ASTM F 1980 - 16 a summary

 

What exactly is the America Standard for Test and Measurement and why manufacturers need to test according to this and some other standard ? 

The America Standard for Test and Measurement is a standard for the manufacturers who wish to access US marketplace for their products. Products need to be tested according to stringent test conditions ranging from temperature, humidity, transport conditions, aircraft conditions and a whole host of other conditions to either 

- simulate

- stimulate 

the conditions in which the products are being subjected to, during their shelf life or the expected life of product.

The ASTM F 1980 - 16 focusses on Sterile Barrier mainly meant for the Biomedical or Biotech manufacturers. It states that the products must be subjected to ACCELERATED AGING and then sent back to the factory for assessment on product degradation and efficacy compromisation.

> In a nutshell

1. Products must be subjected to temperatures higher that what the operating shelf life of        the product is expected to be. So it is typical to assume that the products should be stored in temperatures normally (in most tropical and temperate) between 20 to 30 C.

2. There is a formula associated with the accelerated aging but I wont go into the fine details.  However, it follows the Arrhenius assumption that for every 10 C rise in temperature setting, the shelf life can shorten by half. There is an Accelerated Aging factor normally set at 2. The formula is a logarithmic function and to the power of the difference between the set temperature in the oven less the actual shelf life temperature divided by 10.

= Shelf life is 3 years 25 C for 36 months, setting in hot oven at 35 C is equal to 18 months,         45 C is 9 months and 55 C is 4.5 months 

= Shelf life is 5 years 25 C for 60 months, setting in hot oven at 35 C is equal to 30 months,         45 C is 15 months and 55 C is 7.5 months

Humidity setting is typically set in the region of 50 to 60%.

If you require more information, please drop me an email at 

mark@qra.com.sg

or go to 

www.qra.com.sg 

for more details.

We would love to hear from you. 

Digital Marketing with AI just changed the rules of the game.

This post is very important in this day and age. Let me share my own personal experience with my blog readers.Some years ago I attended the course called Business and Digital Transformation at the Singapore Management University. Over the course of roughly 1 year, I took in new concepts, bold and transformative ONLY if I firstly accepted 2 things :

a) The way I was managing my business was so last century and would only go downhill if I did not change my mindset about the shifting sands and paradigm shifts moving so fast in the global industry - let alone my small niche.  I had to firstly understand the industries in which my business was operating, which were its strengths and weaknesses, try to shore up the weakness and boost the strengths - all with the very limited budget - and go from there. Fortunately I managed to see through all the noise, and formulate the Vision 2030 which is what I have posted up on the top of this post.

b) After accepting that the problem was ME, I could then use all the tools at my disposal to craft a very cogent and clear message to the marketplace - in 2020. That was 5 years ago.

How so ? 

Well firstly the very fine instructors advised me to take advantage of all the social media platforms. Set up business accounts in as many of them as possible. Write stories of engagement, small successes, videos, services, products, new developments, new techniques and standards, customer reviews EVERY SINGLE DAY. 

The change was not easy, but slowly I set up accounts in all of the following social media platforms

a) Blogspot (this is my personal one which now also posts business related content)

b) Facebook 

c) Linked In

d) Youtube

e) Instagram

f) Google Ads

g) Website.

I engaged SEO specialists to push up key phrases and words. This was done over a year ago.

Then I employed an AI agent to craft me a marketing strategy to further boost up the company's presence and footprint. 

The results came slowly. Enquiries were few and far between.

Now it is moving and growing

Its a work in progress. There will be no end sight, just continual tweaking, boosting, and reviewing the data through the many data points in the platforms which have empowered the business owner to take full control of his marketing presence. It is no longer about how big you are in terms of revenue, profits, company size and resources. 

It is and will always be about CONTENT and what your company or organization will bring to the table to ADD VALUE to your customer's products and services. 

With this leg up, there is NO NEED to hire vast numbers of sales and marketing staff or account managers. It can all be handled by ME. The cost savings is tremendous.

