Monday 21 November 2011

Post-HCI learning journey reflections (Makino)

Welcome to the world of machines? I feel that Makino is special in their industry. They are those type of company that sustains a unique market, which are other companies. The production of machines, I feel, is a very special and require a bunch of highly trained professional. The person we had interviewed expressed that he had 20 years of experience in making the same parts: 9 years in China and 11 years in Singapore. That is an incredible amount of hardwork and dedication he had put into this industry and I believe that this is the spirit that is required for a successful organisation.

As in any case, we were given a background on Makino and I understood about thier allocation of workers. The age group separation was the most significant of all, and it shows that there is a 1/1/1/1 fragmentation of the people. from below 30/31~40/40~50/51 or higher. This is very important and I feel that more company should take on this role as well. by being this well rounded, the company is able ot draw in ideas and insiperation from different parts of society and blend them togther. The newer generation may be able to provide new innovation ideas while the older generations should focus on the more technical aspect. This blend is very suitable for continued market growth and sustainability.

The tour was very well planned and I realised that it resembled the assembly line production method very closely. I saw many different kind of machines and those machines that were making the machines (?!). I feel that the checking process is the most important part of this industry. They must make sure that those machines must work before it would be sold to other companies. Precision engineering was also very important. The micron scale was just very small and the fact that the body temperature was able to change the reading by a few microns is too terrible to think of. If i was an engineer in the firm, I would definately had turned crazy just measuring and not even doing the calculations!

Things I learn in school that can be applied in industry:

Measurement and convertion of units. These are very important in precision engineering. Did you know that the iron content in Spinich had been tenfolded because of a misplaced decimal point by sciencist? If this error was to occur in the machinese making parts and in precision engineering, the results would be catastrophic and dire. Therefore, we need to understand this concept well to prevent stituation from spiralling out of control next time.

Post-HCI learning journey reflection (GSK)

I was very honoured to be taken into a chemical plant. I have never set foot in one before and mostly observed their actions behind the TV screen. It was truly an eye-opening experience and I really marvel at the engineering that went behind in creating such an amazing organisation. Til now, I still rememeber clearly how GSK operates because I was more interested in huge plants like that but never had a chance to visit them.

So I was given a simple introduction to their life-changing (Literally) flagship product. I was really impressed by their innovation. Even though they had already have their aerosol inhaler used for asthma, they still went on to innovate new products such as the disk which serves a very important purpose. Also, when they introduced us to the myraid of products to us, I was really surprised that even health liquid nutrition such as ribena is made by them. This gives me a whole new inside to what GSK do. Personally, I believe that these are more of aquisitions then actually pinoeering new products. Nonetheless, it is very crucial for a company to expand their range by  investing in new products that might not be in their field.

The factory tour showed me that there was a lot of planning, a lot of considerations that went behind the contruction of the buildings and the placement of equipment. Even though it is simple logic to arrange the equipment (the starting at the top and the end of the product at the bottom of the buildnig) according, I was somewhat amused by the use of a simple law. Gravity. They made sure that no extra energy was used for the transportation of the product and I marvel at this simple fact. Going in, the mixing of chemicals, filtering process, the crystalisation process as well as the purification process is literally going from the 4th floor down to the 1st floor. I also noticed that everything in the room was made of metal. This was another smart move by GSK such that microbial effect would not be significant as those items made of stainless steel would be easily sterilized. Also, they are less prone to rusting and thus they do not have to be replaced or maintained. The gears and the huge barrels and pots are really interesting as they look excetly like those on Discovery Channel! I really appreciate the people taking their time off and entertaining us. What I would like to see is the small scale experiments that happen behind the scene. What a chemist actually do. That would add value to the trip since it is able to portray chemistry in an interesting light.

