FPRDI’s moisture meter to aid furniture and handicraft industries

Business Mirror, Philippines
Science
The country’s furniture and handicrafts industries have a new tool to help them make better products: an affordable, easy-to-use, locally made digital wood-moisture meter from the Department of Science and Technology’s Forest Products Research and Development Institute (DOST-FPRDI).

FPRDI’s Dr. Marina Alipon said, “We designed the wood-moisture meter especially for small players in the furniture and handicrafts sector. We wanted something to replace the imported and costly wood-moisture meters in the market. These [imported] meters were not made to read local wood species and have to be recalibrated first before they can give accurate readings. This is expensive and takes time. Our [FPRDI’s] version, on the other hand, was made expressly for local wood species.”

In the wood-based furniture and handicrafts business, the quality of finished products depends a lot on the moisture content of the materials used.

Dr. Alipon explained, “The lumber of wood products bound for temperate countries must be dried to the moisture content prevailing in their intended place of use. Otherwise, the wood will tend to distort, shrink or crack while in service, needing very expensive repair jobs.

“By providing our exporters with an efficient, affordable meter, we help them monitor their raw material’s moisture content. They do not have to guess, they can confidently claim that their products have met the required moisture-content standards. Quality products improve their firms’ reputation, encourage repeat orders and result in referrals from satisfied buyers.”

The FPRDI wood-moisture meter is an improved version of an analog meter developed in 2001. Twenty-five units of the analog meter were fabricated and are now being used in furniture and handicraft firms nationwide.

According to FPRDI Director Florence Soriano, “We hope our wood-moisture meter helps small and medium enterprises [SMEs] in the furniture and handicraft sector compete better in the export market as they are a major backbone of the economy.”

The country’s 15,000 furniture companies give jobs to 481,500 direct workers and 300,000 subcontractors. Most of these are SMEs. Almost all our basket-makers are also SMEs, employing 4,000 direct and 1 million indirect workers.

Developed with the help of the DOST’s Advanced Science and Technology Institute and the Philippine Council for Advanced Science and Technology Research and Development, the FPRDI’s digital wood-moisture meter costs only P4,950.

Interested parties may contact Dr. Alipon at tel. nos. (049)536-2360/2377; 0906-4368232 or through fprdi@laguna.net. FPRDI is on Narra Road, Forestry Campus, College, Laguna.