NIST

PUBLICATIONS REFERENCE

NBSIR 76-1099

Standardization and Measurement

Services in Bolivia

Edited by: H. Steffen Reiser

Robert S. Marvin

Joanne Mejeur

Office of International Relations

National Bureau of Standards

Washington, D C 20234

A Report of a Survey Conducted Jointly by the National Bureau of Standards and the

Agency for International Development

Held June 9 - 22, 1974

Issued September 1976

Prepared for

lOO

Dr International Development

mt of State

on, D.C. 20523

NBSIR 76-1099

STANDARDIZATION AND MEASUREMENT

SERVICES IN BOLIVIA

(A Report of a National Bureau of Standards/Agency for International Development Survey Conducted June 9-22, 1974)

Survey Team Director:

Orlando Donoso Torrez, Director General, General Directorate of Standards and Technology

Survey Team Members:

Yardley Beers, National Bureau of Standards, USA

Jong Wan Choi, Industrial Advancement Administration, Korea

David E. Edgerly, National Bureau of Standards, USA

Omer Gbncu, Turkish Standards Institute, Turkey

Kurt F. J. Heinrich, National Bureau of Standards, USA

H. Steffen Peiser, National Bureau of Standards, USA

Charoen Vashrangsi, Department of Science, Thailand

This survey was conducted as a part of the program under the

US/NBS/Agency for International Development, PASA TA(CE)5-71.

Prepared for

Agency for International Development

Department of State

Washington, D.C. 20523

'

, , . \

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE. Elliot L Richardson. S»er0taiy

Edward 0. Vetter, Und§r S»er»t§ry

Dr. Betsy Ancker-Johnton. Ass/stunt S9erBt§ry for SgImcb and T§ehnohgy

NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS. Ernest Amblar. Acting Director

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Page

Introduction 1

Visits in the Cochabamba Area

1. Visit to Planta Industrializadora de Leche (PIL) 5

2. Visit to the Fabrica de Cazados "Manaco" 7

3. Visit to the Cerveceria Taquina S.A 9

4. Visit to the Fabrica Nacional de Conservas "Dillman" ... 12

5. Visit to Cabelbol S.A 14

6. Visit to Industrias Electromecanicas Femco SRL 15

7. Visit to Quimica Industrial Boliviana "Quimbol" 17

8. Visit to Sendtex Ltd 18

9. Visit to the Empresa Nacional de Electricidad "ENDE" ... 20

10. Visit to Yacimientos Petroliferos Fiscales Bolivianos

"YPFB" Petroleum Refinery and Lubricant Manufacturing

Plant 22

11. Visit to the Cooperativa Boliviano de Cemento "COBOCE" . . 24

Visits in the Santa Cruz Area

General Comments on Santa Cruz 27

1. Discussion with the Comite de Obras Publicas

(Committee of Public Works) 28

2. Visit to the Soil Laboratory and Public Water Works .... 30

3. Visit to Yacimientos Petroliferos Fiscales Bolivianos

(YPFB) 31

4. Visit to the Azucarero Guabira 33

5. Visit to the Indus tria Textil Grigota S.A 35

iii
6. Visit to the University of Santa Cruz 36

7. Visit to Textiles Orientales S. A 37

8. Visit to the Centro de Technologia Petrolera (YPFB) .... 39

9. Electric Power Plant, ENDE, Santa Cruz 41

10. Visit to the Industria de Ceramica MARGLA 43

Visits in the La Paz Area

1. Visit to Volcan S.A 45

2. Visit to "Venado" 46

3. Visit to Destileria Boliviana S.A 47

4. Visit to Planta Industrializadora de Leche (PIL - La Paz) 49

5. Visit to Plasmar S.A 51

6. Visit to Drogueria INTI S.A 53

7. Visit to the Bolivian-American Tobacco Company S.A 55

8. Visit to RIBSA LTD 56

9. Visit to Gomatex 57

10. Visit to the Cerveceria Boliviana National (Brewery) ... 58

11. Visit to the Ministry of Social Security and Public

Health 59

12. Visit to Manufacturas de Algordo SAID 61

13. Visit to Empresa Nacional de Fundiciones (ENAF) 62

14. Visit to the Instituto de Investigaciones Minero

Metalurgicas 63

15. Visit to the Technical University of Oruro 64

16. Visit to the Ministry of Planning 65

17. Visit to the Ministry of Mining and Metallurgy 66

iv
18. Visit to the National Council of Higher Education 67

19. Presentation of Standards Literature 68

20. The Organization of the Directorate General of Standards

and Technology 69

21. Visit to the Physics Institute of the University Mayor

de San Andres 71

Appendix I - Questionnaire 73

Appendix II - Programa 83

Appendix III - Sximmary of Completed Survey on Standardization and

Measurement Services in Bolivia and an Outsider's

Views of the General Directorate of Standards and

Technology of Bolivia 97

V

INTRODUCTION

Following the pattern established by the Governments of Ecuador, Korea

and Turkey, the Government of Bolivia, acting through the Mission in

La Paz of the U.S. Agency for International Development, requested the

National Bureau of Standards to conduct a survey of the

standardization and measurement services available to small-scale

manufacturing and processing industries to stimulate the development

of domestic and international trade, and to make recommendations on additional services needed.

The Survey took place f rom June 9 to 22, 1974, after a two—months'

postponement due to political unrest. It employed the now traditional

mode of operations of such surveys (Ref. 1-3). The Survey was led by

a Bolivian Survey Director, Engineer Orlando Donoso Torrez, at that

time the Director General of the Bolivian General Directorate of

Standards and Technology (Direccion General de Normas y Tecnologia

[DGNT])

.

The Survey Team was composed of the following staff members of NBS

:

Yardley Beers, Senior Research Scientist, Quantum Electronics

Division,

David E. Edgerly, Special Assistant for International Standards

Programs

,

Kurt F. J. Heinrich, Chief, Microanalysis Section,

H. Steffen Peiser, Chief, Office of International Relations,

supported, as is customary, by third-country participants:

Jong Wan Choi, Administrator, Industrial Advancement Administration,

Korea,

Omer GcJncil, Director, Electrical Laboratories, Turkish Standards

Institute, Turkey,

Charoen Vashrangsi, Department of Science, Ministry of Industry,

Thailand

.

The Bolivian team consisted of eleven leaders of technology and standardization in Bolivia:

Orlando Donoso Torrez, Director General, DGNT,

Ronanth Candia Gonzales, Chief, Department of Standards,

Carlos Duran Canelas, Chief, Department of Laboratories,

Freddy Quezada Rendon, Chief, Division of Standards Development,

Jose Paredes Oblitas, Chief, Division of Quality Control,

Hernando Montanb Valle, Metallurgical Engineer,

1
Gregorio Bernal Yanez, Industrial Engineer,

Hugo Mo Ides Ontiveros, Industrial Engineer,

Javier Mantilla, Chemical Engineer,

Rolando Garces, Chemical Technician,

Emilio Rivero, Chief, Division for Transfer of Technology.

As in previous surveys, we introduced one major innovation as an

experiment. We circulated a form to all organizations visited to be

filled in at the host's option before the Team visits, or at least to

focus the thoughts of our hosts on the type of questions relating to

quality control, standardization, and measurement technology that were

of interest to the Survey Team. The form and the analysis of the

responses is given in Appendix I. Basically, the forms were very

useful although some of the recipients were reluctant to complete them

because they feared that the responses might harm their individual

relationships with their own governments.

The original program (in Spanish) is reproduced in Appendix II.

Arriving a few days early to finalize arrangements with the

governmental, industrial and academic authorities, the NBS team leader

(Peiser) had to contend with a number of unexpected problems. Two

team members, one from NBS and the other from a third country, cabled

their regrets. They could not take part in the Survey, but both

arrived in time for the Regional Seminar on a System of

Standardization and Metrology for Latin America.

In addition, continued political unrest made visits to Potosi and

Sucre inadvisable and caused a delay in the departure to Cochabamba.

As a result, some Team members suffered for the first few days the

usual high-altitude effects in La Paz. Then, one of the rare snow

storms in La Paz caused the airport to be closed on the revised

departure day. An NBS team member had additional, possibly unrelated,

medical problems. He did not allow their effects to interfere with

his key contributions to the Survey, which were derived from his

unusual linguistic abilities.

The events of and conclusions derived from the Survey were summarized

during the Regional Seminar at the request of the Minister of

Industry, Commerce and Tourism, Colonel Miguel Ayoroa Monta'no

(Ref. 4 and Appendix III). A full report of the Survey has not been

published. The Survey Director must, by previous arrangement,

authorize publication of the conclusions and recommendations of

NBS /AID Surveys. This authorization can no longer be obtained. Thus,

this report is only a descriptive statement of events for the record.

The absence of a fuller report in print does not mean that the Survey

was a failure. In all the NBS/AID Surveys, the unwritten effects

probably surpass in importance the written reports. In Bolivia, we

2
are convinced that the team survey created greater awareness of the

quality control problems of small manufacturing companies and of the

opportunities of DGNT to assist them. We left behind a Directorate

General of Standards and Technology whose services are known and

recognized more widely, especially in several provincial capitals

which traditionally are not in close communication with La Paz high up on the Andes. The Team encouraged academic institutions to

collaborate more closely with industry and stimulated courses to be

given, industrial trainees to be accepted in colleges, and students to

be given opportunities in industry. We showed Bolivian technicians

that transfer of technology from the U.S.A. does not always involve

high cost. Our concern for industrial safety standards made a deep

impression in some places. (Dr. Beers' personal gift of a research

microscope for the early detection of tuberculosis, especially of

miners working deep below the surface under conditions that can be

deadly to men of the high plain, was a tangible and valued

contribution.) We discussed the installation of a chemical and a weights and measures laboratory which has become a reality.

Full credit for any of these developments that have occurred since the

Survey should not be claimed. However, it would be equally wrong to

underestimate the Survey's effects. Seven non-Bolivian specialists in

various fields of science and technology reviewed and analyzed the

problems of our Bolivan hosts, who, with their fuller understanding of

the country, its people and its remarkable culture, interpreted to

their colleagues what we had to offer. A lasting link with NBS will,

in all probability, remain. NBS continues to correspond with, to

receive visitors from, and to send literature and data to Bolivia's

DGNT.

The Survey depended on the encouragement and advice of the USAID

Mission in La Paz. Mr. David L. Jickling especially took a personal

interest which is most gratefully acknowledged. The U.S. Ambassador,

the Honorable William Perry Stedman, Jr., discussed the results of the

Survey with the NBS team leader. With interest and understanding, he

threw new light on our experiences.

The staff of DGNT was characterized by continuous and devoted

enthusiasm. They see their future in commercial successes through

hard work, technology and the natural resources of a largely

unexplored land.

The leadership of Engineer Donoso was fully supported by the Minister

of Industry, Commerce and Tourism and the several other Cabinet

Members with whom the Team held lengthy and fruitful discussions. The

hospitality and warmth of the people and their leaders is remarkable.

3
REFERENCES

[1] Newman, Sanford B., and Peiser, H. Steffen, ed., A Report on a Survey in Ecuador on Standardization and Measurement Services

in Support of Industrialization Goals, NBS 10 881 (U.S.), 45

pages (1972).

[2] Standardization and Measurement Services in Korea, NBSIR 73-185

(U.S.), 38 pages (1973).

[3] Standardization and Measurement Services in Turkey, NBSIR 73-172

(U.S.), 85 pages (1973).

[4] Peiser, H. Steffen, and Marvin, Robert S., ed.. Regional Seminar on a System of Standardization and Metrology for Latin America,

NBSIR 76-988 (U.S.), 96 pages (1976).

4
VISITS IN THE COCHABAMBA AREA

1. Visit to Planta Industrializadora de Leche (PIL)

The Industrial Dairy Company near Cochabamba is located on the Av.

Blanco Galindo. The Survey Team visited there on June 10, and was received by Ing. Luis Barron del Castillo assisted by Mr. Jaime

Galindo, who joined PIL directly from being a student at the

University of Cochabamba, and Dr. Agustin Saguez, the head of the PIL

Laboratory. PIL is a Bolivian Government enterprise subordinated to

the Bolivian Development Corporation, the CBF, Corporacion Boliviano

de Fomente, ultimately under control of the Ministry of Commerce,

Industry and Tourism.

PIL collects milk daily from 570 farms, of which 540 are very small.

Each churn is tested for acidity and fat content at the intake point

under observation of the farmer's representative. In case of

rejection the farmer is informed of the reason. At its inception in

1960 PIL collected 1600 liters per day. Since then it has expanded at

the rate of 13 percent per annum to its present volume of 40 000

liters per day.

The products of PIL are pasteurized milk and cream (in glass bottles),

butter, and powdered milk (full fat and skimmed) . Originally the

capital came partly from the Bolivian Government, UNICEF, USAID and

Danish equipment manufacturers through favorable long-term loans.

Expansion, which is continuing with ten-year extrapolated needs in

mind, is partly financed by the plough-back of profits.

Milk product tests follow the established American procedures:

Standard Methods for the Examination of Dairy Products , American Public Health Association, 1960.

Standards for Examining Milk Products , Organizacion Pan Americana de la Salud, 1960.

Laboratory Manual - Methods of Analysis of Milk and

Its Products , Milk Industry Foundation, Washington, D. C.

,

1964.

Acidity, fat content, sedimentation and methylene blue tests are made

against standards. DGNT calibration services would be welcome.

Existing Bolivian regulations are not held to be fully responsive to

the practical needs of the dairy industry and the consumer.

5
The PIL laboratory is well equipped and expanding. A residual oxygen

measuring Beckman spectrometer used for powdered milk has given some problems. A lactic acid-resistant floor tile is an imported

innovation. Consultation and advice is freely available, especially

through Danish machinery manufacturers. Preventive maintenance is

excellent, important in a location where six months are required to

obtain spare parts. This delay is in part said to be due to

government purchasing procedures. Some spare parts are now made in

Bolivia. As a result, not a day of production has been lost since

1960. New construction, especially for a large new powdered milk

facility, is largely under PIL engineering supervision. Welding

practice appears good, as does the safety record, although Bolivian

codes are not yet available. Labor relations generally are good.

With Swiss Government help, an extension service is provided to

farmers covering fertilizers, seeds, and machinery. Many items are bought or developed by PIL for sale or resale to farmers. PIL, in its area of operation, has an effective and benevolent monopoly, since it

is an offense to sell milk products of inferior quality where PIL

products are available. This prohibition is not, however, strictly

enforced.

PIL has and will to an increasing extent have a profound effect on dairy farming in the region, on the volume of milk consumption, and

hence, on the nutritional standards of the nation.

6
2. Visit to the Fabrica de Cazados "Manaco"

The Survey Team was received at the "Manaco" factory in Cochabamba on June 10, 1974, by Mr. Carlos Hajek, the ^lanager, Mr. Veverka, the

Production Manager, and Reinaldo Saravia, Head of the Testing

Laboratory. "Manaco" is a leading manufacturer of footwear of all

types, its activities covering the processing of raw materials

(leather, rubber) to the production of finished products. It was organized in 1942 as a branch of the Czechoslovakian firm BATA, but is

now totally financially independent (nominally Bolivian owned) but

still affiliated with BATA, now having headquarters in Canada.

Present affiliation is in the form of payment of an annual technical

assistance fee to the headquarters organization for which the latter

provides technical advice especially with regard to new technological

developments. The numerous BATA affiliated firms agree to share

patents and information concerning technical discoveries and

improvements, but are free to compete with each other in sales.

Complete shoes are exported, for instance, to the U.S.A. and Great

Britain. Uppers are exported to Canada.

"Manaco" follows ASTM standards and procedures, supplemented by detailed RATA procedures. The company has a laboratory for (a) testing

raw materials, (b) shoes in intermediate stage of manufacture, and

(c) finished products. A detailed list of tests is available in the

notes collected by the Survey Team.

Instruments are nominally self-calibrating, following the procedures

contained in the supplier's instructions. They have no independent

means of calibration at the factory, though these would be welcomed.

However, once in a while, comparative tests on the same samples are made at this factory and at BATA Headquarters. There has been no communication between this firm and any other Bolivian firm concerning

standards and test methods.

In the questionnaire the management stated they had frequent problems

with raw materials. The hides collected from tropical regions suffer

from exposure to hot humid conditions in transportation and from tick

punctures. It is to be noted that, in the tanning process, there

seemed to be no instruments for quantitative testing; the quality

seemed to be controlled by subjective judgment of the skilled

operators

.

In the discussion, the management was asked if the use of standard

reference materials would be useful to them. At first they replied in

the negative, but when further information was supplied to them by

those present, they said that such SRM's would be useful.

7
The firm has the highest wage scale in Bolivia. Personnel are hired

with the expectation that they will stay permanently and are trained

accordingly. A minimum of a high school diploma is required for

employment. Senior technical staff very frequently are sent to North

America and Europe for training in the latest methods.

The trademark "Manaco" is protected against unauthorized use. There

is no comparable protection for shoe design.

8
3. Visit to the Cervecerla Taquina S,A.

The brewery is located in the hills outside Cochabamba, where good

water and clean air are available. It is claimed that this location

assures freedom from bacterial and fungal contamination and explains

the high quality of the beer. The offices are downtown. We were

received by Eng. Mauricio Artero and assisted by Mr. Edward Czermak,

originally from Vienna, Austria.

The raw materials for the process of brewing beer are barley , which is

converted to malt (cebada) , hops (hipulo) , yeast , and water . The main

steps are:

1. Storage, sorting, and cleaning of the barley,

its germination and roasting, its degermination,

and grinding;

2. Filtering, mixing, and "brewing";

3. Fermentation between 4 and 20°C, collecting carbon

dioxide as a by-product, recycling of yeast, and

slow post-fermentation for 30 - 70 days at below

40C;

4. Storage, bottling, and pasteurizing.

All these processes were shown and discussed.