Things that can be applied in school

Chemistry is the most important concept. I believe that even the simple concept of reacting two chemicals together is ultiised. Of cause this is a very important step to make sure of the safety. For example, flammable gas such as hydrogen may be produced in a reactiona and thus the theory we learn in school is able to calculate the amount of gas and decide if that amount of gas produced is actually significant enough to cause trouble.

Overall, I feel that GSK had the deepest influence on me as compared to other. It produces products that saves life and despite being a profit-making enterprise, I believe that they would help the world if need be with their research and developments.

Post- HCI journey reflection (Qioptic)

What I discovered that separates Qioptic from its competitors are that the company are very specialised in a partticular area. For example, they focus more in dept than in range. They focus on four main areas and make parts for those particular sectors that goes into a very deep range. I believe that this kind of specialisation is very important for a business to grow and it is one of the key defining factors that keep the company going.

We were given a simple introduction to what Qioptic was doing and what it specialises on. However, I was inspired by Ronian's story about his own life. It makes me think about myself, what I want to do next time in life. Engineering or medicine, I am really confused right now, but i'll find my own passion and build on it. His story had told me that we should not give up and consider alternate pathways in life. We should not be afriad to change as well as we have to overcome te challenges we face, almost on a regular basis.

We were lead on a factory tour and i discovered about new technology that was in place. Yes, I did remember the keyword 'diamond turning'. I think that this kind of innovation is very crucial and plays a fundimental role in the world of engineering. It is these kind of different types of technology that shape the world we live in, literally. And the manufacutirng of those products must be foolproof. Imagine the scope of a sniper rifle without the ability to zoom! That would just be disasterous. Therefore, there must be companies that ensure that the creation of such devices without errors.

Basic things we learn in school that can be applied

Physics plays a big part here.About reflection, refraction and total internal reflection. These are the key concepts that are very important in understanding photonics. Also, we understand how the product works without the person having to explain in. Therefore, when the person introduces new products to us, it is a win-win situation.

Sunday 20 November 2011

Post- HCI journey reflection (3M)

What I took home from 3M was: Research research innovation innovation. This is so important for the today society, where companies keep producing new items, creating the demand. Someone said (I forgot who) that: Manufacturing and advertisements are the twin cylinders that keep the economy going. Therefore, in todays society, there is a need to create, be it necessary or unncessary. 3M is already on top of that, dedicating so much resources on Research and Development, but would this effort necessarily pay off?

As standard protocol, we were led to the auditorium and given an introduction on 3M. There was heavy emphasise on innovation. Create. Design. New. These are the keywords that linger in the minds of people. These are the ideas that companies prey on in order to secure their profits. In profit-making enterprises, it is extremely important that innovation takes on a huge role in raking in cash. As how to company had put it, Innovation is the knowledge that is used to create money. Another attractive feature of the company in order to keep their talents is that employees are able to switch between jobs inside 3M. As incredulous as it sounds (some may have the impression that if one changes field, his efficiency would be drasically reduced) , it is justified that such talents should remain in the company and contribute whenever he can, whatever he can. Also, 3M believes that when professionals enter new fields, they bring in more knowledge which he would be able to build on and making products or the manufacturing process more effective and efficient.

Safety is a prime consideration in 3M. Every nook and crany is filled with a barrage of safety procedures, including donning protection gears and taking an extra effort (to walk through the door beside the gate, just to open/close it) in order to make the process a foolproof process. Nothing is left to chance. There is also a waste water treatment room which ensures that 3M's processes do not affect the environment significantly. It takes extra caution is make sure that their waste is disposed at the safest level. They also review past problems that seem to be alright and double/triple check that their sewage are fit for disposal.

Innovation. 3M obviously practise that they preach. By setting up suggestion boxes as well as rewards, it motivates the workers to come up with new ideas to overcome problems and make improments. The most memorable innovation technique that I saw was the slanting top portion of the lockers, making sure that workers would not forget their things if they left it on top of the lockers since it would slide down. It prevents mishaps from happening as well as saving many trouble should there be items such as food attracting pest and insects. Also, the Kaiser Room also provide employees to exercise their creativity as well as making full use of their ingenuity to come up with ground-breaking new ideas to better the themselves and the company. With such plans put in place, there is no doubt that 3M would be able to excel.


