A lathe that can make bamboo stems into thin sheets or veneer for the production of furniture and handicraft has been developed by engineers of the Los Baños-based DOST-Forest Products Research and Development Institute (FPRDI).
Those who crafted the machine were Belen Bisana (project leader), Dante Pulmano, Felix Tamolang, Carolyne Marie Garcia, and Elizabeth Dioso. The project was funded by the DOST-Philippine Council for Industry and Energy Research and Development (PCIERD).
Usually, machines for making veneers are imported and are used in making table tops, panels, floor tiles, and handicraft.
Now comes the award-winning, FPRDI-designed machine that can produce beneers of seven thickness levels (from 0.5 to 2 millimeters), enabling businessmen to use it in making various exportable products.
FPRDI, under the leadership of Director Florence Sorian, simplified the design of an old lathe and made it less costly and more versatile.
Furniture makers in Angeles City (Pampanga) and Iloilo City have rate the lathe’s technical viability as "very good to excellent" and its cost "affordable to expensive."
The AWEGA Group of Companies in Angeles City now use the FPRDI lathe to produce bamboo veneers for table tops it exports to Europe. – RAF