This brewery is a private company, which employs 135 workers and 6

technicians with degrees. It is in competition with others in the

local market, particularly with companies from La Paz. Importation of

beer from other South American countries is not permitted, but highclass European beers are sold in small quantities. There is little

incentive for drinking foreign beer as the local product compares

favorably with the best world standards. Bolivians drink much beer

and are very discriminating.

Production is limited by the equipment, which is too small and largely

out of date. New equipment is presently being installed, and the

capacity of the plant will be expanded from 6000 bottles to 20 000

bottles per day.

Besides an increasing Bolivian market, the company plans to export

within the framework of the Andean Pact. This will require some improvements in packaging as will be mentioned later.

9
The technical control is performed in a laboratory, but measurements

(weighing at various stations, temperature control, etc.) are rather

simple, and no effective standardization is performed. The most

sophisticated part is the brewing section which is automated. Very

simple material tests at various steps, including the end product, are performed in the laboratory. These include measurements of moisture

of barley and malt, specific gravity for the alcohol content of beer,

and experimental fermentation of a test batch to determine the yield

of raw products. An important physical test is the sorting, with

sieves, of barley. The heavier the grain, the higher the starch

content will be.

There are numerous production standards, concerning parameters of

production. These (temperatures, times, etc.) vary with the type of

beer, and are said to be adapted to local conditions (water, climate,

pressure, raw materials, etc.). The manager asserts that no universal

standards exist, that their technical competence in establishing plant

norms is high, and that they are not restricted by patent

consideration. The brewmaster learned his trade in Austria and

Germany before moving to South America. The managers assume that they

are able to satisfy a very sophisticated clientele. They are cooperating on standardization of beer with DGNT and think that a certification of quality by the Government would be helpful to sales

in other South American countries. The main difficulties seem to

arise in the areas of raw materials and in packaging.

The barley comes in two varieties: one has two rows of grain per ear,

and the other six. The two-row barley is of better quality, and all

imported barley is of this type. (The quality depends on the grain

size.) However, this high-quality barley requires good soil and

water, and in regions where these are available, the cultivation of

wheat is more profitable. Therefore, all Bolivian barley is the sixrow lower grade type, which is then mixed with the imported produce

(the best comes from Denmark) . There is considerable loss due to

insects and rodents attacking the barley in storage. Partial control

is obtained by poison gas (hydrocyanic acid)

.

The hops are all imported from Germany and the U.S.A., and the price

of hops is a substantial part of the cost of production. The

technicians are sure that hops can be cultivated in Bolivia, if

technical help is available. We discovered two possible channels to

obtain such help: 1. A mission provided in La Paz by the University

of Utah, which already provides technical help in other areas of

agriculture, and 2. The Office of International Relations of the U.S.

Department of Agriculture. These seem to be effective avenues of

assistance to the Bolivian beer industry.

10
The main complaint is about the poor quality of the bottles available

in Bolivia. There is only one glass factory, which uses obsolete

methods. Not only are the bottles too high and narrow, but the glass

thickness and, therefore, the internal volume are irregular, and there

is a breakage of 2 percent in the washing and pasteurizing process.

Rejection by visual inspection takes place after filling, so the beer

is also wasted. Moreover, consumers complain of delayed cracking.

Finally, the bottles are green instead of brown in color, which causes changes in flavor after a short exposure to sunlight. The glass plant

seems unwilling and unable to change procedures, and other industries

using glassware have similar problems. The Government is unwilling to

force the plant - which has obtained Government credits - to

modernize, fearing that the required change would produce a loss of

work to well-paid workers at the glass plant. Such a loss the

Government considers unacceptable. However, the bottles will

definitely be unsuitable for exportation to other Andean countries

once the Andean Pact becomes effective.

The cost of the beer to the consumer in Bolivia is increased by a 120

percent tax added to the production cost by the Government. From the

proceeds some universities are supported.

11
4. Visit to the Fabrica Nacional de Conservas "Dillman"

The Dillman plant, located at 3177 Ave. Peru, Cochabamba, was visited

on June 11, 1974. The Survey Team was received by Mr. Carlos Baehr

and Mr. Jose Felix Flores. The Dillman Company is a small firm whose

products are limited to canned meats, fruits and vegetables, and a limited quantity of fresh sausages. The Company was founded in 1921

and is a private enterprise, with no governmental subsidy, in downtown

Cochabamba. However, the Cochabamba city government has asked the

firm to relocate to an industrial park area outside of the city which

the firm will do in about one year. The planned but delayed move

inhibits replacement and expansion of facilities.

The plant employs 80 workers, 10 technicians with degrees, and 10

administrative personnel. During the canning season (fruits and

vegetables), the number increases to around 250 workers. It was noted

that all company employees receive on-the-job training, and several

are sent to local trade schools for training as machinists. Maximum

daily output is 20 000 can units. The yearly output is approximately

1 million can units, approximately one-third canned meat and the

remaining two- thirds canned fruits and vegetables.

The firm has its own slaughter house. The raw materials are purchased

directly by company personnel and through independent buyers. There

are no grade or quality standards in the Andean countries so none is

applied in selecting the raw materials for processing. Generally,

precautions are taken during preparation of meat, fruits, and

vegetables to remove bacteriological impurities. Basically, these

procedures are based upon standards of other countries. However,

sanitation could be a problem, particularly in the packing area where

cleanliness is an absolute necessity to prevent contamination of the

product. The firm purchases tin plate and operates a labor-intensive

can-making shop for all 20 sizes used in their own production.

Vertical seams are welded; top and bottom seals are provided by a rubber compound imported from Argentina. No hermatic sealing tests

are applied. Moreover, there is no inspection by the firm of the end

product to determine its wholesomeness . Such inspection is carried

out infrequently by the Bolivian Public Health Service.

The laboratory was not visited by the Survey Team. It was merely

pointed out that very limited facilities are available and that tests

that are run deal primarily with bacteria count. The firm expressed a great need for government support of a plan to provide centralized

laboratory facilities to industries. There were a number of small and

large capacity scales in use which are calibrated by a private

contractor and with the assistance of the Bolivian Railroad.

12
The firm is already exporting its products to Peru and wishes to

expand its exports. For this reason, it has changed the labels on its

products to be more in line with international standards dealing with

product labeling. The Bolivian Government only requires that the

country of origin and the quantity of contents (the "approximate" and

not "net" quantity) be declared. The firm also has initiated steps to

increase its production by increasing the supply of raw materials. In

this regard, it has begun a program of encouraging the raising of

pigs. Also, the firm has employed two engineers to provide technical

advice and assistance to farmers in the hope of increasing the yield

of fruits and vegetables.

The firm expressed concern over shortages in raw materials - principally meat and tin plate for packaging. In line with its hopes

for increased exports, the firm also expressed a need for marketing

data on potential export markets. Importantly, the firm recognized

its obligation in supporting standardization efforts through DGNT.

However, it also expressed a need for information from DGNT on fruit

and vegetable standards that exist in other parts of the world. There

was also a great deal of discussion on the need for adequate

laboratory facilities either in Government or through an industry-wide

plan of a centralized facility supported by participating firms, to

provide the necessary technical facilities required to operate a modern food industry plant.

13
5. Visit to Cabelbol S.A.

At Cabelbol of Cochabamba, the Survey Team was received on June 12 by

Jaime Jimenes, President and Manager, and Dick James, Engineer.

"Cabelbol" started in business two years ago to make wire and cable.

Present products are aluminum and copper drawn down from three-eighths

inch aluminum or #8 AWG copper and spun into cables, as needed. It

expects to manufacture steel wire later. The smallest wire size sold

is AWG //20, but Mr. James is experimenting with sizes down to AWG #30.

Customers are confined to the power industry. There is no electronics

industry in Bolivia.

Aluminum three-eighths inch bars come from abroad, copper from Peru,

and polyvinyl chloride (PVC) from Germany or Taiwan. Problems exist

in the supply of all three, but PVC is the most severe problem as it

is in short supply, and the price has more than doubled in the last

year. Aluminum bar is damaged in shipping and also is subject to

theft. Peruvian copper contains impurities which make it impossible

to draw down to #30 wire. They are hoping to do their own copper

refining in a year or two from a native copper deposit. They also

have problems with discoloration due to unknown causes in annealing in

a carbon dioxide filled furnace.

The firm uses American Wire Gauge in specifying wire size, but their

measuring equipment is barely adequate to give three significant

figures. They desire greater accuracy. They have laboratory space

but no instruments for electrical or elasticity measurements. They

complain that much desirable test equipment is beyond their financial

resources, so products are not tested. However, the demand is so great that they have never had any of their products rejected by their

customers. The firm's managers welcome help from DGNT and they desire

the establishment of standards. A test laboratory planned for a larger wire plant in La Paz may not become available to Cabelbol.

The plant could use a labor force of 25, but because of shortage of raw materials, production is reduced and only 13 are on board at

present, even though hand winding of wire coils is labor intensive.

The management consists apparently only of Srs. Jimenes and James who seem to operate on their experience and intuition. The man in charge

of maintenance of dies is about to be sent to Argentina for three

months for training. They need an electronics technician to maintain

machinery controls, but none is available and there appears to be no local training in electronics available.

14
6. Visit to Industrias Electromecanicas Femco SRL

"Femco" is located at General Acha 4452, Cochabamba . The Survey Team

was received on June 12, 1974, by the General Manager, Raul Artero,

and the Production Manager, Humberto Munoz.

The firm was founded about nine years ago as a pilot plant in metal

mechanics, an industry specifically allocated to Bolivia by the Andean

Pact. At the start the firm had problems hiring trained people and

has still the same problem to a certain extent. Training has to be

given by the management

.

The firm has five general production lines:

1. Lighting fixtures.

2. Panel boards.

3. Materials used in electrical installations.

4. Portable ceilings, comer fixtures.

5. Side line manufacturing, such as ladders, shelves,

lockers, tool boxes, office fixtures, etc.

Within these major production lines, the firm produces about 400

different products. The firm uses its own designs in the production

process, drawing on the experience in the U.S.A. of Mr. Artura, who

operated there as a consultant.

The firm is composed of the following major departments, apart from

the administrative ones:

1. Metal cutting department.

2. Metal forming department.

3. Carpentry department.

4. Plating department.

5. Tool and die making department.

The parts prepared in these departments are assembled in one section.

The firm keeps a large in-process stock for assembly.

Production is planned according to the demand; very little production

is done solely for stock purposes. There were no specific tests

carried out on the input materials or on the finished products.

However, there were very simple checks carried out, for instance, on

scrap to determine steel types.

The firm imports products such as circuit breakers from the U.S.A.,

instrument transformers and indicating meters from Germany in its

15
panel board production, and rapid start ballasts and starters for

lighting fixture production from the U.S.A.

There are no specific governmental regulations controlling safety and

no national code for electrical installations. It was indicated that

the firm was trying to follow the NEMA standards and safety code as much as possible. No one standard system of units is used by the

firm. It was observed that British and metric systems were both used

in different phases of production.

At this point the firm did not feel too interested in trainee programs

but would prefer night school classes to be offered which could

provide technical training for the people working at the plant. The

firm has good relations with the labor unions. The firm was requested

to provide a certificate of quality control from DGNT for an order by

Santa Cruz.

16
7. Visit to Quimica Industrial Bollviana "Quimbol"

Quimbol was visited at Av. Blanco Galindo 10400, Cochabamba, on June

12. At this plant the Team was received by the President, Alcar M.

Imero Dalene, and the General Manager, Antonio Eterovic N. The chief

of the laboratory unfortunately was out of town. At first, an attorney listened in to the conversation, but withdrew when the visit

proved to be non-sensitive to the prime interests of this small

company which is entirely independent, relying for information on

trade journals and suppliers of raw materials and machinery. Quimbol

is loosely associated with a plant in La Paz operating under separate

management. Quimbol employs 38 workmen, 20 clerical workers, 2 chemists and 5 other professional staff.

Quimbol produces unwrapped high potassium soap, detergents (which are replacing soap in city households), hair shampoo, and shoe polish in

four colors. The sales are threatened constantly by smuggled imports.

It would be idle to dismiss this problem by saying that the firm is

seeking undue protection, because there are substantial import duties

even on raw materials. Tallow from Argentina is subject to a raw material exportation tax of 37 percent. Local beef is not fat enough

to replace Argentine tallow. Fortunately, it appears that development

work by Quimbol enables tallow to be replaced by a material from the

Bolivian petrochemical industry which presumably will need to be

oxidized to a fatty acid. Sample quantities of such soap show an undesirable dark brown coloration without, however, any loss of real

quality. Quimbol has introduced this product to the market with a discount to attract the consumer. Other raw materials are alkali from

the U.S. and Britain and various detergent chemicals from many

countries, which Quimbol mixes into their proprietory formulations.

The market is entered under several trademarks with identical

products

.

Quality control follows customary chemical tests and inspection. The

laboratory is adequate and records are well kept. There are presently

no quality or product standards in Bolivia. Argentinian IRAM

standards are consulted and often followed. Scales are maintained by

private contract. Metric units are employed throughout. Some

packages carry no net quantity indication.

DGNT could provide information calibration services and technical

consultation on raw materials. DGNT might also be a useful link to

the Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Tourism for ever-needed

adjustments in trade policies.

17
8. Visit to Sendtex Ltd.

On June 12, 1974, the Survey Team visited "Sendtex" at Ave. Blanco

Galindo, Cochabamba. The Survey Group was received by Mr. Sender

Aizencang. Sendtex Ltd, is a small firm engaged in spinning and

dyeing of natural cotton and some synthetic fibers. The firm was built in 1969 and is a private enterprise with no governmental

subsidy. There are three plants in Bolivia producing synthetic fibers

and eight producing natural cotton fibers. The cotton that is

produced is consumed by the weavers of cloth in Bolivia. The firm

does not export.

The firm employs approximately 168 workers. There are three

professionals with technical degrees and seven persons serving in an administrative capacity. The plant operates three eight-hour shifts.

It was noted that the firm trains its own employees.

Raw materials are imported principally from Germany and there appear

to be no problems with obtaining the materials. It was stated,

however, that the politics are such in Bolivia that it actually costs

more to import the raw materials from Germany than it does to import

the finished product from another nation. The firm uses equipment

that has been imported from Germany, the United States, Italy, and

Switzerland. The equipment is not the most modern but appeared very

satisfactory for plant operation.

There is a small laboratory in the firm where tests are run on

tension, uniformity, strength, and thickness of thread. The firm uses

its own standards which evidently are the result of the manager's

years of experience in the industry and the advice of the

manufacturers of the diverse equipment employed in the plant. For

example, the manager did not know of ASTM standards for diameter of

thread, strength, freedom from dust, etc.

There did not appear to be any specific technical problems or needs of

great concern. The problems appeared to concern economic and

marketing difficulties that are said to be largely the result of

government practices. For example, Peruvian manufacturers of cotton

receive a 25 percent bonus from their Government for exporting their

products. This bonus, added to a 15 percent tax savings by exporting,

amounts to a AO percent bonus for exporting. There are no such

incentives offered in Bolivia. Moreover, the importing of products

from other countries like Peru provides difficulties to Bolivian

producers who must compete with such products. It was also alleged

that there was much smuggling of finished garments from Peru. It was

not clear how, under the above circumstances, the smugglers succeed in

18
competing with legal exports from Peru. However, all such questions

are outside the scope of this technical survey.

19
9. Visit to the Empresa Nacional de Electricidad "ENDE"

On June 13, the Survey Group went for the long drive to the ENDE

hydroelectric plants, where it was received by Mr. Orlando Taedio, who

is the Superintendent of the plants. There are two plants, "Corani"

and "Santa-Isabel", located in series at about 2 700 meters and 1 800

meters above sea level respectively. Both plants are owned and

operated by "ENDE", a Bolivian Government owned, semi-autonomous

organization. The plants are the first two hydroelectic power

generating sites in the Corani region, where there is a potential

capacity of about 300 000 kW. The two plants cost approximately 10

and 15 million dollars respectively, and are financed by IBRD, lADB

and the Bolivian Government.

The water for the first plant of the series, the Corani plant, is

drawn from Lake Corani which has an impounding capacity of about 82

million cubic meters. An intake tower is located at the eastern tip

of the lake. The total effective height is 625.3 meters for power

generation. It is achieved through a pressure pipe of carbon steel

which has a diameter of 1.3 meters. A connection between the intake

tower and the generating plant had to be established by a tunnel of

1 200 meters length and a diameter of 2 meters.

The intake tower of the second plant, Santa-Isabel, is located about

300 meters downstream from the first plant's discharge point. The

total effective height of 840 meters is also obtained through a pressure pipe of carbon steel having a diameter of about 1.3 meters.

In this case, it is laid on the ground generally following the terrain

connecting the two sites.

The Corani plant is equipped with two identical parallel sets, each

consisting of a turbine and a generator. Each set has a generating

capacity of 13 500 kW with a water discharge rate of 2.5 cubic meters

per second contributing to the total output capacity of 27 000 kW.

The 10 kV current from the generator is transformed up to 115 kV for

transmission. The Santa-Isabel plant has an identical system

arrangement, but has a total capacity of 36 660 kW.

The turbines, generators, control and distribution panels, and

transformers for both plants consist of parts from various countries,

including the U.S.A., Germany, Canada, Japan, France, etc.

The Corani plant has been operating since 1966; the Santa-Isabel plant

began operation only 6 months ago.

