INSIGHT 2018

Visitors admiring the models on display for Plant Design Modelling Competition

UTAR IChemE Student Chapter organised INSIGHT 2018 at Sungai Long Campus from 26 to 29 June 2018. The event showcased exhibitions, talks and competitions. It was sponsored by Malaysian Rubber Glove Manufacturers Association (MARGMA).

Attending the opening ceremony were UTAR Vice President for R&D and Commercialisation Prof Ir Dr Lee Sze Wei, Vice President of MARGMA Dr. S. Supramaniam, Lee Kong Chian Faculty of Engineering and Science Dean Prof Ir Dr Goi Bok Min, Insight Advisor Dr Ng Yee Sern, Insight Chairperson Wong King Xuan, vendors, staff and students.

Prof Lee said, “This is a good initiative for you especially on the part where you link up with the industry. Although we have a good syllabus, it is still not complete without the industrial component. Don’t be too selective. Just because the working environment is dirty, dangerous and hot, it does not mean that you should avoid it. Of course, you have to be safe, but beyond that, you also have to be adaptive.”

“We are delighted to be associated with this event. Being able to put together an exhibition of this nature, especially in chemical engineering, is very impressive. It is not an easy task to get the private sector from actual companies to get involved,” said Dr Supramaniam in his welcome speech.

Dr Supramaniam delivering his speech

He also encouraged the students to apply for the internship programme with MARGMA. “You need to get your hands dirty. It’s a huge learning experience that you will not get anywhere else,” he said.

In his opening speech Wong said, INSIGHT aimed to elevate the awareness of chemical engineering in UTAR. “We wanted to provide a platform for the students to experience and learn more about chemical engineering in different ways. There are numerous events and courses in the university, yet not many know what chemical engineering is and what it does. We want INSIGHT to be the first event that focuses on this. We want students from different background to get a clear picture of what chemical engineering is all about. We also wish to provide them with an opportunity to build connections with the companies that are present here today.”

The first day of the event saw booths set up by exhibitors from private companies related to chemical engineering. The exhibition aimed to provide more exposure to students on the job opportunities available in the area of chemical engineering. It also aimed to provide company employers with the opportunity to recruit potential future engineers to join their organisations. 

An exhibitor explaining his product to Dr Supramaniam (third from right) and Prof Lee (second from right)

A talk titled “Produce Recycle Water from Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP) and Sewage Treatment Plant (STP) using the Modern Bio-Technology” was delivered on the second day by Honorary Secretary of Association of Environmental Consultants & Companies of Malaysia William Tan. He began his talk by sharing the evolution of sanitation starting from the 1950s until now.

He also shared the vision and mission of OCNED Water Technology Sdn Bhd, a company that provides numerous services, from building water treatment plant to the drilling of groundwater well. He emphasised that the water treatment system is vital for the country, “On average, one person produces about 225 litres of water waste a day. Hence, Malaysia with a population of more than 30 million people produces about 6.7 billion litres of water waste a day. Therefore one-third of the water must be recycled. This is what we are focusing today.”

Tan (front row, fifth from left) with staff and students

He applauded Malaysia’s water treatment system as it is quite advanced compared to the neighbouring countries. He also mentioned that Malaysia’s national sewage company earns great respect from other nations.

The IKA Technical Talk & Workshop was conducted to provide the current auto distillation and mixing technology exposure to 95 students that participated. The talk and workshop were divided into two sessions, namely Auto Distillation by IKA RV10 Auto Pro Rotary Evaporator by Goh Yun Qiang and Innovative IKA Mixing Technology for Industrial Applications by Dr Senthivel and Ui Tee Cheah. Aside from that, an interesting demonstration on mayonnaise production was also done on the spot.

Dr Senthivel demonstrating the process of making mayonnaise

The Plant Design Modelling Competition was held on the third day of the event. It aimed to foster a fun way of learning Chemical Engineering among the students. The competition saw students from Year 1 to Year 4 building three-dimensional plant using recycled materials, according to the title given— converting biomass to biodiesel via Fischer-Tropsch. Altogether, 10 groups of students participated in this competition. The champion brought home RM500 while the first runner-up took home RM300. Consolation prizes were given to the third, fourth and fifth place winners.

All ten contesting chemical plant models

Visitors testing their skills and luck during the carnival

INSIGHT 2018 was finally wrapped with an appreciation dinner. The dinner act as a closing ceremony for the event. It aimed to provide a platform for the students to build and strengthen connection among one another. Besides presenting prizes for the Plant Design Modelling Competition, the night was also filled with delightful performances and scrumptious food.

President of MARGMA Denis Low Jau Foo giving his speech at the appreciation dinner

One of the performances 

Participant enjoying the various dishes 

Champion: Team “One in a Million” and their model (inset photo) 

First runner-up: Team “Anonymous” and their model (inset photo) 

Second runner-up: Team “MixNMatch” and their model (inset photo) 

Fourth place: Team “Ez” and their model (inset photo) 

Fifth place: Team “Alpha Q” and their model (inset photo)