| The
broad-based activities of the PCSIR
encompass almost the entire industrial sector in the
country; for the industrial units in operation have their
ground-work in science and technology in which the PCSIR
is both prominent and all too visible an organization on
the national plan. The PCSIR being the foremost industrial
R & D organization is the largest producer of
indigenous technologies in an organized fashion. The R
& D projects of the PCSIR fall into two major
categories: |
 |
Those that are sponsored or are user liked. |
|
Those for which a user is likely to be available but has to be found out. |
| Evaluation
of Locally Available Raw Materials |
| Pakistan
is replete with respect to natural resources and their
exploitation should have been the top priority in the
process of industrialization of the country but instead of
using local materials, a consumer industry based on
imported raw materials was largely established.
PCSIR's
main thrust in the starting years was to investigate the
physico-chemical composition of the locally available raw
materials and to find out their possible utilization. Out
of the large number of research publications (over 4000)
that PCSIR produced during the period, 70 percent relates
to the evaluation of local materials. The data thus
generated is the single most important contribution of the
PCSIR, which no other organization in the country can
claim. It is available in the form of research papers,
technical bulletins, brochures and reports, etc. It covers
the areas from minerals, ores, clays, forest produced
herbs, plants to marine and animal wastes. PCSIR can
undertake survey and evaluation studies of raw materials
and products on behalf of the industry. |
| Process
and Product Development |
| The
Scientists and Technologists of PCSIR developed 684
industrial processes and products and 350 numbers of
patents, mostly based on the locally available raw
materials. Out of these nearly 400 processes have
commercially been exploited on industrial scale. It has
also executed around 50 Annual Development Programme (ADP)
projects, which were mainly pilot plant studies, based on
the data generated on the laboratory level. |
| Investigative
Analysis and Import substitution |
| A
large number of formulated products are being imported at
exorbitant rates resulting in the expenditure of costly
foreign exchange by the textile, leather, pharmaceutical,
cosmetics, household chemicals, food additives and
consumer products industries in the form of emulsions,
surfactants, resins, adhesives, plastic parts, perfumes,
flavors and other chemical and non-chemical products. Most
of these items are imported under brand names. The
expertise and technical manpower available in the PCSIR
have been able to decode and analyses over 2000 of these
products and helped the local SME's in the development of
import-substituted materials. |
| Analytical
and Testing Services |
| PCSIR
is capable of undertaking large number of tests of raw
materials and industrial products and can provide
physical, chemical, chromatographic and spectroscopic
analytical services in the diversified fields.
It
has the requisite highly qualified, trained and
experienced resource manpower not available which is in
any other organisation of the country.
It
has the necessary infrastructure in terms of quality
control, equipment and analytical instruments and
laboratories.
It
has the capability to investigate, improve and introduce
latest methodology of testing and quality control in the
production and application.
PCSIR
at present is serving over 4000 SME's / clients all over
the country annually in quality control, analytical and
testing area. |
| Quality
Control Services to the Exporters |
| The
major exports of Pakistan are textile, leather, food,
sports and surgical goods and products, which are based on
locally available raw materials. The exports are
essentially made to western European countries, America
and Japan. These countries are becoming more quality
conscious and introducing various parameters and checks to
monitor the quality of the imported products. ISO 9000, 14000
and 17025 etc standards are being brought in to monitor
the desired quality. Pakistan has faced much competition
in the region for exports and in order to remain
competitive there is a need to educate, support and
provide technical and quality control services to the
producers and exporters of goods.