The power generated by the plants is transmitted to the Corani area,

the main tin mining center, accounting for about two-thirds of the

20
Output. The remaining one-third is transmitted to the Cochabamba

area. Both plants are manned by a single superintendent, together

with 1 other engineer, 2 technicians and 10 helpers. It was claimed

by the superintendent that no specific difficulties have been

experienced for operation and maintenance of both plants with present

staffs.

Although units and parts of both plants are made in many different

nations, it is said that no particular difficulties have been

encountered in the operation and maintenance of the plants. This may

be due to their relative newness. Extra spare parts, such as water

impellers for the turbines, are well stocked.

Calibrations for the instruments are performed by reference to master

standards maintained by the Bolivia Power Company at La Paz. However,

any calibration services rendered by an institute such as DGNT in

Bolivia would be appreciated very much. For operation and

maintenance, ASTM and ANSI standards are most often referred to and

used. Routine checks of parts and instruments, especially of the fine

instruments, have to be more frequent than is customary elsewhere

because of the exceptionally high humidity experienced in the area where these two plants are located.

21
10. Visit to Yacimientos Petroliferos Fiscales Bolivianos

"YPFB" Petroleum Refinery and Lubricant Manufacturing Plant

The Survey Team was received at YPFB, Cochabamba, by the Superintendent, Ing. Fernando Arenas E. Explanations were given by Ing. Rene

Noyen, Chief Technical Adviser. The plant is 100 percent owned by the

Government of Bolivia. The refinery was first established in 1952 and

the lubricant plant in 1956. A major extension of the refinery was built in 1961. The total consumption of crude oil is about 15 000

barrels per day.

The conqsany has about 650 workers and other personnel. Most of the

technicians and professional staff received their training from

foreign companies in the U.S.A., Japan, and Western Europe who sold

the machines. The laboratory technicians were trained in Mexico,

Argentina, and the U.S.A.

The Company is equipped with a Chemistry Laboratory, a Physical

Chemistry Laboratory and a Process Testing Laboratory. Materials are checked according to standards. The standards used for gasoline,

lubricants, and low pressure gas are ASTM, SAE and ISO and for pipe

and cylinders are API and Brazilian standards respectively. The

quality control in the production process and inspection of finished

products are made through the use of laboratory testing and analyses.

The analyses of raw materials and finished products are done by wet

chemistry. New equipment, e.g., an atomic absorption

spectrophotometer and infrared spectrometer, are being installed for

analysis of trace elements. The physical properties such as density,

flash point, pH, etc., are determined for the purpose of quality

control. The octane number of gasoline is tested and lead tetra-ethyl

is added to improve the quality. The raw material is usually tested

on a pilot scale before it is brought into a real production line.

Since the crude oil available is light, no cracking process is

necessary. The process includes fractionation into gasoline with low

octane number, naphtha, and base oil for lubricants. The naphtha is

used for asphalt mixing. The base oil is hydrogenated for producing

about 200 kinds of lubricants.

Control equipment is from the U.S.A. (Brown and Honeywell). The

fractionation process is automatically operated and controlled, but

the lubricant production is operated manually.

The main products of the company are gasoline, lubricating oil,

kerosene and LPG. The gasoline is stored in large tanks and delivered

by tank cars and pipeline. Lubricants and kerosene are packed in cans and LPG is compressed in cylinders. These products are sold under a

22
trademark, "YPFB", without any competitor. Almost all of the products

are presently consumed in the country.

Up to the present time, the company has not requested any assistance

from DGNT. All calibration and maintenance work is done through the

service of equipment sellers. The company, for instance, keeps some standard weights for calibration. Metrology is not thought to be a serious problem, but the company is willing to cooperate and hoping to use the facilities offered by DGNT. The company is interested in

participation in a standards committee for the determination of

Bolivian standards to be used in this field.

The company faces the problem that the crude oil is light and it

cannot be readily used for the production of heavy oils. A new plant

will probably be built using a new process for production of thick oil

for diesel engines as well as thicker fuel oil.

Many of the world's major oil companies are exploring promising

geological zones of Bolivia for new oil fields under contracts with

YPFB and, hence, with the Bolivian Government. The NBS/AID Survey

Team had some contact with the Philips 66 team. This company is

exploring a region not far from Cochabamba, and is committed to

spending $4.5 million in this exploration without Bolivian

participation.

23
11. Visit to the Cooperativa Boliviano de Cemento "COBOCE"

COBOCE has its head office at Calama 3806, Cochabamba. Ing. Jaime

Mendez Q., the General Manager of COBOCE, took the Survey Team by bus

from the hotel on the 2 1/2 hours' drive over dusty unsurfaced

mountain roads to the cement plant which began production in 1972.

In 1970, a handful of Bolivians decided the Bolivian people wanted to

share in a Bolivian industrial venture. They started by calling for

capital by shares of b$200, that is US$10, collected in 20 monthly

subscriptions, paid through Bolivian Credit Unions, of US$0. 501 In

all, 25 000 shareholders subscribed and decided to start with cement

production when total Bolivian production stood at only 6 x 10^ kg per

year. The GEOBOL (the Geological Survey of Bolivia, Servicio

Geologico de Bolivio) advised on a site, land rights were acquired,

and K. R. White of Denver, Colorado, was hired to perform a feasibility study which led to an invitation to bid for a 10^ kg per

year plant. Sixteen good bids were received from 11 countries, and 1

from Pianti was accepted. Pianti is a subsidiary of Institute de

Reconstruction Industrial of Italy. Payment requirements were spread over a long period and the Bolivian Development Corporation (CBF) now

joined in with a 40 percent share and acquired the right to appoint 2

out of 5 directors.

Pianti put up a well laid out small cement plant that has come up to

all expectations. So COBOCE makes 10^ kg per year of cement meeting

ASTM standards out of a Bolivian production of 2.6 x 10^ kg per year.

The plant is located near the Cochabamba to Uroru rail line at an altitude of 2500 meters; the quarry is 1000 meters (3300 ft.) higher

still, near the top of a mountain with reserve rock to last for

decades, even if COBOCE follows through with present plans to at least

double the capacity of the plant in anticipation of a much higher

demand for cement and concrete in Bolivia.

The firm has built and maintains a 27 kilometer (17 mile) good

mountain road from plant to quarry. It tends to become impassable for

two months of the year during the rainy season, so a stock of rock is

maintained at the plant. Transportation is by ten 1.8 x 10^ kg

capacity trucks also owned and maintained by the firm. The 50 kg

cement bags, however, are transported by rail or syndicated truck

operators. Their price is US$0.20 per bag for the three-hour haul to

Cochabamba (about 4 times that price to La Paz or Santa Cruz), which

can hardly be reached in 12 hours. There the sales agents receive a commission of only US$0.05 per bag selling at $2.28, not an inexpensive price. There is some loss through sub-quality paper bags.

The first Bolivian paper plant is being planned in Santa Cruz.

24
It is t'le Team's observation, confirmed by COBOCE staff, that cement

still is being wastefully used in Bolivia. There is inadequate

control of concrete mixes. Yet COBOCE is as yet having difficulty in

selling more than 75 percent of its "make". The clinker storage bay

at the plant is almost full. Export opportunities are being accepted,

especially to Brazil by rail, where the quality of the cement is

highly praised. This judgment is borne out by laboratory tests shown

to us in the small but well laid out laboratory, featuring equipment

especially from Soil Test Inc.

The chemical laboratory relies almost entirely on wet analyses, for

example, for blending calcium-, aluminum-, and iron-rich material from

different parts of the quarry. Under these circumstances it is

clearly impossible to ensure a very uniform product, yet the

enthusiastic staff no doubt does remarkably well. Of course, it is

easy to say that COBOCE simply "must" acquire some modern rapid

analytical equipment with which a hundred times as many samples could

be run for more efficient control of quarry operation and cement

quality uniformity. However, with capital badly needed for expansion,

who could give such advice with confidence?

Similarly a rope-way from quarry to plant surely would be far less

expensive than the fleet of trucks and the road maintenance, not to

speak of the inconvenience of storage of rock reserve at the plant.

Besides, dropping 10^ kg through 1000 meters every year could make a lot of electricity. Presently power is taken from the "Corani"

hydroelectric plant by land transmission. Dust causes insulation

problems at the transformer substation. Mr. Peiser believes a special

grease is used in the U.S., and promised to find out. Mr. Goncii

thought a high pressure water jet was best; at least that was the

practice in Turkey. Maintenance generally is a big problem. COBOCE

evidently has come to the same conclusion and has recently instituted

a preventive maintenance system under the supervision of a Canadian

engineer, whom the Team also met.

The Survey Team left this plant with a feeling of admiration and, incidentally, sincere gratitude for the hospitality at the plant provided by the plant manager and all his staff.

DGNT is in touch also with the two other cement plants in Bolivia at

Sucre and La Paz. There are a number of basic cement standards in

Bolivia.

25

VISITS IN THE SANTA CRUZ AREA

General Cotaments on Santa Cruz

The city of Santa Cruz is situated just east of the last hills of the

Andes, on the western rim of the Amazon Basin. The temperatures in summer are in the high 30' s; in winter, winds from the south lower the

temperature frequently to about 10°C. The soil, though sandy, is

fertile. Subterranean water is abundant; so is energy, since natural

gas is available. The natural landscape is an open savanna with

valuable wood trees in some areas. These are used for lumber and

local craft objects.

The population is predominantly of European origin. Indians from the

highlands move into the region in search of work, but 80 percent

contract active tuberculosis.

The health situation is a serious problem. Infant mortality, which

was 50 percent a few years ago, is still 15 percent. Tuberculosis and

Chagas' disease are the most serious diseases. The latter is

transmitted by a biting insect (vinchuca) , is incurable, and manifests

itself mainly through progressive vascular diseases. Tests among army

recruits show that 30 percent of the population is infected. Other

diseases which are endemic but not epidemic at present are yellow

fever, hydrophobia, and Hansen's disease (leprosis)

.

The agricultural products are varied and include rice, sugar cane,

cotton, vegetables (grown mainly by Japanese immigrants), and diverse

tropical fruits (citrus, mangoes, bananas, pineapples, avocados,

papayas, etc.). Chickens are successfully raised now, as are turkeys.

The bovine stock includes European stock, a Creole (local) breed, and,

lately, a Zebu-cross.

The industries are mainly related to the primary local products

sugar, textiles, canning, wood, and natural gas and petroleum. Many

foreigners are seen in the hotels, mainly Americans. The roads in the

surroundings of the city are presently in bad condition; however, they

are being widened and repaired. A Holiday Inn hotel is under

construction.

Statistics :

Surface of Dept. Santa Cruz:

Population

Center of city:

Peripheral area

370 621 square kilometers

580 000 inhabitants

143 000 inhabitants

20 000 inhabitants

27
1. Discussion with the Comlte de Obras Publicas

(Committee of Public Works)

The Comlte de Obras Publicas at 218 Warnes Calle, Santa Cruz, Bolivia,

received the NBS/AID Survey Team on June 17. The Survey Team was received by Ing. Mario Folanlnl Lozada, the President of the Comlte.

The Comlte Is a government entity operating under the direction of the

ministry In La Paz dealing with housing and urban development. It Is

supported by funds derived from petroleum production In the Santa Cruz

area. Such royalties approximate $600 000 per month and are continually Increasing as more petroletim is found in Santa Cruz. The

organization's area of responsibility is the Santa Cruz area of some

350 000 square kilometers. The principal mission of the Comlte is

economic planning for the Santa Cruz area. Such planning covers public utilities, street development, industry development (Includes

locating and attracting industry into the area), and statistical

analysis of population growth rate, etc., to be used as input to the

planning process. The Comlte also has arrangements with other

ministries in La Paz for recruiting teachers, doctors, and nurses, and

builds buildings for schools, hospitals, etc. The Comlte does not

maintain health facilities in Santa Cruz; these are operated

nationally.

The Comlte is a unique organization in that it was the first attempt

in Bolivia to utilize regional economic planning concepts. There are now nine of these regional planning committees. The history of the

Comlte is interesting. In 1963, the ministry in La Paz concerned with

housing and urban development was reorganized, and the Comlte was established as an Independent commission with powers to operate

autonomously of the local government in Santa Cruz. The head of the

Comlte was appointed by the President and the task of planning began.

In the words of Ing. Lozada, Santa Cruz was very "primitive" at that

time. In 1968, a Presidential Decree established an Investment policy

in Santa Cruz using the royalties from petroleum in the area. As a result of this investment, Santa Cruz has progressed at a fast pace in

the past four or five years.

The staff of the Comlte totals 420, of which 182 are administrative,

73 are technicians (engineers, economists, etc.) with degrees, and 165 are laborers in the soil laboratory and the water works. The

organization is divided into two sections, construction and planning,

each having a supervisor who reports to Ing. Lozada. It is important

to note that the Comlte is basically a planning commission, and, as such, it contracts out the majority of construction work (about 80

percent) . It also uses consultants from Inside and outside of Bolivia

to assist in its planning.

28
With the assistance of outside consultants, the Comite has established

a seven-year plan. Basically, the city of Santa Cruz is subdivided

into four rings, each with zoning codes and vith city water and

sewerage. There is publicly supplied water and sewerage up to the

second ring at the present time. The major streets in the first

couple of rings b^ve been paved, and plans are completed to pave the

various outlying spurs which intersect the rings. The present

population of Santa Cruz is between 150 000 and 180 000. It is

estim-ated that as many as 800 000 could be accommodated within the

four rings without overcrowding

.

Outside of the fourth ring, there are plans for an industrial park and

for low income housing. Consultants were employed to help identify

suitable industries for the area. About 15 to 20 were recommended - primarily industries that could take advantage of local products in

the area. It is planned that these industries will receive government

subsidy but not be controlled by the Government.

In the planning, the Comite has employed standards from the U.S.

Occupational Health and Safety Administration. However, since there are no Bolivian standards which specify various codes for buildings,

the engineers of the Comite write their own building specifications,

submit them to La Paz for approval, and go out for bids once approved.

This is a very important area where DGNT could provide assistance.

Other problems expressed during the interview centered m.ainly on a lack of skilled labor. Evidently, the growth of the gross product for

Santa Cruz has been around 9.5 percent to 10 percent per year, which

means that skilled labor will remain in demand for some time to come. The Comite has a program of providing scholarships to graduate

students in the area of public planning. There do not appear to be

any problems with the supply of water or with electricity for the

immediate future.

The Survey Team was very impressed with the confidence and obvious

competence of Ing. Lozada and his staff. The Comite is one example of

a regional planning effort that has evidently succeeded in bringing

greater prosperity to Santa Cruz through sound economic planning.

29
2. Visit to the Soil Laboratory and Public Water Works

After the interview at the Comite offices, the Survey Team visited the

soil test laboratory and the water processing plant for Santa Cruz.

The soil laboratory is a small facility located on the site where

cement is processed into paving materials for street construction.

The streets are paved with hexagon-shaped units that are interlocking

and are about 10 to 12 inches in diameter. The tests run on soil are

for construction purposes and not for agricultural purposes. The

laboratory also contained a cement test machine. It was a very

straightforward process and no technical problems were noted.

The water processing plant is three years old. The equipment used is

American and the standards used for treating water follow norms of the

American Public Health Association, the American Water Works

Association and the Water Pollution Control Federation. The

laboratory, on site, samples water from all parts of the region on a daily basis. The tests employ two basic devices - membrane filters

and a multiple tube device. The water in the region was stated to be

of good quality in its natural state. The plant adds only 2/10 ppm of

chlorine, which decreases to about 1/10 ppm at the point of delivery.

The only technical problems mentioned involved pressure and volume

transmission equipment from Control Data Corporation in the U.S. It seems as though the one-year service contract expired on the equipment

some time ago and has not been renewed. The equipment is probably

faulty due to lack of adequate calibration and maintenance.

30
3. Visit to Yaclmientos Petroliferos Fiscales Bolivianos (YPFB)

The Survey Team visited the Planta de Gas, Colpa Petroleum Gas Plant,

Colpa of YPFB on June 17 at Colpa, Santa Cruz, Bolivia. The gas

plant, located in Colpa about 60 kilometers north of Santa Cruz, is one of the gas plants operating around the city. The Survey Team was received and briefed by Mr. Ricardo Rivera, supervisor of the plant.

The plant has been operating without interruption since April 1972.

The gas produced is mainly exported to the Argentine through a pipeline, though some gas and oil are consumed in the area around

Santa Cruz. The plant was designed by the Warren Petroleum Company,

U.S.A., to meet U.S.A. standards such as API codes and ASTM standards.

The construction and fabrication of the plant was executed by YPFB,

the owner of the plant, although the process equipment, machines, and

instruments were brought from the U.S.A.

Natural gas mixed with oil and water is pumped out of 27 production

wells located around the plant and separated and processed, producing

130 million cubic feet of gas and 5000 cubic feet of condensed oil.

The plant operates 24 hours a day with 3 shifts. The operating staff

consists of 1 supervisor, 1 mechanic, 1 instrument specialist, and 13

operators. Standard operational procedures established by the YPFB

are followed for the plant operation.

Although the legal metrological units in Bolivia are metric, all units

and standards are normally those customary in the U.S. oil business

such as barrel, cubic foot, pounds per square inch, etc. Rather

strong traces of the Bolivian-Gulf heritage are observed in

technology, workmanship and trade. The laboratory is equipped with a gas-chromatograph and other minor testing devices for routine

operation of the plant.

Calibration services for the instruments and equipment are carried out

by an instrument specialist, who was not present at the time of the

visit. He has about 11 years of experience in the field. Lower

stages of calibration are performed at the plant site, but higher

stages of calibration have to be referred to master standards

maintained by the Production Department of YPFB.

