THE INGENUITY and resourcefulness of the Filipinos resulted in the production of the “first-ever” diesel engine in the country.
Yes! We can now manufacture our own diesel engine without relying on the importation of engines made by other countries.
This welcome development came after the Metal Industry Research and Development Center of the Department of Science and Technology (DOST-MIRDC) partnered with Supercast Foundry and Machinery Corporation (SFMC), in collaboration with the Bacolod City-based R.U. Foundry and Machine Shop Corporation (RUFMSC).
The “first” locally-made diesel engine is a 12-horsepower single-cylinder type – strong and reliable enough to be used on different agricultural machinery.
The engine is expected to be utilized to provide the required power to propel and/or operate different agricultural machinery and equipment, which can hasten implementation of the Farm Mechanization Program of the government.
Truly, the engine is the output of the ingenuity of the Filipinos which can directly benefit the Filipino farmers.
The locally-made engine is expected to be unveiled and displayed to the public during the conduct of the Regional Science and Technology Week (RSTW) which will be held at the vast Iloilo Convention Center in Mandurriao, Iloilo City which will run from Oct. 21 to 22, 2019.
Initially, the locally-produced diesel engine was mounted on a RU Shredder which was made by the RUFMSC in order to test and evaluate the motor’s capacity, endurance, and power output.
The MIRDC, an agency of the DOST, is the only government entity which is directly supporting the metals and engineering industry in the country with services designed to enhance its competitive advantage.
While the SFMC is an advanced metal casting plant designed to produce world-class products with materials ranging from ferrous to non-ferrous alloys, which aims to serve the casting needs of the cement, mining, construction, sugar industries, aggregates, transportation, automotive, and other allied industries through its line and jobbing capabilities.
On the other hand, RUFMSC caters to the casting, machining, and fabricating demands and requirements of the sugar industry, cement/mining factories, as well as agro-industrial companies in the Philippines.
It also assists the country’s sugar industry in the development of local substitute for high-value imported products, with full support provided by the MIRDC.
Its flagship product is the RU Shredder which is a versatile agricultural and industrial equipment specifically designed to accelerate and hasten the decomposition of organic waste, greens, and other biodegradable materials.
Surely, having a facility in the Philippines to produce locally-made engines can be advantageous to the local economy, including the opportunity to help generate jobs for Filipinos.
It was learned that the realization to produce the “first-ever” diesel engine was a product of cooperation led by the leading manufacturers in the country, where the MIRDC tapped the resources of the SFMC, in collaboration with the RUFMSC.
Majority of the parts used to manufacture the engine came from local manufacturers, and only few came from abroad.
But the MIRDC emphasized that all the components needed to produce an engine will soon be manufactured in the country. (jaypeeyap@ymail.com/PN)