PCSIR
is doing its best to extend these services to the
exporters. Textile and leather exportable items are
examined for forbidden dyes, PCP, formaldehyde, heavy
metals, pesticides and fungicides and most of other
undesirable chemicals on the request of the exporters and
issuing analytical reports / certificates which are being
accepted in Europe and elsewhere. PCSIR has developed
credibility for these test reports. Similarly food items
being exported by Nestle and others are being tested for
their microbial contamination and shelf life. Exporters of
surgical goods, and sports goods are also getting
technical and analytical help from PCSIR. Under the
supervision of EPB and technical guidance of Mineral and
Metallurgy Research Centre of PCSIR, a Material Testing
Laboratory has been established at Sialkot to Cater to the
needs of the exporters of that area and PCSIR is imparting
training to the technical staff posted in M T Labs Sialkot. |
| Services
to Government Departments and NGOs |
| Various
Government departments such as Customs, Excise, Police,
Administration, Health and NGO's avail the analytical
testing and advisory services of PCSIR in resolving
disputes, fake and genuine products categorization
investigative matters, narcotics, screening of medicines
for steroids, etc. |
| Help
in Crisis Situations |
| Due
to the availability of diverse expertise and extensive
laboratory infrastructure, PCSIR enjoy the status of focal
point in the crisis situations and its scientific and
technical staff are always ready to extend to the local
Administration the technical help to solve the problems
and ameliorate the situation. The major areas where PCSIR
has significant contributions are: |
|
Trouble
shooting problems of the industry |
|
Fire
accidents |
|
Poisonous
gases leakage |
|
Explosions |
| Environment
and Pollution Control |
| The
expertise available in PCSIR in the field of Environment
and Pollution Control is not only training of its own
S&T staff in the assessment, monitoring and control
systems of air, water and soil pollution but is also
helping the local industry for self-monitoring and impact
assessments. It is also helping the Ministry of
Environment, Local Government and Rural Development,
Planning Division, Ministry of Industries in framing and
implementing National Environment Quality Standards (NEQS)
of air, water, industrial liquid and solid effluents and
gasses emissions. PCSIR is also assisting the local
industry in acquisition, modification of existing plants,
handling of hazardous wastes, treatment of effluents,
control of emissions, etc. for environmentally clean and
safe productions. PCSIR laboratories have already been
recommended by the EPA as environmental laboratories to
carry out testing of environment samples. PCSIR
scientists/technologists are helping Ministry of
Environment to prepare, organize and execute training
programmes in the field of environment monitoring and
assessment. |
| ISO
- 9000/14000 Certification |
| On
the introduction of the ISO-9000 series of the standards,
the specified quality of the products has become a vital
issue for all the companies of the country to conduct
their business according to the requirements of applicable
standards.
In
Pakistan PCSIR is the only organization, which is capable
of doing quality management work successfully as it has
all desired facilities available within its premises in
each of the province of the country. PCSIR has over one
hundred different types of latest equipments and highly
trained manpower to test and evaluate a factory's raw
materials, in process inventories, finished products and
the packed products which are to be marketed. The manpower
of PCSIR is also capable of doing the Environmental Impact
Assessment studies in and around the vicinity, a plant is
operating.
The
scientists of PCSIR are well aware of the ISO-9000,
ISO-14000 and WTO requirements which have introduced new
world order for improving the quality of products,
services and management systems of the organizations. In
this context, PCSIR plan to get ISO-9000 certification and
accreditation against ISO-17025. In the very recently
under a joint project of MOST & M/O Commerce. Some 500
industries have been examined by PCSIR scientists for the
certification and about 250 industries have
adopted/received certification for ISO 9000 under the
programme. An Incentive grant of Rs. 200,000/- has also