None of the crew, including the supervisor, have any kind of formal

technical education, although all of them have some high school

education. The supervisor has 16 years of on-the-job training and

experience, mostly with the former Bolivia-Gulf operation. Most of

31
the crew are recruited from the vicinity of the plant, but no specific

training program is established for their training.

32
4. Visit to the Azucarero Guabira

On June 18, the Survey Team visited Guabira, the first and largest

sugar factory in Bolivia.

The sugar cane is crushed, pressed and washed. The residue is

presently used as fuel, but in the future, part xvill be used for paper

manufacture. The juice is bleached with sulfur dioxide and

sedimented. The sugar • is centrifugally separated, dried, sieved and

packed. The yeast is dried and packed for balanced animal food. The

molasses is fermented. The fermented solution is distilled and sold

in two grades, as industrial and "pure" alcohol.

This plant, founded in 1954, belongs to the autonomous government

organization, Corporacion Boliviana de Fomentos (CBF) which is also

involved with other products in Bolivia, such as PIL (see pp. 5-6 and

49-50) . The Azucarero Guabira seems to be the only one making a profit, which is used to support other CBF activities. For this

reason, CBF has been unwilling to transfer the sugar factory to

private hands. At present, CBF is reinvestigating its structure, and

the question of private ownership of the plant will probably be

raised

.

The Plant Manager, Eng. Hector Justiniano Paz, with whom the Survey

Team had a lengthy discussion, had not received the DGNT

questionnaire. In the discussion, he and the Chief Engineer, Sr. Raul

Suarez, volunteered the following information.

Production is limited by the plant capacity which will soon be

expanded from 3000 to 5500 tons per day of sugar cane. A joint

committee of cane growers, sugar producers, and the Government

(CNECA)* determines the prices of cane and sugar, and some quality

specifications for each harvest period. The sugar plant is active six

months each year. The molasses is collected in tanks, so that the

alcohol production can be kept active all year round.

The raw material is bought by the metric ton. Sugar for export is

sold in units of 60 kilograms, while the internal market products are

sold by the quintal, derived from the pound but now defined as 46

kilograms. The units are 1, 1/2, and 1/4 quintal.

The plant - driven by an old-fashioned steam engine - is quite

obsolete, and in parts was not too clean. However, there is a control

*Comision Nacional de Estudio de la Cana y el Azucar

33
laboratory, and the raw materials, intermediates and final products

are tested. The norms for final products are chosen according to the

desires of the buyer. They are generally those used in the buying

nation.

There are fairly complete procedures for checking the weighing of both

incoming trucks and the packed sugar. For the trucks, two platform

scales are calibrated with standard weights in different combinations;

the two platforms are compared, and loaded trucks are sent outside for

comparison with other stations. For the finished product, the firm

has a higher precision balance for primary calibration.

The main concern and problem is the acquisition of machine spare parts

which it takes one to three years to import; their stock of spares is

worth over US$1 000 000!

The DGNT could provide calibration services in the acquisition of raw materials, the processing procedures for sugar and byproducts, and for

finished products.

34
5. Visit to the Industria Textll Grigota S.A.

On June 19, the Survey Team visited the textile company called Grigota

Santa Cruz. The President, Mr. Ewaldo Fischer Hertel, and the

Executive Officer, Mr. Salimon Mastinguier, received the Team.

The firm was established in 1969 to meet the demand for sugar sacks

and other types of sacks, \nien a change in policy by the sugar

companies resulted in a switch to paper bags, the demand dropped fron

6 million sacks per year to 2 million sacks per year. In view of this

fact, the firm sought means of exporting sacks, and they have received

orders for 800 000 from Chile, Colombia and Peru. It seems that this

company has a problem developing a market that will enable a profitable operation to be maintained.

The company is facing a labor problem and has difficulty obtaining

qualified personnel to run their machines. They have no problem in

getting information of a technical nature and are guided by ASTM, but

suggest the development of Bolivian standards for their products.

The raw material is plentiful and is of good quality. It may, in

fact, be questioned why such good Bolivian cotton is used for the

production of sacks while poor Ecuadorian cotton is made into shirts.

There was not any specific quality control on either the raw material

or on the finished product. To install a laboratory to test the

product is not feasible within the financial structure of the firm.

There is no uniformity in the units of measure used. The metric

system is used as well as pound, quintal, and others. The firm has a preventive maintenance plan to avoid a high frequency of breakdowns.

They take no specific measures to avoid fires and have not installed

safety equipment in production.

35
6. Visit to the University of Santa Cruz

The visit on June 19 to the University Gabriel Rene Moreno at Santa

Cruz started at the old building downtown, where the Team was received

by Eng. Oscar Alborta, Dean of the Faculty of Technology. The Team's

mission was discussed with about 15 to 20 members of the faculty, and

the party proceeded to the newer buildings of the university complex

built in 1968-69, where the laboratories of biology, parasitology and

animal anatomy were shown. They are said to be in the most advanced

state of development.

The impression of this University was not favorable. Due to political

reasons, the institution was closed for a year. No students were to

be seen anywhere. The building has no central air conditioning and

already shows signs of deterioration. The laboratories show little or no signs of practical use. The equipment is of Spartan austerity.

Besides, moisture has apparently ruined a large fraction of new

instruments, such as microscopes. A brand new Mettler balance is

inoperative, and the manual is lost. No servicing whatsoever is

available. Other instruments apparently were ordered for the wrong

voltage or frequency. The staff does not appear capable of adapting

such instruments.

There are, in summary, no indications that this University can at this

time be regarded as a prime center for academic learning or applied

research.

36
7. Visit to Textiles Orientales S.A.

The Textile Company Orientales is located at 1291 Beni Esq. Charcas,

Santa Cruz. The Survey Team made its visit on June 20 and was received by Ing. Pedro Ventura Sole. The plant is small, contained in

1 building about 100 yards by 60 yards. It was constructed in 1968

and 1969 with private capital and receives no government subsidy. The

total plant investment is some US$1 million. The principal product is

cotton bags used for packaging sugar, flour, and rice.

The company employs 135 workers, 4 supervisors with technical degrees

and 15 who are administrative. The plant uses 100 percent Bolivian

cotton. There is no problem obtaining this raw material. The plant

capacity is 160 000 to 180 000 bags per month. The equipment used in

the plant is mixed British and American. The machinery is about four

to six years old. Some of the equipment is very old and has been

rebuilt. The plant manager explained that he is in the midst of

replacing out-dated machinery with American equipment. There is a small laboratory in the plant with various test equipment such as a dynamometer. The tests conducted of tensile strength, etc., are very

rudimentary, using norms which the plant has developed through

experience. For example, the plant has established a single quality

of fabric that can be used for sugar, rice and flour; all that is

required is to vary the length of the bags. The manager keeps

informed of technical literature such as the International Textile

Club Publications. The plant has a number of small capacity scales

used for weighing raw materials, etc., for quantity control. The

plant calibrates its own scales. The plant also uses some laboratory

facilities of its sister company in La Paz.

The plant has no temperature or humidity control and is planning to

install such equipment as well as suction fans to remove cotton dust.

Future plans are to go to automatic weaving machines and to expand the

product line. However, this will take some time as it will require

purchasing dyeing machines, etc.

The manager stated that he has some contact with DGNT to inquire of

standards that exist. Also, the manager had a good understanding of

the implications of standardization. The manager was in favor of

standardization because he felt that it would give him a better basis

for competition with others who are producing an inferior product and

selling it for the same price.

The manager stated that he has problems with replacement parts. He

stated that it took about a year to obtain parts, and he did not have

a good supply on hand. He also stated that he had some marketing

problems because the sugar industry (which is Government operated)

37
decided to go to a lower cost paper bag which drastically reduced the

demand for cotton bags from the plant. However, the industry has now

changed back to cotton bags.

38
R. Visit to the Centro de Technologia Petrolera (YPFB)

The Survey Team visited the Center of Petroleum Technology (YPFB) in

Santa Cruz on June 21.

The Organization Chart of this operation is of interest:

Directive Committee U. N.

Director -Officer in Charge

Administration -\— Office of Secretary

1

« 1 Exploitation Service

Division

Exploration Service

Division

Liquid and Petrophysics Lab.Paleontology and

Palinology Lab.

Mud, Cement and

Water Lab.

Stratigraphic and

Sedimentation Lab,

Geophysics Lab,

The organization was set up by the Government of Bolivia with the

cooperation of the United Nations. It was financed by a government

grant together with U.N. assistance for three years. It was to have

started operations in 1966, but was delayed by prolonged negotiations

over a proposed expansion, which was not approved. Thus, it was not

until 197A that the first phase of the initial proposal was completed

All the properties and operations of the unit will be placed under

YPFB.

The principal function of the laboratories shown on the organization

chart above is to assist the oil industry in the fields of

exploitation and exploration. There is direct communication between

the oil industry and the Center regarding implementation and practical

application of the laboratory results. However, the relationship of

the Center to exploration activities is not clear, inasmuch as these

are conducted by foreign companies to which the Government has granted

exploration concessions. The Center is increasing its capacity with a view to the future provision of these services.

The test equipment, machinery, and other instruments in the

laboratories came from different countries, but the test methods

predominantly make reference to U.S. standards and methods which are used worldwide by the oil industry.

39
Instrument calibrations are said to be carried out satisfactorily by

the present staff, using instructions and standard reference materials

supplied by the manufacturers. It should be noted that the

Geophysics Laboratory is equipped with a Westinghouse 2500 computer.

Records and other data are programmed by the computer.

The Center has 50 employees, including 18 engineers who have

scientific degrees. Most of these engineers received their higher

education in Argentina, Brazil, the U.S., and Great Britain.

The Center offers scholarships to university students in its fields of

interest.

40
9. Electric Power Plant, ENDE, Santa Cruz

General Information

ENDE (National Electric Enterprise) was constructed in 1970 with a credit provided by AID. The plant has a nominal capacity of 13 MVA,

and the maximum demand is near this figure. On the average, this

plant has a constant demand for 12 MVA. The plant provides electric

power to the city of Santa Cruz and the rural areas. The plant

experiences two peak demand periods, one at night and the other in the

morning

.

The plant generates electric power which is distributed by a cooperative whose members are the consumers of the electricity. The

distribution system was financed by the regional AID organization. An

increase of the plant capacity to 22 800 kW will be financed by the

World Bank. The AEG (Allgemeine Elektrizitat Gesellschaf t) will

provide the equipment needed for this purpose, having submitted the

lowest bid. The plant expansion was necessitated by the following

increases in demand.

The rate of increase of demand appears to have declined. This is

principally due to the saturation of demand at the present level of

industrialization. It is expected that the demand will increase as

the region becomes more industrialized.

The plant controls voltage within a range of + 3 percent and frequency

from 0.5-1 percent of the nominal values. The firm does not have

the means to measure the amount of Diesel fuel supplied to them. It

does have the capability of measuring the amount of natural gas

supplied

.

The electric power generation system in Bolivia is divided into three

principal regions:

1 . Central Region

In this region, the plants are principally of the hydroelectric type,

Corani and Santa Isabel. A subsidiary in Cochabamba has several small

plants. The regions of greatest consumption are as follows: the city

Year Increases

1970

1971

1972

1973

68 percent

30 percent

20 percent

15 percent

41
of Cochabainba, Oruro, and the mining sector. In addition to these

plants, general electric power is provided by Bolivian Power and

COMIBOL (Mining Corporation of Bolivia) . These plants supply power

La Paz and Oruro and to the mining centers, respectively.

2. Eastern Region

In this area, ENDE provides all the electric power.

3. Southern Region

In this area, there are principally thermoelectric plants which are interconnected to permit an interchange of power.

42
10. Visit to the Industria de Ceramics MARGLA

The Survey Team visited MARGLA on June 21. This company is the

largest producer of brick and tiles in Bolivia. They produce diverse

types of brick, hollow or solid, floor tiles, and tubes for sanitary

use. Their present production is in batch kilns, at 600 000 units per

month. A continuous-process kiln, costing about US$250 000 is now

being installed which will double the plant capacity. Demand, 90

percent from Santa Cruz, exceeds plant capacity. The group also

talked with Andres Bruno, the proprietor of a ceramic plant which

produces mosaic tiles for floors, and a former associate of MARGLA.

Both manufacturers believe that their procedures are basically sound;

however, the work and particularly expansion of production are hampered by the lack of laboratories and standards. They feel that

the soil laboratory of the Public Works Committee should be expanded

to include testing of raw materials for this industry. In time, they

also would like to have their own laboratories, inasmuch as the lack

of local facilities makes it necessary for them to send 2 000

kilograms of clay to Italy for tests. The presence of local

laboratory facilities would improve their production standards.

The managers of both firms would be very happy to receive technical

information from the DGNT and to cooperate with the standardization

committees. They stated that Bolivian standards should be adaptations

of foreign standards. They observed that those standards which are very strict (for example, pipe porosity standards) could be

prejudicial to Bolivian production. As an example, they affirmed that

European standards, with fewer restrictions, are accepted in Brazil

without disadvantage.

Just like other Santa Cruz companies, they have a very positive

attitude toward standardization and suggest that the establishm.ent of

a regional office of the DGNT in Santa Cruz would be very beneficial.

43

VISITS IN THE LA PAZ AREA

1. Visit to Volcan S.A.

June 17, 1974, Dr. Beers, Dr. Vashrangsi, Ing. Paredes, and Ing.

Mantilla visited Volcan S.A. where they were received by Mr. Erich

Lenz, Electrical Engineer, Mr. Guillermo Pett R. , and Mr. Alfred Kuser

K. , President.

The firm is a foundry, making castings of up to 2500 kilograms in

iron, steel, and brass. The principal customers are middle-sized

mining firms. There is a wide range of products, including church

bells, pulleys, gears, brackets for water turbines, propellers, and even one statue.

The headquarters of the firm is in an antiquated building near the

center of La Paz. It contains what appears to be ancient machinery

and houses about 165 employees. Vie also visited a new foundry

building near the outskirts of the city which is not in full operation

because of the lack of heavy electrical equipment. At present, 35

workers are employed here, and eventually 65 will be employed. The

firm vn.ll maintain its headquarters in the old building because of its

convenience to customers.

The firm was founded in 1921. Employees are mostly sons of former

employees and were trained by the firm as apprentices.

A laboratory is being set up in the new building. At the present

time, many of the instruments are still in packing boxes, and the firm

has no means of testing final products or raw materials.

(Incidentally, their iron comes from Japan at present, and the foundry

sand from Lake Titacaca) . They operate solely "by experience"; yet

they say they have few products rejected by customers.

They complain of increasing confusion over definitions of quantities

and units. Since much of their business is making replacement parts

for machines made elsewhere, they must work in both metric and

customary units and often a mixture of the two. They seem to feel

that DGNT is powerless to help in bringing order to the chaos.

Although they manufacture weights for scales, they have the capability

of adjusting them only approximately, and they say there is no place

in Bolivia which can adjust them properly. They consider this their

most serious measurement problem. They say that volume of business is

too small for them to consider use of computer controlled milling

machines

.

45
2. Visit to "Venado"

On June 17, Dr. Beers, Dr. Vashrangsi, Ing. Paredes, and Ing. Mantilla

visited "Venado" and were received by Mr. Raul Hernandez, General

Manager, Mr. Raul Cardenas, Sub-Manager, and Mr. Rene Beltran in the

laboratory. The firm was founded 50 years ago as a distillery but is no longer in that business. In 1946, it started making industrial

"Fleischmann' s Yeast" under contract with Standard Brands. Since

then, through further contracts with Standard Brands and Swiss firms,

it has been manufacturing other food products such as Royal Gelatin,

Royal Baking Powder, and Maggi dehydrated soups. The firm also

imports Nestle Chocolate and dairy products.

They follow test procedures specified by the parent firms and are re- quired each month to send samples of products for testing abroad to

the U.S.A., Argentina, Brazil, or Switzerland, as appropriate in each

individual case. Personnel are sent abroad for training as appropriate. The total work force is 90, 8 of them technical.

We visited the production facilities and what appears to be a wellequipped laboratory. Detailed production test records are kept to

insure maintenance of quality. The laboratory facilities include a microscope for bacteria count of yeast, pH tests, a gasometer for

checking baking soda, and numerous other instruments. The management

works closely with various DGNT standards committees.

For weighing raw materials, they use scales certified once a year by

the city of La Paz. They are checked also by intercomparison with

laboratory scales. Packaged products such as gelatin are spot checked

for weight on scales certified by the city.

The malt used for the yeast is obtained from Santa Cruz by truck.

46
3. Visit to Destileria Boliviana S. A.

On June 17, 1974, the Survey Team visited the Destileria Boliviana at

Av. Chacaltaya 1258, La Paz.

The Team was conducted on the plant tour by Ing. Ernesto Duarte, the

Chief of Production, and afterwards welcomed by the Public Relations

Manager, Ing. Eduardo Valdivia. The plant was built in 1969 aiming

for the production of 10 000 liters per day of alcohol. Owing to the

limitation of the market, only 2000 liters per day are produced at the

present time. Of the alcohol produced, 80 percent is used for

production of whiskey and beverages and 20 percent is for industrial

use. The company is licensed by the manufacturer in France (Marie

Blizard) and in the U.S.A. (Bellows). It is a private enterprise, and

most of the workers in the plant are shareholders. Therefore,

everyone is said to work with full responsibility as one of the owners

of the plant. At the present time, there are 50 full-time employees.

Training is done by on-the-job training at the factory.