Have a great day folks. 

Dining by the Chao Phraya River - Tom Yam Koong, Fried Marble Goby and Fish Maw .

 

                              2 types of Tom Yam soup ; the milky Tom Yam and the Red Spicy Tom Yam ; 

                                                       both equally dangerously hot !

This is a repost from a post I wrote all the way back in November 2009, I hope you find this interesting... 

During a 3 day trip to Thailand last week, I was invited by some customers to have a lunch by the Chao Phya river near Ayutthaya. This is one of the highlights of my business trip whereby deals have to be negotiated and discussions take place every day. The lunch location was on a boat moored along the banks of the Chao Phaya river in Ayutthaya which runs for hundreds of km down all the way to Bangkok.

Without much hesitation I accepted.  I was treated to a lovely 'feast' for the senses ; taste, smell, sound, and of course sight. We ordered several dishes and I list them below :

- fish maw

- fried marble goby fish

- fresh water prawn with vegetables 

- Tom Yam Milky (Goong)

- Tom Yam Red   (Goong)

Both Tom Yam  were equally dangerously spicy hot and able to cause 'fire breath' if one is not careful. They were served steamboat style with charcoal fire underneath to keep the soup warm.

Fried Mish Maw with Nuts and Fried Goby Fish

My 2 favourites were the fish maw and the fried goby which were crispy and tasty. Our customers from Western Digital were usual patrons of the place and we could have the 'WD' discount much to my delight.

To find the place requires some local knowledge as there are no visible signs or they were written in Thai. It was obviously a favourite with the people living and working in the area as well as with the expatriates. 

Half submerged walkway to the Boat Restaurant

To reach the restaurant, we had to negotiate 2 'landmarks', walk past. a dishevelled looking Shar Pei dog who looks abit like Winston Churchill (!) and cross a half-submerged walkway (see picture above) to reach the Boat Restaurant. It is actually an old barge converted to a dining place and the food is cooked over in the kitchen on dry land while the diners eat over the water's edge.

I wonder if during the rainy and flooding period whether it would be possible to walk from land to boat ? 

Entrance to the Boat Restaurant - you can see the middle section with some planks

Its quite fun watching the barges and the speedboats (ala James Bond) ply the Chao Phya river to Bangkok and taking in the sights of the ferry which passes by every 10 minutes. On top of that, the river is teeming with fishes which give me the sneaky feeling that some of these fishes are fed for the purposes of being on the dining table later !

10 Baht (S$ 0.40) to get across the Chao Phya river

Friends and Citizens - time to upgrade ourselves for the AI era

 

This post is a wakeup call for me and my cohort from the Baby Boomers (1965 to 1980), if we are still gainfully employed and still want to remain relevant in today's AI economy, I suggest attending courses from the 8 below. It is so critical to remain relevant and at least conversant of what is coming our way in the next 5 to 10 years.

1. Generative AI *

2. Data Analytics  *

3. Cybersecurity

4.Data Science and AI

5.UI / UX Design

6. Digital marketing and SEO  *

7. Blockchain and Cryptocurrency  *

8. Advanced Data Analytics.

I truly want to attend at least 2 to perhaps 3 of these courses which are supported by our SkillsFuture grant from the Government of Singapore.

There is absolutely no time to waste. 

  

QRA's new business in new industries - crucial decisions made a decade ago.

Service installation at an explosion proof factory floor. 

This is the second of 2 parts, the first was in the previous blog post. My company QRA INTERNATIONAL has been around for 22 years and we started with the intent of supplying top quality equipment from a world renowned brand based in Europe to customers based in South East Asia.

This was when the concept of western brands were considered superior to the Asian brands (read Japan China and South Korea). However around 2011, we were unceremoniously disengaged from representing this brand and I took the crucial decision to do 3 things over the span of less than 10 years.

QRA Stability Chamber Singapore brand and country of origin China

a) Look East 

  We sought and signed up agencies with Chinese and S Korean brands

b) Provide bureau services 

 We own 2 test laboratories that continue to do well. We focus and grow into new and more exciting industries for the next 20 - 30 years. I cannot specify which industries, but we are already 10 years ahead of the competitors.

