning its attention to designing eco-products using digitising technology: computer-aided designing, modelling and engineering tools (CAD/CAm/CAe) and rapid prototyping can significantly enhance the eco-appeal of a product and help it meet green requirements. The team has even designed several intelligent rFiD applications such as an oil palm seed tracking system, parcel tracking system and postal delivery tracking system as well

as embedded systems, electronic gadgets and robotic learning kits.

As mentioned earlier, however, the technology itself is just a small part of the challenge – the bigger and more important obstacle is figuring out how all the pieces fit together. Again, this is where sirim comes in.

“Our plant engineers work with the various scientists and technical experts at the other flagships to give our customers total solutions,” Dr wan explains. “And, if sirim doesn’t have the necessary expertise, we rope in partners

from universities or other research institutions to help us do the job.”

sirim is a very active player in the local science scene and regularly participates in most scientific expositions and conventions, hauling in dozens of innovation awards in the process. Unfortunately, science conventions are not very fertile grounds for drumming up business. Although they no doubt have many geniuses in various guises, these gatherings are a poor place to research actual industry needs. Domain experts may know all there is to know about specific technology areas, but they rarely notice how their technology areas interact with other technology areas. All they do is discover new materials, microbes and processes. it is up to businesses to decide what to do with these discoveries.

sirim would like to change this passive, “let-them-come-to-us” attitude. instead of winning awards and then waiting for clients to initiate ideas for developing a particular product or process, sirim wants to be able to identify their needs first and then come up with solutions for them. By anticipating the needs of industry, the logic goes, sirim will be able to deliver much more complete solutions. sirim wants to learn about industry issues first hand, so don’t be surprised to find experts from sirim’s Plant and machinery flagship at the next business forum you attend.

“To bridge the knowledge gap, we send our people for training to ensure they understand the unique technical requirements and standards within target industries,” explains Dr wan. “Our new

“Malaysia is the clear technology

leader for oil palm processing, but the harvesting process itself is still very dependent on

manual labour.”


27SIRIMLink 01/2013

‘outreach’ system helps us become the business initiator, instead of the waiting for clients to do so.”

Armed with that knowledge, Dr wan and his team are then able to come up with comprehensive proposals to solve the biggest concerns of businesses. he cites the example of the filament winding machine sirim developed a few years ago, which is used for winding carbon fibres around cylindrical steel goods.

“There are some simple filament winding machines available on the global market, but the more sophisticated ones are under strict export controls,” explains Dr wan. “But malaysia needs filament winding machines for manufacturing fibre-reinforced

pressure vessels – without them, we will have to continue buying such pressure vessels from overseas.”

Another example of sirim’s strategic role to the country’s businesses is in the halal industry. malaysia’s ambition to be a halal hub can only be realised if the country has the necessary technologies and expertise to establish certified halal and gmP facilities. Up until now, sirim has mostly concerned itself with the halal and gmP needs of small food manufacturers, but it would like to expand its capabilities to include more complex products such as cosmeceuticals and herbal preparations.

halal requirements may also be complemented by gmP

requirements, further boosting a company’s ability to serve the global halal market estimated to be worth UsD 12 billion per year. Once the facility is ready for business, the company can get an accredited certification body such as sirim QAs international to certify that it meets the stated requirements. The most popular standards for such facilities right now are the ms 1500 halal Food standard and ms 1514 malaysian standard on gmP.

“we aren’t just talking about building machines anymore, but entire facilities,” says Dr wan. “A good plant optimises every step of the production process, from farming to final packaging. with sirim, businesses have a much better chance of succeeding.”

Malaysia needs filament winding machines for manufacturing fibre-reinforced pressure vessels.



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ADVERTISEMENT RATES 2012 (MYR)

Full ColourNumber of Insertions

1 2 3 4ROP 3,500 3,000 2,500 2,000Back Cover (A4) 5,000 4,500 4,000 3,500Inside Front Cover (A4) 4,500 4,000 3,500 3,000Inside Back Cover (A4) 4,000 3,500 3,000 2,500Specified Positions (A4) 4,000 3,500 3,000 2,500Half Page Specified Positions 3,000 2,500 2,000 1,500Half Page Specified ROP 2,500 2,000 1,500 1,000

Send all advertisement bookings and other enquiries to:

Corporate Communications Section, Group Corporate Affairs Department, SIRIM Berhad1, Persiaran Dato’ Menteri, Section 2, P.O. Box 7035,

40700 Shah Alam, Selangor, MALAYSIA.Tel: +6 03 5544 6770 | Fax: +6 03 5544 6745 | Email: [email protected]

AdvertiSement Booking Form

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SIRIMLink, Issue #2, 2013

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