Crude alcohol is brought from Santa Cruz, and the alcohol is purified

by fractional distilation. The column is composed of 65 horizontal

plates which can separate the crude raw material into ethyl alcohol,

methyl alcohol, acetone, etc. After fractionation, the alcohol is

diluted to a strength of 60 degrees. It is mixed with ingredients and

aged in oak drums for 1 to 1 1/2 months. The liquor from the drums is

filtered and pumped into mixing tanks. The flavor is added according

to the brands of the products. The finished product is refiltered and

bottled manually, the amount of liquid fed in being determined by the

level in the neck of the bottle. The finished products are Whiskey

Special, Whiskey Bellow, Vodka, etc. Some products are sold under a D

& B Brand; the others are under Bellow or French or other brand

depending upon the licenses affiliated. About 60 percent of the

products are exported to several countries of Latin America, Europe,

and Asia, and to the U.S.A. Only 40 percent are consumed in Bolivia.

The water used for mixing is treated by ion exchangers which are automically controlled. Quality control is done by a laboratory which

is equipped with facilities for chemical and physical analyses.

Distilled fraction at a certain temperature, refractive index, color,

etc., are determined according to the company's or parent company's

standards. If the products do not conform to the specified standard,

the manufacturing process must be stopped and the quality adjusted.

It was mentioned that the company is aiming at an increase of

production for its present products and at adding new products such as cosmetics. Foreign markets are sought in many countries such as Germany, Australia, etc. The company has some difficulty in

47
competition with near-by foreign producers since the Government of

Bolivia raised the export tax up to 18 percent. The internal market

has problems of competition through smuggling and taxation, which

includes production, sale and luxury taxes.

On June 22, Mr. Lonsdale, the General Manager of the Distillery, was elected President of the Chamber of Commerce. In that capacity, he was invited to the reception of the Minister of Commerce, Industry and

Tourism on June 25. At that time, Mr. Peiser held a further

discussion with Mr. Lonsdale, who was equally proud of his products

and workers. They all owned shares in the distillery. The altitude

at La Paz is a great advantage for a distillery.

48

/
4. Visit to Planta Industrializadora de Leche (PIL - La Paz)

The visit to PIL, La Paz, took place on June 18, 1974. Those participating were Dr. Beers, Dr. Vashrangsi, Ing. Prudencio, Ing. Quezada,

Ing. Paredes , and Ing. Ozcui. The party was received by Ing. Alberto

Catacora S., General Manager, and Kristensen Krausen Knid, a technical

consultant from Denmark.

The plant is operated by the same organization that operates the PIL

Plant in Cochabamba, but it is newer, having been in operation for

only 22 months, and its financial support is less favorable. It has

been financed by a loan from Denmark with a term of eight years and at

a rate of interest that is higher than is paid on the loan to the

Cochabamba Plant.

The products are also milk products, but, except for milk itself,

there is a policy of avoiding duplication of products between the two

plants. In addition to milk, the La Paz Plant produces cheese,

yogurt, and DULCE DE LECHE. The latter is a sweet substance, tasting

something like caramel but softer in consistency, used in cakes and

other desserts.

At present, raw materials - milk, milk powder, and butter - are obtained from two sources: (1) World Food Program and (2) (more

recently) from about 100 small producers on the Altiplano. The firm

is starting to provide technical assistance to the independent

producers in various ways. As part of this technical assistance

program, they have a small garden on the site of the plant, where they are experimenting in growing various crops on small plots of ground.

In the long-range plan of the PIL Organization, a third plant at Santa

Cruz is being considered. A goal is to make the La Paz Plant

independent of the World Food Program in five years, obtaining raw materials only from its own independent producers and the Cochabamba

and Santa Cruz Plants.

The La Plaz Plant packages milk in sealed plastic bags rather than

bottles. Most milk is sold in one-liter bags. They have one small

bag for individual servings that they are trying to sell to school

children for b$1.50. To build up a market among children, they offer

milk flavored with chocolate and with strawberries. Bags are dated.

Samples are weighed from beginning, middle, and end of each run, but

these measurements are probably meaningless because they are done on a scale of such low sensitivity that the one-liter bag gives a deflection of only one-twentieth or one-tenth of a full scale

deflection.

49
They have two laboratory rooms, one for checking daily production and

one for making long-range tests of products from the whole industry.

Neither laboratory is fully equipped at present. Although they are working closely with DGNT, they are having problems with quality

control, perhaps because the laboratories are not fully equipped.

The staff consists of 20 people, many of whom have been sent to

Cochabamba for training. The manager has had training in Chile and

Denmark.

50
5. Visit to Plasmar S.A.

The visit to Plasmar S.A. took place on June 18. Those participating

were Dr. Beers, Dr. Vashrangsi, Ing. Ozcui, Ing. Paredes, Ing.

Prudencio, and Ing. Quezada. The party was received by Ing. Edgar A. Heredia H. , in charge of production, and others.

Originally, in 1966, the company produced plastic toys and then

reinforced plastics for industry. After moving to the present plant,

the firm changed to its present line of products: copper wire (bare

and with PVC insulation), extruded plastic tubes, and corrugated

polyester plastic sheets. One-half of the plant is devoted to wire

production and the other half to plastics. This latter part is

subdivided into portions for thermoplastics and thermosetting

plastics. About 5000 square meters of floor space is available for

production equipment. The firm is owned by Bolivian, Peruvian, and

Swiss investors.

For the wire production, copper meeting ASTM standards is obtained

from Bolivia and Peru in the form of laminating bars. Although in

short supply, PVC has been obtained mainly through the friendly

influence of a German scientist, who is interested in receiving data

on the performance of PVC at high altitudes.

ASTM standards are used for copper wire. Two wire drawing machines

capable of having wire pass through at 5000 feet per minute produce

wire in all sizes down to AWG #32 starting from AWG //6. Diameters are measured to 1 mil by micrometers, but they would like greater

accuracy. PVC insulation is tested by a spark tester. Electrical

conductivity and tensile strength test equipment are on order.

Experiments on the tin coating of copper wire are being conducted in

the hope of producing telephone cable.

Rather complete laboratory facilities are available for testing the

mechanical properties of plastic products. British standards for PVC

tubing are used. Samples of tubing are sent to the Health Institute

for tests of toxicity.

Tubing is sold mainly for mining and plumbing in buildings. Some

tubing is sold for telephone installations, and some is exported to

Peru.

The firm has 115 employees. Some have been instructed in quality

control by DGNT. Most have had training on the site. A few have been

trained abroad. There has been no close relationship with local

universities, and the universities seem to have little interest in

close ties except for finding summer jobs for students.

51
The plastics factory had an offensive odor similar to that generated

when plastic material is sawed rapidly.

52
6. Visit to Drogueria INTI S. A.

The pharmaceutical product company, Drogueria INTI S.A., Is located at

Villa Loboz #1794 In La Paz. The Survey Team visited there on June

18, 1974. The team was received and guided on a plant tour by the

Manager, Dr. Dletev Schilling. The plant was first built In 1948 with

a small section, but as time went on production Increased and the

factory expanded. At the present time, the factory Is a three-story

building, each floor of which has an area of about 200 square meters.

The raw material storage and animal cages are In another building on

the opposite side of the street. The total number of employees Is

250, 150 working In the factory and the rest In other buildings. It

Is noticeable that the workers on the production lines are women ex- cept In the maintenance and repair section. It was said that women

are better than men for a neat and clean job In pharmaceutical

production.

The manufactured products Include aspirin and vitamins as well as inhaling ointment. The production processes are licensed from foreign

companies such as Bayer, Hoercht, Brown and Nelson. Raw materials are bought from producers well known in countries like the U.S.A.,

Germany, and Japan. Most of the raw materials are ordered from Merk,

Hoercht, ICI, Monsanto, Du Pont, Meijl, etc. About 70 percent of the

materials are from Germany, 10 percent from the U.S.A. and Japan, and

20 percent from Bolivia. The water used in the process is treated by

Ion exchange and distillation.

Tablet products such as aspirin and vitamin C are made by mixing ingredients in a 2000 liter mixer, then the mixture is delivered to

pellettlng and wrapping machines. Liquid products are solutions of

certain ingredients which are poured into containers of plastic or glass. The products are sold under different brand names depending

upon the authorized license. There are about 350 kinds of products

made and sold. During the visit, the Team saw the production lines of

several products Including Neurotonico, Deneumbron, Dexotone, Oplxon,

Mentisan, etc.

The equipment used in the production is rather old and most is

manually operated. However, it is kept nice and clean. Since the

market is small, production cannot be increased and automatic

equipment is not suitable.

Quality control is carried out by sampling and inspection during the

production process. Laboratory analyses are carried out. Properties

such as pH, moisture, rotation angle of polarized light, etc., are determined. The methods of analyses are those specified in the

pharmacopoeia. New medications are also tested with animals.

53
The company has a serious problem with glass bottles as they are green

glass and vary in volume as we heard earlier in the beer brewery in

Cochabamba. The competition in the market is serious since there are about 150 pharmaceutical importers in Bolivia. In addition, there is a great deal of smuggling of medicines into the country.

54
7. Visit to the Bolivian-American Tobacco Company S. A.

The visit to the Bolivian-American Tobacco Company took place on June

19, 1974. The party consisted of Dr. Beers, Dr. Vashrangsi, Ing.

Garces, Ing. Prudencio, and Ing. Tardes. It was received by Lie.

Napoleon Lopez. The firm manufactures cigarettes under license with

Philip Morris. It sells under the trade names, "Colorado", "Kent",

"Capitol", and "Big Ben". Most of the production is of "Colorado"

cigarettes. The firm's sales are expanding rapidly, and at present it

has 48 percent of the Bolivian market. There are competing firms in

La Paz and Oruro. The production of "Colorado" cigarettes is 30

million a month. The firm is Bolivian owned. There are no exports.

Cut tobacco is received from the U.S.A. and Argentina, and filters are obtained from the U.S.A. Assembly and packaging is highly automated.

There is a laboratory for checking the quality of the product

.

Tobacco is tested for humidity. There is no test of filters, as these

are assumed to meet U.S. standards. Numerous tests are made on completed cigarettes. Twenty are tested every week, and control

charts of data obtained are maintained. Every month samples are sent

to Philip Morris in Caracas and to the U.S.A.

There are 100 employees who are trained on the site. A 10 percent tax

is levied on cigarettes in Bolivia. The firm complains of competition

from smuggling.

55
8. Visit to RIBSA LTD.

The visit to Ribsa Ltd. took place on June 19. The party, consisting

of Dr. Beers, Dr. Vashrangsi, Ing. Garces, Ing. Quesada, and Ing.

Tardes, was received by the Manager, Jalucho Salome. The plant went

into operation in 1967 and has 120 employees. It is primarily a knitting mill with a capacity of 50 000 pounds of fabric per month,

20 000 pounds of which are used by the firm to make garments, with the

remainder sold to other textile mills in Bolivia. Threads of many

different materials are used. Cotton is obtained from Santa Cruz.

The synthetic types of thread are imported from abroad. Zippers made

in Bolivia under the trade name "Inca" are used in many garments.

Many of the products are manufactured under license of B.V.D. in the

U.S.A., bear the B.V.D. label, and conform to B.V.D. specifications.

Orders from abroad have been received, but limited production capacity

has so far prevented manufacture of goods for export

.

The knitting machinery has been imported from several foreign

countries, but there have been no serious maintenance problems, as a skilled maintenance crew has been trained by the firm. The principal

potential defect with thread is lack of continuity. Spools with

breaks in them have to be eliminated by re-spooling. Garments are inspected at four stages in the production. If there is any non- uniformity in thread diameter, the effect is noticed by a non- uniformity of texture in the cloth, and it is rejected.

Scales are checked once a week. The firm complains of competition

from smugglers.

56
9. Visit to Gomatex

The visit to Gomatex took place on June 19. The party, consisting of

Dr. Beers, Dr. Vashrangsi, Ing. Garces, Ing. Quesada, and Ing. Tardes, was received by Abel Pacheco F. The firm, which went into production

in 1966, manufactures a variety of rubber products, V-belts, conveyor

belts, tubing, boots, gloves, and heels (but not tires). Its products

are sold only on the Bolivian market. It has 25 employees.

It uses raw rubber produced in Bolivia and neoprene imported from

Du Pont in the U.S.A. Chemicals are imported from Germany and the

U.S.A. The machines have been imported from abroad. Maintenance of

machines is the firm's most serious problem as there is no staff of

adequately trained maintenance people, and it has not been possible to

hire competent people. There is no proper training available.

The firm has a well-equipped laboratory for testing rubber products,

and Ing. Garces of DGNT has used it for making measurements. There is

close collaboration between the firm and DGNT. Formerly they used

ASTM standards. Now they use IRAM standards from Argentina.

Sr. Pacheco, an engineering graduate of the University of Syracuse,

said that his industry needs tariff protection to continue its

existence

.

57
10. Visit to the Cervecerla Boliviana National (Brewery)

On June 19, 1974, the Team was received at the National Bolivian

Brewery and guided through the factory by Mr. Hans Hennig, the chief

brewmaster. This factory was built 80 years ago, and it has been

expanded as time went on. It has, at the present time, a total of 692

employees, of whom 442 are working in the manufacturing process. The

production process is similar to that of Cerveceria Taquina S. A.,

which the Team visited in Cochabamba, except that the La Paz factory

is about 10 times larger.

The total production is about 5.2 million liters per day, consisting

of four kinds of beer, i.e., white beer, dark beer, centinario, and

Pilsner. Normally the factory grows its own malt; however, there was

a shortage of barley during the last three months, so the malt has

been imported from Chile.

Production control of quality is carried out by sampling and

laboratory testing. The extraction, germination and sugar content are determined for raw materials, and the finished products are tested for

alcohol, carbon dioxide, residue, air, color, odor, refractive index

and specific gravity. The company complains about the low quality of

the bottles. Not only is their green color objectionable, but they are also too fragile. Breakage is as high as 20 percent.

Technicians are trained in Germany, and workers are trained at the

factory. Technical problems and equipment maintenance are not

serious. At the present time, the company participates in a standards

committee at DGNT.

58
11. Visit to the Ministry of Social Security and Public Health

The visit to organizations under the Ministry of Social Security and

Public Health took place at 0830 on June 20, 1974. The party,

consisting of Dr. Beers, Dr. Vashrangsi, Ing. Lopez, Ing. Paredes, and

Ing. Prudencio, was received by the Director, Dr. Luis Valverde

Chinel. The tour of the laboratories was conducted by Dr. Antonio de

la Reza.

The institution was founded in 1907 and moved into its present

quarters in 1919. These quarters appear to be in the form of a large

residence that has been converted to laboratory use, and various

additions and outbuildings have extended the working space. The

location is adjacent to two or three hospitals.

The NBS/AID Team, was informed later that plans for a complete

reorganization and expansion of the laboratories existed. Presently

the organization is divided into a number of laboratories which appear

to be almost too autonomous. It has three main functions:

(1) diagnostics of contagious diseases (by laboratory methods),

(2) bacterial studies of the transmission of diseases, and (3) preparation of vaccines and serums for use in hospitals. The detailed

activities include the following:

Sanitary condition of food and water.

Production of drugs and vaccines

,

Diagnosis of tuberculosis (through analysis of specimens)

,

Parasitology,

Biological diagnosis of various diseases.

Microbiology,

Analysis of domestically produced food products for

nutrition content.

Control of medicines for purity, and

Vlnology

.

Some of the people come here for training in anticipation of being

sent elsewhere (such as in the tuberculosis diagnosis project).

Nearly all laboratory chiefs complained openly and at length of the

lack of equipment and the lack of support or interest by the

Government of which they are a part. The complaints, on the face of

it, seemed justified. It was heart-breaking to see so many sincere

and earnest - and apparently more or less well-trained - people try to

carry out such important programs with equipment that is inadequate in

quantity and obsolete. Except for two or three spectrophotometers,

there was no modern equipment. In one laboratory, the centrifuge was operated by hand power (although there were motorized ones elsewhere)

.

There is no library and no subscriptions to journals. The space for

59
experimental animals is inadequate. There were also some complaints

of lack of staff. There was no glass-blowing facility there and said

to be none in La Paz. The team saw some such facilities in Oruro.

There were many people with doctor's degrees on the staff. Some

laboratories had two or three. Many had studied abroad.

The nutrition work, between 1962 and 1972, had received financial

support from an agency in the U.S.A. identified as ICND, and, as of

1962, it was well equipped. However, now that the grant has been

terminated, there have not been sufficient funds to pay for

replacement parts or expendable supplies, and several of the

instruments are not operable. The head of the work, however, spoke of

having had a number of papers published. The laboratory responsible

for controlling qualities of food and water employs only three people.

It is said to be the only one in Bolivia.

Some of the projects collect fees for their services. These are paid

directly to higher authority in the Government and bring no direct

benefit to the project. The U.S. practice of including an item of

overhead as part of the cost and assigning part of the overhead to

maintaining or updating the equipment seems to be unknown.

Rarely do the staff have meetings or lectures. While the people in

the laboratory say that the equipment is in such short supply that

rarely is it free, the visitor cannot help wondering if the existing

equipment could not be shared more than it appears to be. Also, the

visitor cannot help wondering if, in the face of inadequate support,

the number of projects should not be reduced so that the surviving

ones can operate at a proper level.

The projects concerned with the control of medicines and sanitary

conditions for food and water appear to be the only ones concerned

with standards. In the former, international standards such as those

published by Merck are adopted although the lack of facilities often

prevents any significant testing to see whether the drugs comply.

Cooperation by the DGNT in these projects and in the general

calibration of instruments would be appreciated. The DGNT

questionnaire was not considered relevant and is not being filled out.

60
12. Visit to Manufacturas de Algordo SAID

The visit to SAID took place on June 20. The party consisted of Dr.

Beers, Dr. Vashrangsi, Ing. Lopez, Ing. Cardona, Ing. Quesada and Ing.