Practical knowledge I learn in school

The sampling process. It requires maths to calculate the the minimum requirement to check if a batch of products are working. Without these statistics, over-checking or under-checking may undermine the effectiveness and efficiciency of the workers, which would be detrimental to a huge company such as 3M.

Business methods were also highlighted, such as the concept of earning through aquisition. I believe that it is a more fancy way of saying taking out the competition as well as enriching oneself! But in a profit-making organisation, it is crucial for continued market growth.

Post-HCI journey reflection (Goodrich)

When I first set foot into the compound, I was awed by the scale of the company. I did not expect it to be so spacious and I normally have a weird concept that such manufacturing company usually cramp as much equipment in a small place as possible, also working in the unbearable sweltering heat. Finally, I understood how globalisation had revolutionised our world, the way we work and our working environment.

As we were led towards the briefing room, I can't help to notice that the large space gave a very positive effect on the working atmosphere. There was no feeling of being constraint physically as well as mentally, making working conditions ideal. During the briefing, we were introduced to basic flight mechanics: lift, thrust, weight and drag, and how they affect the plane. The sharing of the stress management part was the most intrigueing part for me. For the other parts, I have a basic knowledge behind but I realised after the talk that stress management had also became an important part of ensuring that the plane is well maintained and well managed. The most interesting part was the thermal physics behind it. I would hardly consider thermal stress significant for airplanes, but after the sharing I realised that it was an integral part that ensures the structural integrity of the plane. Now that I understand the importance of this concept, I will make sure that my future engineering projects if I ever take on, would take care of both physical stress as well the invisible stress, like heat. A video about the repair of a damaged part of the plane was also shown. It is remarkable that the video's intruction was almost fool-proof. making the most effort to make it almost perfect for anyone using. In fact, it was so precise that an average Joe would be able to repair that particular damaged part!

The plant tour introduced me to a whole new dimension of engineering. After sufficient safety procedures had been put in place, we entered the 1st room, with a machine that could cut up composite materials very accurately. The care and considerations put in to ensure that the process would be successful struck me. I would hardly imagine that the humidity as well as the temperature would affect the working process that much. Also, I realised that the piece of machinary was highly complicated and troublesome to operate and it was a pain to get it to set up, prepare the procedures to cut different materials. Now I have a new found respect for the people who put in so much effort to make these products.

Moving on the 2nd room. It was the room that compressed the soft, flimsy composite material into solid hard plates using vacuum pumps. It amazes me how the transformation takes place and makes me wonder if there is any other applications for this technology. However, the process was highly labour-intensive and required a battlion of workers just to keep the production line flowing. With the emergence of so many machines, I believe that this method of production would eventually be obsolete and the sustainabilty of the company would be compromise. Therefore, I believe that there should be more effort put into creating a new, more efficicent method to govern the production process. Just my thoughts.

Finally, the laser positioning table was perhaps the most straightforward. Simply position the composite material in the suitable place. It simple. Perhaps so simple that others may overlook this process. However, Goodrich had to ensure that the products they make had a quality assurance thus this process should not be overlooked and places emphasise of this area.


Practical knowledge I learn in school

Engineering require maths. Everyone knows that. Have you wondered as a student "How would I ever benefit my life next time when I learn logarithms in school?" Perhaps if you take on engineering, the log would be your lifelong partner. Calculation is an integral part of almost every profession. Even famous paintings draw by world class artist involves calculation. The Venusian Man? Ring any bell?

How about physics? The answer is the most basic : The 3 Laws of Newton. Also, schools give us a background of how lasers work as well as the investigation of material sciences. These prove invaluable to us to our working lives next time. And after all this time, I realised that there was actually a practical use of thermocouple, and I am glad that I already understand the process that goes through the device.

