Strengthening Stakeholder’s Engagement

            Strengthening Stakeholder’s Engagement

 

 

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  On 18 February 2022, the Research and Development Center, ASCOM, PA, headed by its Director, COL FERDINAND D ESCALANTE OS (GSC) PA, conducted collaborative meetings with various Department of Science and Technology (DOST) agencies such as the DOST-MIRDC and DOST-PTRI.

 

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           The Advanced Manufacturing Center (AMCen), DOST - Metals Industry Research and Development Center (MIRDC) is the project partner of RDC in the materiel development of Improvised Explosive Device (IED) Disruptor through a contract research project arrangement. This Center first collaborated with AMCen in March 2020 for the development of a conical plastic container and packaging box as components for the IED Disruptor using additive manufacturing (AM) or 3D printing technology. The use of 3D printing will standardize its fabrication that will give the Philippine Army a standard design and specifications for IED Disruptor that can be included in the PA inventory to be used by EOD Battalions to contain an IED by disrupting its circuitry. Engineering Test was initially conducted on 21 to 22 December 2020 to the first five (5) sets delivered to RDC wherein the prototypes were found compliant to the required specifications except for the evidence of leakage during the leak test. In terms of performance or functionality, all prototypes were able to disrupt the circuitry of the IEDs. Fabrication of additional 20 sets of conical plastic container and packaging box were coordinated with AMCen, considering the comments and suggestions of the end-user for incorporation on the design. However, several observations were made by Materiel Development Division (MDD), RDC Technical Personnel on the delivered conical plastic container and packaging box delivered by AMCen on 09 September 2021. Consequently, RDC visited AMCen on 18 February 2022 to discuss the improvement of the items through a Contract Research Proposal and a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) with the said office as a joint new project.

              Aside from the conduct of materiel development of IED Disruptor, RDC is likewise conducting study to determine the factors affecting the uniformity of the appearance and color of the PHILARPAT Battle Dress Uniform (BDU). This Unit initiated collaboration with DOST-Philippine Textile Research Institute (PTRI) where RDC initially conducted consultative meeting via VTC on 20 January 2022 with Ms Donna Uldo, Technical Manager, Chemical Testing Laboratory, DOST-PTRI to discuss textile properties, dyeing, digital printing as well as the conduct of color difference test. Also, PHILARPAT BDU samples were submitted to DOST-PTRI on 26 January 2022 for analysis specifically on color difference and to gather other significant data that are relevant to the study. On 18 February 2022, the RDC Team led by COL ESCALANTE had a visit to DOST-PTRI headed by Director Celia B Elumba and with her were other DOST-PTRI personnel to further discuss the scientific approach of the study on PHILARPAT BDU. Director Elumba made several recommendations for the study for consideration in this collaboration of DOST-PTRI and RDC, ASCOM. To date, RDC forwarded requests to higher Headquarters to support various activities required to the completion of the study on PHILARPAT BDU.