been provided to each successful client upon recommend
actions of PCSIR. |
| Workshops,
Seminars & Training Programmes |
| PCSIR
arranges seminars, workshops and training porogrammes in
the specialized fields for the senior technical staff of
the industry in order to update the knowledge of
industrial workers and to teach the modern techniques,
skills and latest methods for improving the quality and
standards of their industrial products. Some of the
workshops and training courses held in PCSIR which were
well attended and greatly appreciated by the relevant
industry included: |
|
"Cathode
Protection Techniques" for solving corrosion problems
in the industry. |
|
New
Techniques in Metalography. |
|
Technical
training on ore beneficiation to the staff working at the
Saindak copper ore project. |
|
129
Technical Managers, Quality Control Managers, Calibration
Managers received training in three batches in the
sophisticated field of Metrology and Calibration. |
|
Various
training programmes were held in leather processing,
leather finishing, and quality control for the employees
of the leather industry. |
|
Workshop
on "Essential Oils, perfumes and Flavors" was
held for the benefit of Cosmetics toiletries, flavors,
perfumes household chemical manufactures. |
|
Workshop
on "food Preservation" was held for the food and
beverage industry. |
|
Training
programme in "Cereal Technology and mycotoxins"
for the RCD countries. |
|
Workshop
on "Oilseed Expelling Systems" for the Expeller
manufacturers. |
|
Seminar
on "Synthetic Dyes and Intermediate Chemicals"
for the local dye industry |
| Pre-Fesibility,
Feasibility & Techno-Economic Studies |
| PCSIR
has experienced and trained scientific and technical
manpower to undertake these studies on behalf of the
industry. A number of technical reports and
pre-feasibility studies has been executed by PCSIR on the
request of the local industry, Government agencies such as
PUNJMIN, RDC, NDFC, SDA, BDA for survey, evaluation,
upgrading of raw materials required and projects based on
the locally available raw materials. |
| Rural
Support Technologies |
| PCSIR
has developed a number of technologies for the uplift of
the rural areas of the country including: |
|
Improved
and modified village level sugarcane crusher developed
under US AID programme. |
|
Modified
Oil Seed Expeller developed under IDRC, Canada funded
project. |
|
Development
of erucic acid and glucocinolate-free rapeseeds
(crucifers) under PL-480 project. |
|
Bench
Mark of Sugar Recovery from sugarcane for the farmers,
project funded by MINFAL, Government of Pakistan. |
|
Seed
Decorticating Machine. |
|
Nut
Cracking Machine - hand operated as well as power operated
for Agha Khan rural support programme. |
|
Potable
water technology. |
|
Carpet
making machine. |
|
Household
disinfectants. |
|
Preservation
of vegetables and Fruits Technologies.
|
| Major
Fields Developed |
| The
following are some of the major fields of R&D where
necessary expertise, trained and experienced scientific
and technical manpower and infrastructure of labs and
equipment has been established which can cater to the
needs of the local industry. |
| Applied
Chemistry / Industrial Chemistry |
|
Pharmaceutical
and fine chemicals |
|
Textile
Dyes and Pigments |
|
Textile,
Sugar and Paper Chemicals |
|
Polymers
and Plastics |
|
Cosmetics
and Household Chemicals |
|
From
Plants and Herbs |
|
Industrial
Essential Oils |
|
Oils,
Fats, Soaps and Detergents |
|
Leather
Chemicals |
|
Medicinal Water Conditioning |
|
Pesticides
and Insecticides |
|
Inorganic
and Industrial Chemicals |
|
Phytochemicals |
|
Narcotic
Testing Kits |
|
Medical
Diagnostic Kits |
|
Fillers
for Rubber and Plastic Products |
|
Petroleum
Products |
| Biotechnology,
Food Technology and Fermentation |
|
Preservation
of Food Materials especially through Dehydration of
Vegetables and Fruits |
|
Synthetic
beverage concentrates |
|
Vinegar
from molasses, apples, dates, etc. |
|
Commercial
food sauces |
|
Bating
agent for tanneries |
|
Mushroom
production. |
|
Fortified
breads |
|
Meat
and meat products. |
|
Ice
cream mixes. |
|
Pickles,
jams, jellies and sweets. |
|
Baby
foods, low calorie and high energy food supplements |
|
Milk
and milk products |
|
Food
additives and preservatives |
|
Microbial
enzymes |
|
Animal
and poultry formulated feeds |
|
Soya
bean meat and related products |