Sunday 6 November 2011

3M

Introduction
3M Company formerly known as the Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing Company is an American multinational conglomerate corporation based in Maplewood, Minnesota, United States.

With over 80,000 employees, they produce more than 55,000 products, including: adhesives, abrasives, laminates, passive fire protection, dental products, electronic materials, medical products, car care products (such as sun films, polish, wax, car shampoo, treatment for the exterior, interior and the under chassis rust protection), electronic circuits and optical films. 3M has operations in more than 60 countries – 29 international companies with manufacturing operations, and 35 with laboratories. 3M products are available for purchase through distributors and retailers in more than 200 countries, and many 3M products are available online directly from the company.

Impression before research:
Small company producing adhesives primarily. Scotch tape and post-it stickers are among the few products I knew it was associated with.

Impression after research:
Incredibly large and extensive company, spanning the globe producing a large variety of equipment. They produce quality products as well as important ones like those needed in the medical field. The duct tapes would be sufficient to patch up the airplanes surfaces that suffer from very minor defects. Their products make the world a safer and breath-taking place to live in by pushing the limits of invention.


How it is applicable to me:
I like solutions to problems and 3M has created a solution to almost all kind of problem. The duct tape. This incredible invention was a solution to many, many, many problems to anything that was broken or worn out. However, as the world progresses, more solutions of more variety are needed and I believe that 3M has the capacity to create another impressive product of such a large scale. I want to be a part of the change and hope to be able to work alongside these giants to scale greater heights.

The scope of research is incredible and they are constantly pioneering new products and technology to better the world, for example, the flexible touch screen technology could have immense influence on the world we live in. It would be so useful to humans if we could possess such technology.



Qioptiq

Introduction to Qioptiq:
Qioptiq designs and manufactures photonic products and solutions that serve a wide range of markets and applications in the areas of medical and life sciences, industrial manufacturing, defense and aerospace, and research and development 
Our expertise in the industrial manufacturing sector makes us the perfectpartner and supplier for many companies. Other customers appreciate our extensive experience in the medical and life sciences sectors. We have everything R&D labs need for their experimental setups. We also have a complete offer of components, modules, technology and equipment for defense and aerospace applications.

Reflections before research:
A company that only focuses on using light to transport information fast. Never heard before.

Reflections after research:
A multi-faceted platform which offers a wide variety of technology to other company. Of cause, any successful industry tackles solutions and Qioptiq appears to highlight those problems already present, not only provides a solution but also much alternative approach to one problem. They have an impressive history and record which attracts investors as well as other companies to tap into their wide variety of resources. 

How applicable is this to me:
I am interested in engineering in general and this trip provides me with a platform at which I am exposed to this face of industry. I am a airplane-fanatic and have great interest in aerospace technology. From the manufacture of the parts of the airplane to the final product, I have great interest to find out what goes behind the scene, be it physically (airplane parts) or technological (programs, equipment like HUD). I am immediately attracted to what Qioptiq does in the aerospace sections, followed by the medical and life sciences section, and see how they benefit the world in what they do. Of cause research is very crucial for industries and this area of research and the methods interest me, from the creation of the method to carry out the research, creating small scale experiments and to large scale developments.
High resolution lenses

Telescopes for gun


Project ideas:
Light, although abundant, is very important for the world to function. Of cause if we can harness this source of energy, it would be ideal. One property of light, its speed, had stood out and had been very intriguing, if we were about to use and abuse this property, instead of transporting information and creating electricity, we might be able to explore places be had never been (Deep corners in space or penetrate the oceans) Epically when the moon is more explored than the bottom of the oceans.

The parts of which Qioptiq wow me is that of the depth at which the researches are carried out as well as its applications. Not only does it supply equipment to military and cilivilian aircrafts, the equipment are also able to take on a dynamic usage, condensing many different technology into one single entity.