The traditional businesses of general electronics, semiconductors, industrial combustion engine automotive manufacturing are all struggling. Some examples such as Delphi, Continental UTAC and Micron have downsized and moved out a substantive part of their business.

We also provide technical services to many MNCs on a regular basis, this is one of our mainstays why we continue to be around to serve our clients in as many as 10 different industries.

    

                                     Repair of Compressor Unit at our Lab in Toh Guan 

c) Focus on Long Term Industries of the Future. 

Again as I stated above, the exciting industries are already here in Singapore and the region.It doesn't take a rocket scientist to find out what will be around for the next 20 - 30 years. Just look at the mega trends which will not change.

> People are living longer and healthier now for up to 3 decades than when the life expectancy was first used as a metric of quality of life for countries (it was around 70 in the 1970s for Singapore). Hence, the below 4 industries will continue their onward march and growth exponentially as researchers seek cures for life threatening cancer, diabetes, heart disease and stroke. The less dangerous but no less quality life reducing diseases of diabetes, back pain and gum disease leading to dementia are actively being researched and cures or treatments found every other week globally. 

Singapore remains an attractive place due to its strong position of patents applications, ease of incorporation of new licenses, access to startup banking especially in the areas of compliance, sustainability and the circular economy. We as a country are AI ready, though setbacks occur ever so often.   

While Singapore is expensive as a country to operate manufacturing of the established products like smartphones, LED TVs, etc etc,her strengths lie primarily in the following areas :

> strong IP marketplace

> sustainability practices

> research and innovation

> low corporate taxes

> AI and robotic innovation 

> testing and validation

The old industries are facing major structural challenges globally and from the US using tariffs to arm twist and bully former trading partners. Its a very turbulent and non recoverable situation. The best way forward for us is to remain nimble, dominate the small niches we are already in and grow internationally through the smart use of social media and the apps.

           Reinstallation of Compressor Unit onsite at explosion proof factory floor

QRA's new business in unexpected industries

 

The business development side of QRA International of which I am helming is growing well, I am most happy to report. We have received enquiries from many companies from a whole wide range of industries. Let highlight this one which I never expected in my dreams would even look for a test equipment from us.

This Government organization is helming all the artefacts, paintings, sculptures of many different cultures and cultures. Their galleries are located mainly along Stamford Road and Bras Besah road just to name 2.

Recently, their manager contacted us with an enquiry. They were looking for an environmental test chamber which could control temperature and humidity at 23 - 26 C and 50 to 60% humidity. 

The reason for this condition was to simulate the museum interior environment whereby all the precious paintings and artefacts are stored for weeks, months and years

The objective ?  To observe MOULD GROWTH and work out strategies to combat MOULD GROWTH amongst their millions of dollars worth of precious artefacts to 

a) mitigate mould growth 

b) prolong life of their paintings, sculptures.

Wow !  

I should be selling chambers to the British Museum and the American Smithsonian Institute next !

Carpe Diem !

 

The power of compounding interest in views in this blog. Thank you !

The below text  was written in October 2022. I was hoping to get 150,000 views after nearly 16 years with this blog.  See below.

I have one small wish, can I get 150,000 views by 31st Dec 2022 ? I will try to show more interesting content so please write me a comment on how to improve my blog. 

Surprisingly, I am still at it after almost 16 years on Google. 

I aim to get good at the presenting better Youtube videos, and improve my Blogspot blog.

In the first 16 years of writing posts in this blog, I garnered 150,000 views. From Dec 2022 till now, a space of 2 and a half years, the views have climbed to close to 250,000 views, an increase of 100,000 views over 2 and a half years.

That means roughly 40,000 views per year from 2023 onwards.

May we continue this upward trend for the posts of this blog 

Many thanks !

Ed's Updates 29 Aug 2025 

We hit 250,000 today ! Many thanks !