Beyond The 3M You Know

I was glad to be part a of a recent 3M Innovation Tour with fellow media practitioners.

3M Innovation Tour

It was a stupendous experience having known more about the 3M brand beyond its usual consumer products that we are familiar with.


When you say 3M, you think about pizza, Post-it notes, Scotch tapes, sticker bookmarks, and even Scotch-Brite scrubs. Beyond that, we would already have a hard time.

3M Product Parts of a Mobile Phone

3M's Reggie Pulumbarit

Did you know that the conductor wires on your electric pole could be a 3M product? Have you realized that the plastic encasement protecting your phoneline connection to the telecom wires is most probably made by 3M as well? The hard disk of this laptop I'm using right now and the cellphone your are holding have parts that are likely made by 3M too! :)

3M's Nene Amen

Yes, I realized that and much more when we toured the 3M Customer Technical Center along South Super Highway which houses ten (10) of their workshops. It can cater to laboratory testings, application research and process enhancement studies by technical service engineers.

“We want to highlight 3M’s Innovation culture and showcase the products borne out of that commitment to innovate...as we open our doors to everyone, we will invite them to take that 3M Experience, touch the products, understand how they work and discover things they never would have thought to be a 3M application or product,” says WS Shim, Managing Director.

We also met Reggie Pulumbarit, head of Industrial and Transportation Business, and Thelma Alix from the Consumer & Office Business. The thirs group is the Electro Communications.

The Ten Workshop Rooms we went to are:

Electronics Methods Room

Electronics Room

A participant dipped, no, submerged his Blackberrey inside an aquarium full of water. What? It's because of 3M’s environmentally safe chemicals that looks like water but does not conduct electricity.

We also viewed a major major set of microchips that needs an intense magnifying glass for us to be able to appreciate.

Dental Methods Room

I am starting to realize that indeed they have a wide range of product lines but this room  surprised me the most as I didn't expect their reach to include dental products.

Dental Methods Room

It was a unique experience as we have dummy skulls with teeth in front of each one of us. We also had an exercise of brushing 'their' teeth. :)

3M products include precision Lava™ Solution Systems, cements, crowns, light cure
on demand, and nanotechnology used in developing new products for dental composites and
adhesives.

Health Care Methods Room

3M Health Care

Discoveries here include Tagederm, an electronic Littman stethoscope, and 3M’s Clear Trace technology, albeit very expensive, guarantees food safety and sanitation in restaurant and hotels.

Abrasives Methods Room

Do you know who first invented the waterproof sandpaper? In 1916, the geniuses behind 3M invented the wet or dry sandpaper that could be used with water or oil to reduce dust and decrease the friction that marred auto finishes.

Abrasives

It is also in this room where we witnessed firsthand how the machines were used. Some also volunteered for a demonstration.

Automotive Aftermarket Methods Room

It's mainly the car's mat flooring, wax and premium design stickers. An actual car was at the garage for show.

Automotives

Industrial Adhesives & Tapes / Renewable Energy Methods Room

Making the world a greener place is the theme of this room. Solar and related technologies like sun shades that reduce interior temparature are just some of the examples.

Renewable Energy

Solar Panels

Electrical and Communications Markets Methods Room

3M is continuously coming up with solutions to make everything easier and faster for the telecommunications industry with their core technology to support DSL Expansion through copper and fiber optics solutions.

Electrical and Communications Room

This room also houses the electrical markets division that supports major power producers and distributors.

Commercial Care and Occupational Health & Safety Methods Room

Yes, 3M also manufacures gas masks and safety gears that protects in the line of duty. Something a group of SWAT/police failed to acquire not so recently.

Commercial Care and Occupational Health & Safety

Also highlighted in this room is the XT1 Communication Device common in fast-food drive-thru stations.

Display & Graphics / Traffic and Safety Solutions Methods Room

Display & Graphics

It's those bright neon colored-outdoor signages and traffic symbols on the road - it's 3M Digital Graphics. This also include a clear display projection. In our visit, it was a talking reception lady made possible with a projector from the back and a white display panel.

Traffic and Safety Solutions

Consumer and Office Methods Room

Aside from Post-it® Notes and Scotch-Brite™, 3M brand Command™ hooks is gaining popularity. I like those hooks because there's an innovative and easy way to remove them from the walls without scaring the paint. :) This room also turned into a mini-grocery shop at one time. (*wink) :)

Consumer and Office

The 3M Innovation Tour is open to the public upon schedule specially students and special interest groups or businesses who will be able to learn about the different applications and products that 3M has through its different divisions.

3M Innovation Tour

“It’s about time that Filipinos get to know 3M products and technologies at work in their daily lives.” added WS Shim.

With 45 technology platforms and operations in more than 60 countries, 3M has tremendously changed how people live. Check out more of 3M Philippines at www.3m.com/ph. Their main office is at 9F Three World Square Building, 22 Upper McKinley Road, McKinley Hill, Fort Bonifacio, Taguig City 1634. Contact 3M through 3674632, 8783691 or email innovation.ph@mmm.com.