Tardes. The firm manufactures cloth and sells only to the Bolivian

market. It carries out all processes from the spinning of raw material into thread to finished dyed or printed cloth. Ninety-nine

percent of the raw materials are of Bolivian origin. Polyester is

imported. Cotton is obtained from sources near Santa Cruz owned by

the owner of the plant. The firm employs 1100 people who work in 3

shifts. It was founded 46 years ago. Most of the machinery has been

imported. The firm has trained a staff of maintenace men for the

machinery. There are four smaller competing firms. Raw material and

intermediate products are weighed as part of the control of quality.

The scales are checked periodically by an outside contractor, Fernando

Zelada.

Some goods are "sanforized", and royalties of one cent per yard are paid to a U.S. firm (presumably CLUETT PEABODY) . English units are used to specify thread or yarn, but finished products are specified in

terms of the metric system. The firm is working with the DGNT on standards. The firm's most serious problems are social problems - those pertaining to management of personnel. The management feels

that the labor force is inefficient, but Bolivian laws make it

difficult to terminate the services of incompetent employees. This

plant was one of several that have been visited in which there was a safety hazard through the existence of machinery driven by unguarded

belts.

61
13. Visit to Empresa Nacional de Fundlclones (ENAF)

The tin smelting plant of ENAF, with mailing address Casilla #612,

Oruro, Bolivia, was visited by the Survey Team on June 21, 1974, at

10:30 A.M. The party consisted of Dr. Beers, Mr. Peiser, Dr.

Vashrangsi, Ing. Azcui and Ing. Montano. The Team was received by

Ing. Julio Penarrieta CH., Superintendent of Production, who explained

the production process. Then the Team was conducted on a plant tour

by Ing. Eduardo Fuentes U., the Production Engineer of the factory.

The plant is owned by the Government of Bolivia which started the

operation in 1970. It has a total of 500 employees working 3 shifts a day. The plant has a production of 7200 tons of tin per year and 300

tons of alloy per year. An antimony extraction plant is being added.

The majority of tin ore is refined abroad, mostly in the United

Kingdom. The tin ingots have a purity of 99.9 percent. All products

are exported to the U.S.A. and Europe.

Three grades of raw tin concentrate (the best is only 50 percent) are received from three different types of companies. The process

involves roasting, reduction, dissolution and electrolytic refinement.

Slags and residue from each step are recycled. There are many signs

of technical and management problems, such as with electrode supply

and quality of tin melting pots made by VOLCAN.

The laboratory for quality control is excellently managed and well

equipped with modern instruments such as atomic absorption equipment,

a polarograph, a spectrograph, etc., as well as wet chemistry

facilities. A sample of each lot of raw material or finished product

is analyzed by physical and chemical methods and the results compared.

The report of analysis is sent to the main office in La Paz where

determinations on quality control and similar management decisions are

made. The U.S. manager greeted us very briefly. The technical

production staff is credited with several innovations, but is not

encouraged to undergo outside in-service training. The firm protects

its know-how and presently receives no assistance from DGNT or the

Institute of Investigations in Mining and Metallurgy. DGNT help in

temperature measuring and weight scales calibrations would be welcome.

Institute of Investigations in Mining and Metallurgy help in better

quality and maintenance in tin melting pots is just one example of

outside help that would benefit ENAF, but they do not appear very re- ceptive to such assistance. During the Survey Team's visit to IIMM it

appeared that this Institute was well informed about the interesting

fractional tin evaporator plant of Russian origin, which is operating

at ENAF but is as yet unproved. Bolivian industry will look to a progressive policy and expansion of this factory.

62
14. Visit to the Institute de Investigaciones Mlnero Metalurgicas

At Oruro on June 21, the Survey Team visited the Institute for Mining

and Metallurgical Investigations (IIMM) , said to be the prime research

institute in Bolivia. The field of work is certainly most appropriate

for that country. Even in the absence of the Executive Director, Ing.

Mario Paulsen T. , and some other senior staff members, the enthusiasm

and competence shown by the guides was most impressive. However, they

were first to admit that IIMM is just at its beginning. A new

building is badly needed and an ambitious one is planned a little way

out of the city. With a portion of the building funds already

available, a start on the first laboratory building is to be made this

year

.

Most important, however, is that by a recent decree of the Government

all tin ore mined is to be subject to a 1.75 percent tax to be

directly channelled into mining and metallurgical development,

research and education. IIMM is due a large share of this fund.

Thus, though today the library and most laboratories of IIMM are short

of supplies and modern equipment, this state of affairs will soon

change. Even with these present limitations, ongoing projects are well chosen, such as recovery of colloidal tin from water suspension

to correct a significant loss in preparing tin concentrates.

The divisions of IIMM are too many to mention, but there is special

strength in chemical analysis, ore separation, computer projects (IBM

1130) and economic feasibility studies.

A Survey Team member who had never worked in metallurgical or mining

research summed up the impressions by saying: "In this Institute I would like to work." At any rate, it is an Institute with which NBS

should keep in contact. The Survey Team left with sincere good wishes

to IIMM.

63
15. Visit to the Technical University of Oruro

The visit to the University of Oruro also took place on June 21. The

visiting party consisted of Dr. Beers, Mr. Peiser, Dr. Vashrangsi,

Ing. Azcui and Ing. Montaiic). The party first went to the Office of

the Rector, Dr. Carlos Gutzman, where it was greeted by the Rector,

the members of the Board of Regents, the Dean of Engineering and the

Heads of the Engineering Departments. The Rector expressed the

pleasure of the administration at the visit, and Mr. Peiser in turn

expressed the pleasure of the party in being able to make the visit

and its thanks for the cordial reception.

Then the party and many of the University staff went from the Rector's

Office in downtown Oruro to the present Engineering Building some distance away. On the way, the Dean expressed his regret that the

party's change in plans had cut out the Saturday visit. During this

they had planned to show the new campus, which is 40 percent complete,

and which is the first totally planned campus in Bolivia.

On arrival at the Engineering Building, the party was first shown the

Mechanical Laboratory and numerous examples of the students' shop

work. At one point, a speaker said, while standing next to three

undamped and unsupported tanks of compressed gases, that all safety

regulations were enforced. Later, the goggles used in arc welding

were observed to have cracked glass with portions entirely missing.

Next, the party visited the electrical laboratory. The Professor of

Electrical Engineering said that they had no standards of resistance

or of voltage, except for meters, and the calibrations were assumed to

be correct.

Then there was a meeting in the Dean's Office. Dr. Beers asked about

plans of the Electrical Engineering Department. He was told that the

Department plans to concentrate on power and has no immediate plans

for instruction in electronics or logic circuits. However, later they

hope to have a course on television. The Dean said that by a new

decree of the Government, all exports of tin would be taxed 1.75

percent, the proceeds of which will go to the support of the

University. Mr. Peiser expressed the hope that the University would

send representatives to the Seminar in La Paz. The Dean said he

expected two people would come. Ing. Montano explained in detail the

objectives and plan of the Seminar. After taking leave, the party

returned to La Paz.

64
16. Visit to the Ministry of Planning

On June 17, Ing. Donoso, Ing. Candia, and Mr. Peiser were received by

the Minister of Planning, Ing. Sergio Otero Gomez, who was encouraging

towards the Seminar and appreciative of the Survey. He was interested

in the NBS guest worker program and gave instructions for plans to be

made for Bolivia to use this opportunity. Persons of adequate

technical background must be selected to benefit from such a long-term

assignment to NBS.

Much more detailed discussions ensued with Dr. Armando Loayza, the

Head of the Division for International Technical Cooperation. It is

the task of this Division to coordinate all bilateral and multilateral

technical assistance to Bolivia (amounting to about US$41 million per

year) and to channel this cooperation into the priorities laid down by

the National Council for Economics and Planning which had explained

its "CONEPLAN" at an International Meeting in 1973, chaired and

addressed by the President of the Republic, Oral. Hugo Banzer Suarez.

While greatly appreciative of the assistance given by USAID,

Dr. Loayza had asked for a discussion in July with Mr. Oleson, the

Director of the USAID Mission, with regard to the areas of

concentration and the possibility of some support of industrial and

standards work. Was perhaps the Survey and Seminar an indication of a change of emphasis by USAID? Mr. Peiser explained the concept of

small regional pilot projects funded from the USAID Technical

Assistance Bureau in Washington. The NBS/AID Team had come under such

a project.

After further constructive discussion, it seemed unrewarding to plan

an agreement directly with NBS, whose resources are limited. However,

most of the work of NBS is open for all to see. If its results are of

interest to DGNT and Bolivia, they would be gladly shared. Moreover,

there were the standards literature and reference materials programs

which would benefit DGNT without any further formality. NBS staff was always interested in discussing standards, measurements, alternative

procedures and related technical choices. NBS stood ready to give

some support in the areas of its expertise to programs of OAS, UNDP,

etc. Dr. Loayza pointed out that the UNDP assistance with about 40

projects would become the most important technical assistance plan for

Bolivia. Final signature of the DGNT project depended only on minor

points still under discussion. At a later stage, it appeared that

UNDP may be insistent that DGNT should have an ongoing test laboratory

before the final go ahead is given. DGNT will soon meet that

requirement

.

65
17, Visit to the Ministry of Mining and Metallurgy

On June 18, Ing. Donoso, Ing. Candia, and Mr. Peiser visited the

Ministry of Mining and Metallurgy.

Discussion concerned itself almost exclusively with the rich highgrade iron and manganese deposits near the Brazilian border east of

Santa Cruz. Major Carlos Morales is in charge of this highest

priority project, "SIDERSA". At present, a feasibility study covering

modern mining operations and a steel melting and rolling mill complex

for construction steel in billets, bars, conventional sections, and

vire is being undertaken. The importance of analytical control is

well understood. Alternative instrumentation was discussed and the

supply of needed NBS standard reference materials through DGNT was offered and accepted with great appreciation by Major Morales.

66
18. Visit to the National Council of Higher Education

On June 18, Ing . Donoso, Ing. Candia, Dr. Beers, Mr. Peiser, and Dr.

Vashrangsi were received by the President of the National Council of

Higher Education, Ing. Miguel Tejada Velasco, who as a young petroleum

engineer first visited NBS in 1950. The help he received with

measurements and standards for the petroleum industry, he said, has

remained in his memory to this day. He visited NBS again in 1965 and

accepted Mr. Peiser 's invitation to re-visit NBS at its new site in

Gaithersburg when he is in Washington next July.

The National Council of Higher Education is a centralized institution

under which all universities and practically all research institutions

in Bolivia operate. The Year Book of the universities for 1974 is an impressive document. It speaks of the University of Bolivia with

branches in La Paz (Mayor de San Andres, the largest), Sucre,

Cochabamba, Chuquisara, Oruro, Potosi, Santa Cruz, Tarija, and Beni

.

There is a large selection of courses, not all of which are offered at

all campuses. A limited PhD program is being started next year.

Ing. Tejada was very receptive to having university laboratories and

equipment put at the service of industry. A computerized listing of

available facilities and instruments is presently being completed and

will be made available to DGNT. In course work, greater emphasis will

be given to measurement procedures and calibration; Ing. Tejada is

considering the idea of sending a professor to NBS on a long-term

assignment to prepare an advanced metrology course which he could then

offer at the university upon return to Bolivia. The course would be

structured to Bolivian needs in science and technology rather than to

the most advanced work at NBS.

The student crisis in La Paz was, incidentally, finally settled with

the appointment of a universally popular new rector.

67
19. Presentation of Standards Literature

On Wednesday, June 19, Colonel Miguel Ayoroa, Minister of Commerce,

Industry and Tourism, received the standards literature presented to

DGNT by the NBS/AID program in conjunction with the Survey. The

Minister was clearly delighted and asked for summaries of the contents

of many of the volumes, including especially the NBS collection on metrology (SP 300), the 33 volume set of ASTM standards, and the

catalog of standard reference materials.

The meeting had full press and television coverage. All the DGNT

staff were present to applaud. The atmosphere seemed almost festive,

indicative of an inter-institutional friendship between NBS and DGNT

that has been established.

68
20. The Organization of the

Directorate General of Standards and Technology

Thursday, June 20, was largely devoted by Mr. Peiser to concluding the

study of DGNT as an organization. Director Donoso and Ing. Garces

patiently described detailed plans of the Laboratory Department. The

other two departments are those of Standards and Technology. A common

feature of all departments of DGNT is that 90 percent of the technical

staff has received training abroad over at least part of the last 3

years

.

The Standards Department, under Ing. Ronanth Candia G. , started

writing standards with a staff of six. Over a period of three years,

the effort was increased. The outcome is the first catalog of

Bolivian standards including especially standards on definitions and

characterization. Over 264 experts and interested parties have

contributed to the standards committees. The effort now was consciously being slowed down in favor of quality control procedures

and surveillance which formed a central division of the work of the

Standards Department.

The Standards Department, as well as the other departments of DGNT,

emphasizes the importance of foreign contacts, not only with all

similar institutions in Latin America, but equally in Europe with BSI,

AFNOR, DIN, and UNES, and with such institutions as JIS and ISI in

Asia.

The NBS/AID Survey Team, due to its mission, had far less contact with

the Technology Department under Ing. Leon Mattes, which has R&D

projects underway on 11 topics including:

a. Llama hair - the separation of thick and fine

fractions is the central problem,

b. Direct reduction of iron ores,

c. Preservation and transport of tropical fruit,

d. Polymers derived from the heavy petroleum fraction; this work is being carried out in collaboration with YPFB,

e. Production and uses of compressed wood products, and

f . Growth and uses of quinoa - as a wheat substitute.

69
The Laboratory Department, under Ing. Carlos Duran Canelas S., was described on this occasion by Ing. 0. Donoso T., assisted by Ing.

Rolando Garces Perez and Jose Cortez, who had just returned from

training in Peru. The equipment of the Laboratory consists

essentially of US$40 000 worth of general equipment and chemical

supplies purchased with Bolivian funds from Fisher Scientific . More

specialized equipment is expected from the UNDP project which is to be

signed on the pending establishment of a temporary ongoing DGNT

laboratory. This will make two laboratory moves unavoidable, one of

which will take place this year.

While the Laboratory Department is not fully active on its own ground,

DGNT has been a welcome guest in other academic and industrial

laboratories so that some testing work is in full swing. Moreover,

the Laboratory Department has been engaged in compiling an inventory

of existing laboratory apparatus and equipment in Bolivia with details

of its environment, operating conditions, and possible availability

for DGNT use. This list is complete for the La Paz area but the

compilation was interrupted seriously for other areas by the NBS/AID

Survey and Seminar.

The Survey Team gained the impression of excellent interdepartmental

cooperation within DGNT, especially between the Standards and

Laboratory Departments.

DGNT is well regarded not only within the Ministry under which it serves but also among academic and industrial leaders. Ing. Donoso

serves on the important committee of the Academy of Science on the

Technological Potentialities of Bolivia.

The closing and farewell celebrations headed by the Minister, Colonel

Miguel Ayoro, were truly magnificent and deeply cordial. The

outpouring of friendly feelings by all the staff to the most junior

levels was genuine and an unforgettable experience to all

participants

.

70
21. Vj-S^t to the Pbysirs Tnst-itnfp of rhp

University Mayor de San Andres

Originally, Professor Manuelo Arellano was to meet Dr. Beers on June

26 and take him to the Physics Institute, the largest unit of the

University of Bolivia. At the last moment, he telephoned to say that

he had been called on to teach a class unexpectedly and could not meet

until later. We had hoped to conclude the tour of the Institute

(which is located up on a hill) and to have a conversation with the

Acting Director, Ing. Ricardo Anda, and still have time to visit the

main building of the University down in the valley, but because Ing.

Anda was delayed, we did not have time to visit the main building.

Similar appointment difficulties attended Mr. Peiser's visit on June

29.

Originally, the Institute was established to carry out cosmic ray

investigations and to manage the Chacaltayo High Altitude Observatory.

It has also done some ionospheric research under the sponsorship of

NBS, and it would like support to reactivate this work.

The solid state work, the project upon which Arellano and someone

named Guzman (who was out of the country) work with two or three

students, started three years ago. Some of the work is in

collaboration with the University of Campinas in Brazil, which has

liquid helium facilities not available in La Paz. It is intended that

the work will be in support of local industry. Attention has been

concentrated on bismuth. The first year was devoted to library

research, and from this year's work the publication of one or two

review papers resulted.

Since then there has been some experimental work on the Hall effect

and ultrasonic resonance. However, available single crystals have

been too small to work, and polycrystalline samples were used. Also,

no suitable magnet has been available for magnetic resonance, although

one is on order.

The project needs information (and loan of equipment, if possible) on

the following

(1) Eddy current decay in bismuth,

(2) Training in the design of equipment for transfer of

cryogenic fluids,

(3) Electron paramagnetic resonance, and

(4) Ultrasonic testing of materials.

71
At the present time there are four cosmic ray experiments in progress:

(1) Study of reactions of cosmic rays with nucleii by the

photographic emulsion technique. This experiment is in

collaboration with Brazilian scientists.

(2) Studies of the direction and intensities of cosmic rays

in collaboration with scientists from Japan.

(3) Experiments in mines with an absorption equivalent

to 300 meters of water - details unknown - in collaboration with the University of New Mexico.

(4) Correlation of neutron flux with sunspot cycle - an all Bolivian project.

In connection with (4), they were asked about possible correlation

with the "Ottawa noon flux" (noise energy from the sun at 2800 MHz as measured in Ottawa), because radio conditions seem to correlate better

with this quantity than with the sunspot cycle. They said they had never heard of this quantity. A promise was made to send data for the

period July 1 to November 1, 1972, when there were big variations in

all three.

