The FRIM Timber Design Unit researchers, led by Dr Hamdan Husain, received the gold award for the invention of GFR-V Composite, an engineered wood product that can be used for furniture as well as building components.
The aim of the invention is to reduce the use of raw material, yet offering something similar to timber product, using fiberglass as reinforcement to thin layers of wood veneer. Compared to other engineered products, GFR-V Composite saves about 50% of the raw material apart from being light, strong and could delay heat transfer.
The three silver awards went to Dr Aminah Hamzah for low technology non-mist propagation system for large-scale propagation of kacip fatima (Labisia pumilla); the group led by Dr Mohd Khairun Anwar Uyup for phenolic treated plybamboo and group led by Dr Wan Tarmeze Wan Ariffin for POPScrim™–Parallel Oil Palm Scrim Lumber.
The inventions receiving the bronze awards were the development of Essentia™–Herbal care products from Malaysian biofunctional plant ingredients; internal bond glue sample aligner; Kenaf OSB; FRIENDS™–Friendly environment for expertise networking and document sharing; and ScrimBAM™–Engineered lumber from crushed and dismantled bamboo strands.
FRIM Director-General Dato’ Dr Abd. Latif Mohmod presented incentives in the form of RM1,000, RM500 and RM250 to the winners of the gold, silver and bronze awards respectively at the FRIM assembly on 27 February.