| Minerals
and Metallurgy |
|
Mineralogy
and geochemistry |
|
Mineral
processing / ore beneficiation. |
|
Pyrometallurgy |
|
Hydrometallurgy |
|
Electrometallurgy |
|
Physical
metallurgy |
|
Foundry
technology |
|
Corrosion
and protection |
|
Development
of brighteners and electroplating chemicals |
|
Heat
treatment salt compositions |
|
Evaluation
of foundry sands moldings, silicates, bentonites and
bonded sands |
|
Graphite
crucibles |
|
Minerals
based chemicals |
| Glass
and Ceramics |
|
Utilization
of industrial minerals |
|
Development
of all types of Alumino-silicate, magnesite, chrome,
chrome-magnesite and fire clay insulating refractories and
evaluation of their raw materials. |
|
Soda-lime
silica glass products such as container glasses, signal
glasses and dome glasses. |
|
Rapid
hardening cements |
|
Beneficiation
of glass sands |
|
Acid
proof cement tiles and bricks |
|
Frits
and enamels including acid resistant |
|
Low
temperature and high temperature glazes for earthenware,
stoneware and porcelain |
|
Pyrometric
cones |
|
Grinding
wheals, rubbing bricks and horning sticks |
|
High
quality glass sands |
|
Ceramic
clays |
|
High
rupture capacity (HRC) fuses |
| Applied
Biology & Marine Resources |
|
Aflatoxins
and mycotoxins in edible materials |
|
Nematode-free
nursery and nematicides from natural sources |
|
Biofertilizers
from marine sources |
|
Fish
culture technology |
|
Biopesticides
and insecticides |
|
Preservation
of fish, shrimps, etc., |
|
Marinated,
fermented and spiced products from fish, shrimps and
shellfish |
|
Fish
protein concentrate |
|
Micro-nutrient
frits |
| Fuel
and Energy |
|
Smokeless
coal briquettes |
|
Biogas generation from animal
and agriculture wastes |
|
Carbonization
of coals and related materials |
|
Easily
ignitable briquettes |
|
Humic
acids from coal |
|
Gel
fuels |
|
Smokeless
stove technology |
| Applied
Physics and Instrumentation |
|
Design
and development of laboratory instruments: |
|
pH
meters, electrophoresis apparatus deioniser units,
temperature and humidity controllers, water baths,
hot-plate magnetic stirrers, ovens, heating mantles,
rotary evaporators, melting point apparatus, crucible and
muffle furnaces, orbital shaker. |
|
Technical
assistance for product development and design optimization
of electrical goods. |
|
Test
and performance evaluation of electrical goods for
standardization. |
|
Training
of industrial technical manpower. |
|
Repair
and maintenance of laboratory equipment. |
| Leather
Technology |
|
Bacterial
bating agents. |
|
Industrial
leather processing technology. |
|
Processes
for garment leather, shoe upper, sole leather, etc. |
|
Leather
auxiliaries and chemicals. |
| Environment
& Pollution Control |
|
Industrial
effluents. |
|
Air,
water and land pollution control measures. |
|
Wastes
characterization and treatments. |
|
Monitoring
methodologies on air, water, soil and hazardous wastes. |
|
Environmental
management and auditing. |
|
Environment
impact assessment and environment impact statements. |
|
Laboratory
back up for the assessment of emissions and particulate
matter |
| Solar
Technology |
|
Development
of equipment and appliances based on solar energy such as
solar water heaters, solar space heating and cooling,
solar stills for desalination of saline waters, solar
photovoltaic systems. xi. Rural Development Technologies |
|
Improved
sugarcane crusher. |
|
Improved
and modified oil expeller. |
|
Carpet
making machine. |
|
Nut
cracking machine. |
|
Decorticating
machine for oils seeds. |
|
Rice
bran utilization |
|
Water
conditioning for drinking. |
|
Fruit
drying and preservation |
| Standards
and Metrology |
| Maintaining
primary, secondary & working standards of based &
derived quantities including linear, dimensional and angle
measurements, surface measurements, mass, volumes, density
measurements, electricity, time, frequency, magnetism
pyrometry, temperature, pressure, hardness, refractive
index, pH and conductivity measurements.
Calibration
of industrial and laboratories equipments. |
| Engineering |
| Design
and development of precision machines and machine tools,
jigs, moulds, dies and spare parts of high precision.
Production
of components of satellites.
Machining,
drilling, sizing machine components on CNC machine.
Designing and fabrication of pilot plants, reaction
vessels, shakers, vacuum dryers, filtration equipment,
etc. |