Miscellaneous

The Bolivian equivalent of a B.S. in physics requires seven semesters

of study, and the equivalent of a M.S. degree requires nine semesters.

However, the first semester contains only required courses and is common to all curricula, and, therefore, it is not listed under the

individual departments. A course in quantum mechanics at the level of

Schiff is required for the masters degree.

Professor Arellano had a potentiometer and standard cell. When asked

how he got the standard cell calibrated, he said he did not, but he

could check the consistency of his voltage measurements with Techtonix

Oscilloscopes and digital voltmeters that are available.

72
APPENDIX I

NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS (NBS)

AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT (AID)

GENERAL DIRECTORATE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY (DGNT)

A Survey of Standardization and Measurement Services in Bolivia

(June 1974)

QUESTIONNAIRE

For Voluntary Use by Firms and Organizations to be visited

NAME OF FIRM OR ORGANIZATION

ADDRESS

P.O. BOX PHONE

CHAIRMAN

EXECUTIVE OFFICIAL

AFFILIATED COMPANIES OR ORGANIZATIONS

PARENT DAUGHTER

SISTER NONE

PRINCIPAL ACTIVITY

NUMBER EMPLOYED:

FACTORY NUMBER WITH TECHNICAL DEGREE

ADMINISTRATIVE

73
1. GENERAL INFORMATION

1.1. Within your production plan, does your Firm often face technical problems in:

1.2. In what degree, has your Company access to technical literature?

GOOD I SATISFACTORY

INSUFFICIENT

1.3. Technical consultation sought from:

UNIVERSITIES

GOVERNMENT

STANDARDS ORGANIZATIONS

FOREIGN

OTHER

1.4. Has your Company any technical personnel specialized in:

2. STANDARDIZATION

2.1. Does your Company keep relations of some nature with the

office of the General Director of Standards and Technology

(DGNT)

?

TECHNICAL INFORMATION

WORKING UP OF STANDARDS

TECHNICAL ADVICE

QUALITY CONTROL

OTHER

NONE

RAW MATERIALS [ MANUFACTURE j MARKETING

AFTER SALES SERVICE

OTHER (PLEASE SPECIFY)

YES NO

STANDARDIZATION

MEASUREMENT

QUALITY CONTROL

74
2.2. What's the importance that your Company gives to the implementation of a general standardization plan in the country?

POSITIVE

NEGATIVE

NONE

2.3. Within your production plan, does your Company use some technical standard?

IN THE WHOLE PROCESS

PARTIALLY

NONE

2.4. In case of use of technical standards in your production

process, please check which kind:

INTERNATIONAL STANDARD

REGIONAL STANDARD

BOLIVIAN STANDARD

FACTORY STANDARD

2.5. Standards used correspond to:

RAW MATERIALS | PRODUCTS

TEST METHODS

UNITS OF MEASURES

SAFETY

QUALITY ASSURANCE CERTIFICATION

CALIBRATION SERVICES

OTHER

2.6. Does your Company have active participation in some Committee

of the General Directorate of Standards and Technology Standards?

YES I

I NO

2.7. In case of participation in some Bolivian standard preparation

in what degree has been used by your Company?

TOTAL

PARTIAL

NONE

75
3. METROLOGY

3.1 Does your Company have its own calibration services and/or

test methods?

YES

SOME

NONE

3.2 Is there any regularity in the use of a system of units during

different steps of production?

YES

NO

3.3 Is there any relation between the unit system used by your

Company and the one used by:

YES NO

RAW MATERIALS PROVIDER | 1

| COMPETITIVE INDUSTRIES |

1 |

| BUYERS I I

I GOVERNMENT I

3.4. What is the system used by your Company?

METRIC SYSTEM

ENGLISH SYSTEM

SI

OTHER

4. QUALITY CONTROL

4.1 Is there a Quality Control Department in your Company?

YES [ NO

4.2. Is there any type of quality control in your Company products?

IN THE WHOLE PROCESS

IN SOME STEP OF THE PROCESS

FINISHED PRODUCT

RAW MATERIALS

NONE

4.3. Has your Company some problems derived from a lack of

quality control in your products?

YES

NO

76
4.4. Is there any mechanism in your Company to solve consumer's

complaints?

YES

NO

4.5. Do you carry out any type of research to improve the quality

of your product?

YES

NO

4.6. For the quality control of your products, does your Company

use some private or government laboratory in this country?

YES

NO

77
Comments

Some of the answers provided (such as 2.2) have little informative

value since the expected answer is obvious. The questions could

perhaps be rephrased. It appears that 1.5, 2. A, 4.1, 4.4, and 4.5

should be interpreted cautiously. In most cases, 4.4 may just mean

that in case of complaints, the manager can be reached by telephone.

The following conclusions may be tenable:

1. All industries are based on European or American technology.

Technical norms, if generated outside the enterprise, are international (2.4); in industries which use foreign equipment and/or

have had direct foreign guidance, non-metric (English) units may be

used (3.4) together with the metric units (SI is unknown). Technical

consultations are mostly with foreign sources (sometimes equipment

manufacturers)

.

2. Competition between Bolivian producers is not yet the most

important factor in their progress. Many companies have virtual

monopolies. Hence, most entrepreneurs feel that their technical

problems are related to raw materials and the market (1.1), not to

manufacture; only four feel that technical information is insufficient

(1.2); norms are mainly of interest in reference to exportation

(Andean pact, 2.4), and problems due to lack of quality control are seldom identified (4.3). Competition in several lines comes mainly

from smuggled products. The difficulties in the market are summarized

by the representative of Quimica Industrial Boliviana S.A. : "Unstable

prices, due to smuggling and local home manufacture (of soaps), poor

transportation system and changing costs of transportation".

3. Contacts with DGNT are essentially limited to the La Paz area

(2.1, 2.6), and impact is as yet small (2.7). In particular, there is

practically no contact with public enterprises!

4. If , as a consequence of the Andean pact, quality norms are

used, this will have a beneficial effect in several areas of

production. At the same time, however, in other areas where

adjustment is difficult, the present deficiencies will become obvious.

78
SUMMARY OF ANSWERS TO QUESTIONNAIRE ON

NORMALIZATION SERVICES AND METROLOGY

BOLIVIA, June 1974

La Paz Oruro Santa Cruz Cochabamba

Pr. * Pb. * Pr. Pb. Pr. Pb. Totals

No. of Respondents 7 1 4 4 7 2 25

Question Alternative

1.1 15 5 1 11

2

3 4 3

112

3 10

4 1 1 1 3

5 12 3

1.2 1 4 2 2 1 2 11

2 2 1 2 5 10

3 1 2 14

1.3 112 3

2 2 111 5

4

3 612342 112

18

5 2 13 118

1.4 1

2

3 611451 1113 112

18

2.1 1 2 13

2 6 2 1 9

4

3 12 11

3

5 0

6 1 1 2 4 4 12

2.2 1 7 1 4 3 4 2 21

2 13 4

2.3

3

1 5 1 2

11

4 4 1 17

2 2 2 3 1 8

3 0

*Pr. - Private

Pb. - Public

79
La Paz Oruro Santa Cruz Cochabamba

Pr. Pb. Pr. Pb. Pr. Pb. Totals

Question Alternative

X

AH1X

oJ

A J 9i. xy1 Q

o

z. nu

oJ X1 X X

A o X D 9 XD

2.5 1 4 1 4 4 7 1 21

2 7 1 4 4 6 1 23

oJ

z:D X

oJ

oJ

cJ X

1 Q xy

4 4 1 2 2 5 2 16

5 2 1 3 2 1 9

O

9 1X 9 X o

7 1X

1XQ 9 7/ 8 1 1

±

Au 2 1

_L q

9 1X

/, /. 1X

1 c: X_J

2.7 1 2 1 3

9 1X

1X1Xa 3 2 2 3 3 2 12

J. 1 X X X

o

£. A

9 Af X

1X qJ1X xu

o 9 9 X

A X

3.2 1 5 1 3 2 3 1 15

9z9 X X

A

4- QO

3. 3 X X

9 oJ

cJ X XD

2 1 4 2 2 10

3 4 1 4 2 2 13

oJ X

A J X xz1 9

3.4 1 7 1 3 4 6 2 23

2 3 1 2 1 7 3 0

4 0

4.1 1 7 1 3 4 4 1 20

2 3 3 6

4.2 1 5 1 1 3 5 1 16

2

3 511141 4 116

13

4 312251 14

5 0

80
La Paz Oruro Santa Cruz Cochabamba

Pr. Pb. Pr. Pb. Pr. Pb. Totals

Question Alternative

4.3 1 2 2** 3

2 612271 19

4.4 1 7 1 2 3 5 1 19

2 2 114

4.5 1 7 13 6 17

2 12 115

4.6 1 4 4 12 11

2 3 1 3 5 1 13

** Misunderstanding

81

ENCUESTA SOBRE LOS SERVICIOS DE

NORMALIZACION Y METROLOGIA EN

BOLIVIA

NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS

AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

DIRECCION GENERAL DE NORMAS Y TECNOLOGIA

83
PARTICIPANTES EXTRANJEROS

Mr. William E. Andrus Jr.

Director del Programa. Oficina de Ingenieria e Informacion para el Procesamiento de Normas . National Bureau of Standards. (NBS - USA)

Mr. H. Steffen Peiser

Jefe de la Oficina de Relaciones Internacionales

del National Bureau of Standards . (NBS - USA)

Dr. Yardley Beers

Division de Electronica Cuantica - National Bureau

of Standards- (NBS - USA)

Mr. David E. Edgerly

Oficina de Ingenieria e Informacion para el Procesamiento de Normas. National Bureau of Standards.

(NBS - USA)

Dr. Kurt F. J. Heinrich

Jefe de la Secclon de Microanalisis Superficial - Division de Qufmica Analftica - Instituto para la Investigacion de Materiales. National Bureau of Stand

ards. (NBS - USA)

Ing. Raul Estrada Albuja

Director Tecnico del Instituto Ecuatoriano de Normalizacion. (INEN - ECUADOR)

Dr. Charoen Vashirangsi

Jefe de la Division de Ingenierfa y Fisica. Departamento de Ciencias. Ministerio de Industria (Thailandia)

Governor Wan Choi Ph. D,

Oficina de Administracion para el Avance de la Industria . Ministerio de Comercio e Industria. (Rep.

de Corea)

Mr. Omer G'oncu

Director de los Laboratories de Electricidad de Nor

malizacion de Turquia.

84
PARTICIPANTES DE LA DIRECCION GENERAL

DE NORMAS Y TECNOLOGIA (DGNT - BOLIVIA)

Ing. Orlando Donoso Torrez

Ingeniero Mecanico

Director General de Nornaas y Tecnologfa (DGNTBOLIVIA)

Ing, Ronanth Candia Gonzales

Ingeniero Mecanico

Jefe del Departamento de Normas

Encargado de los Comltes de Normalizacion:

C - 5 : Maquinaria

C - 28: Mec^nica

T.Q.Carlos Duran Canelas

Tecnico Qufmico

Jefe del Departamento de Laboratorio

Encargado de los Comites de Normal izacton:

C - 7 : Qufmica

C - 9 : Productos Qufmicos para uso agropecuario.

Ing. Freddy Quezada Rendon

Ingeniero Agronomo

Jefe de la Division de Elaboracion de Normas.

Encargado de los Comites de Normalizacion:

C - 1 1 : Cueros

C - 23 : Maderas

Ing, Jose Paredes Oblitas

Ingeniero Industrial

Jefe de la Division de Control de Calidad.

Encargado de los Comites de Normalizacion

C - 22 : Control de Calidad

C - 24 : Caucho.

85
Ing. Hernando Montano Valle

Ingeniero Metalurgista

Division de Elaboracion de Nornnas

Encargado de los Con^ites de Nornnalizacion:

C - 4 : Metalurgia

C - 27 : Minerfa

Comite COPANT C - 23 - Secretaria Tecnica

Estano y sus Aleactones

Ing. Gregorio Bernal Yanez

Ingeniero Industrial

Division de Control de Calidad

Encargado de los Comites de Nornnalizacion

C - 15 : Dibujo Tecnico

C - 20 : Higiene y Seguridad Industrial

Ing. Hugo Moldes Ontiveros

Ingeniero Industrial

Division de Elaboracion de Normas

Encargado del Comite de Nornnalizacion:

C - 12 : Textiles

Ing. Javier Mantilla

Ingeniero Qufnnico

Division de Elaboracion de Nornnas

Encargado de los Connites de Nornnalizacion : C - 16 : Papeles y Cartones

C - 17 : Envases, ennbalajes y contenedores.

T.Q.Rolando Garces

Tecnico Qufnnico

Departannento de Laboratorio

Encargado del Connite de Nornnalizacion:

C - 21 : Bebidas Alcoholicas

Lie. Emilio Rivero

Licenciado en Econonnia

Jefe de la Division de Transferencia de Tecnologfa.

86
GRUPOS DE TRABAJO

GRUPO A (La Paz )

1. Mr. H, Steffen Peiser

2. Mr. W, E. Andrus

3. Ing. Orlando Donoso

4. Ing. Ronanth Candia

5. Ing. Gregorio Bernal

GRUPO B CLa Paz - Oruro)

1. Ing. Raul Estrada

2. Dr. Charoen Vashrangsi

3. Ing. Jose Paredes

4. Ing. Hernando Montano

5. Ing. Javier Mantilla

6. T. Q. Rolando Garces

GRUPO C (Santa Cruz)

1. Mr. David E. Edgerly

2. Mr. Omer Goncu

3. Dr. Kurt F. J. Heinrich

4. Ing. Hugo MoIdes

5. T. Q. Carlos Duran C.

GRUPO D (Potosi Sucre)

1. Dr. Yardley Beers

2. Dr. Governor Jong Wan

3. Ing. Freddy Quezada

(NBS - USA)

(NBS - USA)

(DGNT - BOLIVIA)

(DGNT - BOLIVIA)

(DGNT - BOLIVIA)

(INEN - ECUADOR)

(THAILANDIA)

(DGNT - BOLIVIA)

(DGNT - BOLIVIA)

(DGNT - BOLIVIA)

(DGNT - BOLIVIA)

(NBS - USA)

(TURQUIA)

(NBS - USA)

(DGNT - BOLIVIA)

(DGNT - BOLIVIA)

(NBS - USA)

(COREA)

(DGNT - BOLIVIA)

87
ENCUESTA NBS/AID/DGNT

SERVICIOS DE NORMALIZACION Y METROLOGIA

EN BOLIVIA

PROGRAMA DE VISITAS

COCHABAMBA (Todos los participantes)

Lunes 10 de junto

Hrs. 8.30 PLANTA INDUSTRIALIZADORA DE LECHE (PIL - COCHABAMBA)

Productos Lacteos

Hrs. 13.30 FABRICA DE CALZADOS "MANACO"

Zapatos de cuero, goma y plastico, materiales de cuero.

Hrs. 17.30 Reunion Ordinaria.

Martes 1 1 de lunio

Hrs. 8.00 CERVECERIA TAQUINA S.A.

Cerveza, agua gasificada, gas carbonico, hielo.

Hrs. 15.30 FABRICA NACIONAL DE CONSERVAS

" DILLMAN"

. Conservas de carne, frutas y legumbres

Fiambres, embutidos.

Hrs. 17.30 Reunion Ordinaria.

Miercoles 12 de junio

Hrs. 8.30 BOLIVIAN WIRE AND CABLE CO. S.A.

"CABLEBOL"

Cables y alannbres electricos

Hrs. 10.30 INDUSTRIAS"FEMCO" S.R.L.

Artefactos de iluminacion electrica, nna teriales para instalaciones electricas.

88
Hps. 14.00 FABRICA NACIONAL DE FIERRO ENLOSADO Y PORCELANA LTDA. "FENPO"

Artefactos electrodomesticos y artefactos domesticos.

Hrs. 15.30 QUIMICA INDUSTRIAL BOLIVIANA S.A.

"QUIMBOL"

Jabones y detergentes.

Hrs. 17.00 SENDTEX LTDA.

Tejidos e hilados de algodon.

Jueves 13 de iunio

Hrs. 8.00 EMPRESA NACIONAL DE ELECTRICIDAD "ENDE"

Planta hidroelectrica de Corani

Viernes 14 de junto

Hrs. 8.30 YACIMIENTOS PETROLIFEROS FISCALES BOLIVIANOS "Y.P.F.B.",

Refinerfa de Petroleo y Planta de Lubri

cantes.

Sabado 15 de Iunio

Hrs. 7.00 COOPERATIVA BOLIVIANA DE CEMENTO "COBOCE"

Fabrica de Cemento.

Hrs. 17.30 Reunion dfe^ Conclusiones,

89
ENCUESTA NBS/AID/DGNT

SERVICIOS DE NORMALIZACION Y METROLOGIA

EN BOLIVIA

VISITAS OFICIALES

LA PAZ (GRUPO A)

Lunes 17 de junio

Ministerio de Industria, Comercio y Turismo

Secretaria del Consejo Nacional de Economia y Planificacion.

Ministerio de Minerfa y Metalurgia

Martes 18 de junio

Ministerio de Energia e Hidrocarburos

Ministerio de Relaciones Exteriores y Culto

Miercoles 19 de lunio

Consejo Nacional de Educacion Superior

Academia Nacional de Ciencias

Jueves 20 de junio

Camara Nacional de Industrias

Ministerio de Agricultura

Viernes 21 de junio

Ministerio de Urbanisnno y Vivienda

Corporacion de las Fuerzas Arnnadas para el DesarroUo Nacional,

90
ENCUESTA NBS/AID/DGNT

SERVICIOS DE NORMALIZACION Y METROLOGIA

EN BOLIVIA

PRCX5RAMA DE VIS ITAS

LA PAZ - ORURO (GRUPO B)

Domingo 16 de junio

Hps. 11.25 Viajet Cochabamba - La Paz

Vuelo LAB 927

Lunes 17 de iunto

Hps. 8.30 FUNDICIONES "VOLCAN" S.A.

Repuestos y Accesopios papa Minepia e IndustPia en Genenal

Hps. 10.30 INDUSTRIAS "VENADO"

Ppoductos Alimenticios

Hps. 14.30 DESTILERIA BOLIVIANA S.A.

Bebidas AlcohoUcas

Hps. 16.30 UNIVERSIDAD MAYOR DE SAN ANDRES

Labopatopios de ensayos fisicos y qufnnicos.

Maptes 18 de junto

Hps. 8.30 PLANTA INDUSTRIALIZADORA DE LECHE (PIL - LA PAZ)

Ppoductos Lacteos

Hps. 10.00 PLASMAR S.A,

Plasticos para constpucciones, conductores electricos

Hps. 14.30 DROGUERIA INTI S.A.

Productos farnnaceuticos

Hps. 17.30 Reunion Opdinapia

91
Miercoles 19 de iunio

Hrs. 8.30 BOLIVIAN AMERICAN TOBACCO S.A.

(BATCO)

Fabrica de Cigarrillos

Hrs. 10.00 RIBSA LTDA.

Articulos de vestir

Hrs. 11.30 GOMATEX

Productos de goma

Hrs. 14.30 CERVECERIA BOLIVIANA NACIONAL

Elaboracion de cerveza

Hrs. 17.30 Reunion Ordinaria

Jueves 20 de junio

Hrs. 8.30 MINISTERIO DE PREVISION SOCIAL

Y SALUD PUBLICA.

Institute Nacional de Laboratories de

la Salud.

Hrs. 14.30 MANUFACTURAS DE ALGODON SAID

S.A.

Tejidos de Algodon

Hrs. 20.00 Viaje La Paz - Oruro

Viernes 21 de iunio

Hrs. 8.30 EMPRESA NACIONAL DE FUNDICIONES (ENAF)

Estano en Ungotes

Mrs. 14.30 INSTITUTO MINERO METALURGICO

Laboratories de investigacion

Hrs. 17.30 UNIVERSIDAD TECNICA DE ORURO

Visita Protocolar a autoridades

Sabado 22 de junio

Hrs. 8.30 UNIVERSIDAD TECNICA DE ORURO

Laboratories

Hrs. 14.30 Viaje Oruro - La Paz

Hrs. 18.30 Reunion de Conclusienes

92
ENCUESTA NBS/AID/DGNT

SERVICIOS DE NORMALIZACION Y METROLOGIA

EN BOLIVIA

PROGRAMA DE VISITAS

SANTA CRUZ ( GRUPO C ) Domingo 16 de iunlo

Hrs. 13.45 Viaje Cochabamba - Santa Cruz

Vuelo LAB 917

Lunes 17 de junio

Hrs. 8.30 COMITE DE OBRAS PUBLICAS

Laboratories de suelos y tratamiento de

aguas

.

Hrs. 14.00 YACIMIENTOS PETROLIFEROS FISCALES BOLIVIANOS (Y. P.F.B.)

Plantas de gas de Petroleo de Caranda

Martes 18 de iunio

Hrs. 8.30 INGENIO AZUCARERO GUABIRA

Fabrica de azucar y alcoholes

Miercoles 19 de junio

Hrs. 8.30 INDUSTRIA TE>fTIL GRIGOTA S.A.

Fabrica Textil de envases de algodon

Hrs. 14.00 UNIVERSIDAD GABRIEL RENE MORENO.

Laboratories de Ingenierfa Qufmica, M^>-

dicina Veterinaria y Agronomfa

93
Jueves 20 de junio

Hrs. 8.30 TEXTILES ORIENTALES S.A. (TEXORSA).

Hilados y tejedurfa de algodon

Hrs. 14.00 YACIMIENTOS PETROLIFEROS FISCALES BOLIVIANOS (Y. P.F.B.)

Laboratorio de Investigaciones Petroleras.

Viernes 21 de junio

Hrs. 8.30 EMPRESA NACIONAL DE ELECTRICIDAD (ENDE)

Planta Termoelectrica.

Hrs. 14.00 INDUSTRIA DE CERAMICA "MARGLA"

LTDA.

Materiales de construccion y cer^mica

Sabado 22 de junio

Hrs. 8.30

Hrs. 15.00 Viaje Santa Cruz - La Paz

Vuelo LAB 956

Hrs. 18.30 Reunion de Conclusiones.

94
ENCUESTA NBS/AID/DGNT

SERVICIOS DE NORMALIZACION Y METROLOGIA

EN BOLIVIA

PROGRAMA DE VISITAS

POTOSI - SUCRE (GRUPO D)

Lunes 17 de junto

Hrs. 9.00 Viaje Cochabamba - Potosi

Vuelo LAB 961

Hrs. 14.30 UNIVERSIDAD BOLIVIANA TOMAS

FRIAS

Visita a instalaciones

Martes 18 de iunio

Hrs. 9.00 CORPORACION MINERA DE BOLIVIA

Empresa Minera Unificada

Hrs. 14.50 Viaje Potosi r Sucre

Mtercoles 19 de iunio

Hrs. 9.30 UNIVERSIDAD ^AAYOR DE SAN FRAN

CISCO XAVIER

Visita a instalaciones

Hrs. 15.00 COMITE; DE DESARROLLO Y OBRAS

PUBLICAS

Visita personeros

Jueves 20 de Junto

Hrs. 8.30 FABRICA NACIONAL DE CEMENTO

S.A.

Cemento Tipo Portland

Hrs. 11.00 YACIMIENTOS PETROLIFEROS FISCALES BOLIVIANOS

Planta de Refinacion Mesa Verde

Hrs. 15.00 FABRICA CINTATEX S.A.

Cintas, Cordones elasticos

95
Viernes 21 de iunio

Hrs. 9.00 FABRICA CHARCAS GLORIETA S.A.

Sombreros, fustes, cinteis

Sabado 22 de junio

Hrs, 10.10 Viaje Sucre - Cochabamba

Vuelo LAB 966

Hrs. 16. 15 Viaje Cochabamba - La Paz

Vuelo LAB 956

Hrs. 18.30 Reunion de Conclusiones

96
APPENDIX III

SUMMARY OF COMPLETED SURVEY ON STANDARDIZATION AND MEASUREMENT

SERVICES IN BOLIVIA AND AN OUTSIDER'S VIEWS OF THE GENERAL

DIRECTORATE OF STANDARDS AND TECHNOLOGY OF BOLIVIA

By: H. Steffen Peiser

National Bureau of Standards

I know you are wondering what ten strangers from far away countries

with almost infinitesimal knowledge about Bolivia could possibly have

achieved on the complex subject of standardization and measurement

services in this country. I owe you some explanations about results

and limitations of the NBS/AID Survey of Standardization and

Measurement Services, although it is too early for a fully reasoned

analysis about our conclusions and possible recommendations arising

from them.

If the Survey is judged a success, it will be for two reasons. Firstly, there were the excellent preparations which Director Donoso

and his colleagues have made. Activities were selected with unerring

foresight of the points of interest and of the critical technical

issues faced for Bolivia's progress towards its national goals in

development. Secondly, we can record outstanding friendships and

mutual confidence developed between the Bolivian and foreign

participants from Korea, Thailand, Turkey and the U.S.A., coupled with

the close cooperation which was given to us by virtually everyone of

the more than 40 Bolivian organizations" visited to discuss mutual

technical problems and ways in which such problems can be overcome or alleviated by services provided by DGNT.

Perhaps the most striking of our impressions is an important contrast

experienced by manufacturing and processing companies. On the one

hand, they face a highly competitive market, serious problems of

shortage of capital, an adverse tax structure, and sometimes illegal

competition through smuggling across the long borders of Bolivia. On

the other hand, the Bolivian organizations feel there exist sources of

support and encouragement in technical majtters.

We have identified eleven types of such channels of technical knowhow, as illustrated in Figure 1. Not all these types of channels are

or should be used by all companies, but each kind of channel we clearly identified in several organizations visited. Let me highlight just three of these types:

97
<a.Sau

_i z < o

if ^ z <

a: «j

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t3Z

CC<<—I —<

(/) O

t—

CCa

o.

o.00

COz <J o o

5£S C3

ce z o < <

(J I < — ^ o < _ — o.

3-

O

az >o < CO zo z <

UJ 2

{/) cc cc a. o

oc i <

(— z

UJ z

UJ 1 <

CJ

CJ3 »— z z oc< >

a. o

ES

UJ cc a a. z z < < on a. UJ ^ CJ 03z oo to^ < ^ <-> 1— c_3 UJ o =c

>- oo 1 Zee

cc

a I— z UJ o z z < -J z CO <t — z<

<t P <

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:3 •< ^ a Z =)

03

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5=

98
1) In the first t3rpe, know-how comes with the purchase

of plant and equipment. The milk and cement industries,

for example, obtain much up-to-date technical know-hov;

in this way. Similarly with the procurement of laboratory

equipment by institutions such as the Institute for Investigations in Mining and Metallurgy in Oruro, one obtains access to latest scientific developments. Here then is an additional argument for the purchase of the latest plant or equipment, a consideration not to be forgotten when making

careful selections for applying all-too-limited capital funds.

2) Much technical information for companies comes from their own technical staff, obtained from, continued contact with

the outside professional world especially through technical

and scientific societies. The Survey Team may well conclude

that Bolivia would be well served by having national technical societies with activities in major urban centers for

cross-fertilization of ideas between companies and universities. In addition, there should be more contact encouraged

with regional and international societies coupled v^ith

in-service training both at home and abroad.

3) My last example of a type of technical support for companies concerns the channel through DGNT. Perhaps no other

technical contact compares in Importance with the potential

usefulness to companies of DGNT services. Take technical

information for instance. DGNT has access to enough technical information to overwhelm every technical man in

Bolivian industry who is now dangerously starved of access

to even the text-book literature. Director Donoso has discussed with us in detail how to channel the right information selectively to the right people, in the right places,

at the right time and in the right amount. This crucial and

difficult task presupposes close contact of DGNT staff with

companies. From rapidly developing cities like especially

Santa Cruz, it seems far to La Paz on the mountain. Let

DGNT with its services never again be unknown to industrial

enterprises in Santa Cruz. The Survey Team supports the

request - or should it not be the demand - of that city for

a DGNT man on the spot

.

How then does the Survey Team view the services of DGNT to Bolivian

industry?

1) As I have already mentioned, DGNT provides information

services

.

99
2) DGNT provides services to help in making correct measurements intended to govern the exchange of goods and delivery

of services in trade and commerce. For example, many

measurements can be improved by the use of standard reference

materials, with which DGNT is in a unique position to assist.

Maybe Bolivians do not care or do not realize that in the

purchase of gasoline or cotton or cement they may receive

one or two percent less than the nominal quantity. Even

the manufacturer of weights complains that he has no way

of adjusting the weights. Some purchasers of kilogram

weights no doubt v>7ould prefer a light one to a heavy

kilogram! Much more serious, and surely unsuspected by

Bolivians, is the finding of Mr. Goncii, our team member

from Turkey, that some small consumers with primarily

resistive electrical appliances may pay about twice

as much for their power as compared vjith users of

primarily inductive electrical equipment.

3) There are quality control advisory services. These

are to be described rather fully in a subsequent paper

("A National System for Certification and Quality Control in Ecuador" by Paul Estrada A., Session II, Paper 3).

DGNT can also explain the desirability of introducing

production controls at every production step.

4) DGNT operates a quality marking scheme.

5) DGNT provides test services through its own laboratories,

the establishment of which is being given highest priority;

and through a system of accredited laboratories in industry,

research institutions, and the universities.

6) There are certification services for products especially

for exports. I hope Ing. Cabrerizo will make some comment

on this subject which is of special concern to the Andean

Common Market region.

All these tasks place demands on DGNT and its staff for the highest

technical competence, integrity, and devotion to duty. Mr. Chairman,

the Survey Team has found these attributes in DGNT. The staff, in

part through far-sighted training received abroad, is very well

qualified. No other standards laboratory in an industrializing

country is known to us as having been better staffed at its beginning.

However, I cannot escape from the duty of indicating the problems of

DGNT as the Survey Team sees them. After all we have not come to

Bolivia just to enjoy and to praise. We live in a hard world and good

advice must include warning and anticipation. In this vein we should

100
make the following points although many are addressed to higher

authority

.

1) DGNT should cultivate great credibility and visibility

in Bolivian industry, and should be cautious in attempting to direct quality control of companies like YPFB, the

petroleum enterprise, in their field where they will always

have the superior quality control know-how.

2) DGNT should activate quickly ambitious programs commensurate with its capable staff.

3) DGNT in its regulatory function must be careful not to

interfere with the significant support services to industrial units. My point here needs an illustrative

example to be understood.

TsTien the pharmaceutical and the brewery industry has a complaint about glass bottles, I am advocating DGNT

should take the problem straight to the glass industry,

not with a regulatory "stick", but rather with technical innovation and advice on how to cure color and

volume uniformity problems of bottles without the plant

closing and throwing its workers out of their jobs.

Good quality and standards bring more work to industry. This is what DGNT is out to prove. Industrial

scrap is a loss not only to the company but also to

the image of DGNT.

4) DGNT, already active in support of other Ministries,

should be given the opportunity to offer its knowledge

of standardization procedures and measurement science to

additional laboratories, for instance, the Health Laboratories .

5) As DGNT becomes more successful, it will lose more staff to

industry. It should regard this not as a loss but as an opportunity and a healthy continuous process for the

benefit of Bolivia.

6) DGNT should give high priority to building codes and

safety standards to combat costly inadequacies.

7) DGNT might consider a limited project of listing the

existence of maintenance capabilities and spare part

supplies in the country, at least for instruments and

laboratory apparatus.

101
8) DGNT, with collaboration of the National Council of

Higher Education, should foster the teaching in Bolivia

of quality control, standardization and measurement procedures .

The NBS/AID Team has collected a great deal of statistical information

on the views of Bolivian industry which we have yet to analyze in

detail. However, even before you see the results, you can feel

encouraged. The great majority of Bolivian industry believes in the

goals of DGNT and supports it. Consequently, the Survey Team believes

that the future will see a more prosperous, self-reliant, technically

competent Bolivian manufacturing and processing industry.

Mister Minister, by your invitation for an NBS/AID Survey Team to

visit Bolivia, you have given us a great opportunity. It has been an unforgettable privilege to attempt to serve your country under the

direction of Ing. Donoso. On behalf also of my colleagues I express

our most profound gratitude.

102
NBS-1 ;4A (REV. 7-73)

U.S. DEPT. OF COMM. BIBLIOGRAPHIC DATA

SHEET

1. PUIM.ICATION OR REPORT NO. NBSIR 76-10992. Gov't Accession

No.

3. Recipient's Accession No.

4. TITLH AND SUBTITLK

Standardization and Measurement Services in Bolivia

5. Publication Date September 1976

6. Performing Organization Godc

7. XHXKSKjeX Editors

H. Steffen Peiser, Robert S. Marvin, and Joanne Mejeur

8. Performing Organ. Report No.

9. PERFORMING ORGANIZATION NAME AND ADDRESS

NATIONAL BUREAU OF STANDARDS

DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE

WASHINGTON, D.C. 20234

10. Project/Task/Work Unit No. PA9A TA (CF') "1-71

11. Contract /Grant .\'o.

12. Sponsoring Organization Name and Complete Address (Street, City, State, ZIP)

Agency for International Development

Department of State

Washington, D.C. 20523

13. Type of Report & Period Covered

Final Report

14. Sponsoring Agency Code

15. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES

16. ABSTRACT (A 200-word or less factual summary oi most sigpificant information. If document includes a significant

bibliography or literature survey, mention it here.) A survey of standardization and measurement services available in Bolivia was carried out in June 1974 as part of a National Bureau of Standards program sponsored

by the Office of Science and Technology of the Agency for International Development.

The Survey Team included 4 NBS staff members, 3 third-country participants, and 11

leaders of technology and standardization in Bolivia. The Survey was made under

the direction of Engineer Orlando Donoso Torrez, then the Director General of the

Bolivian General Directorate of Standards and Technology.

After two days of joint activities, the Team was divided into three groups which

visited various industrial, university, and government installations in the

Cochabamba, Santa Cruz, and La Paz areas respectively. This report contains brief

summaries of these visits and of the problems related to standards and measurements

reported by the organizations visited. It also includes the results of a questionnaire distributed to most of the organizations visited in advance of the Survey.

A brief report of the conclusions and recommendations of the Survey Team is included

in "Peiser, H. Steffen, and Marvin, Robert S. , ed. , Regional Seminar on a System of

Standardization and Metrology for Latin America, NBSIR 76-988 (U.S.), 96 pages

(1976)".

17. KEY WORDS (six to twelve entries; alphabetical order; capitalize only the first letter of the first key word unless a proper name; separated by semicolons)

Bolivia; measurements; quality control; standardization; testing facilities.

18. AVAILABILITY Unlimited 19. SECURITY CLASS

(THIS REPORT)

21. NO. OF PAGES

[2 Eor Official Distribution. Do Not Release to NTIS

UNCL ASSIFIED 108

Q J Order From Sup. of Doc, U.S. Government Printing Office Washington. D.C. 20402. SD Cat. No. C13

20. SECURITY CLASS

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22. Price

rX Order From National Technical Information Service (NTIS)

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USCOMM-DC 29042-P74