IDNESDAY, JANUARY 1, 1986
COMPUTERS PLAY BIGGER ROLE IN HK INDUSTRY
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HONG KONG MANUFACTURERS ARE REALISING THE VALUE THAT COMPUTERS CAN OFFER IN SIMPLIFYING DESIGN AND PRODUCTION TO MAXIMISE PROFITABILITY.
COMPUTERS HELP A DESIGNER TO PLAN A PRODUCT, EXPERIMENT WITH DIFFERENT COMPONENTS OR DESIGNS AND TO DO SO WITHOUT THE NEED FOR LONG AND TEDIOUS CALCULATIONS EACH TIME A CHANGE IS MADE.
FOR INSTANCE, WITH A COMPUTER ASSISTED DESIGN SYSTEM ALL THE DESIGNER HAS TO DO IS TO MAKE THE INITIAL CHANGE AND THE MACHINE WILL QUICKLY CARRY OUT ALL THE DOWNSTREAM WORK. WHAT MIGHT HAVE TAKEN MONTHS TO COMPLETE CAN BE ACHIEVED IN A MATTER OF WEEKS OR SOMETIMES EVEN DAYS.
AND IN THE WORKPLACE, COMPUTERS ARE ALREADY PLAYING A SIGNIFICANT ROLE IN MANUFACTURING, REDUCING COSTS, IMPROVING PRODUCTIVITY AND MAINTAINING EFFICIENT QUALITY CONTROL,
THE NEED FOR HONG KONG MANUFACTURERS TO MOVE UP THE INDUSTRIAL LADDER TO MODERN PRODUCTS WITH GREATER VALUE ADDED HAS BECOME AN ESTABLISHED DOCTRINE.
THE GOVERNMENT RECOGNISES THE IMPORTANT ROLE THAT THESE COMPUTERISED TOOLS' WILL PLAY IN HELPING INDUSTRY MEET THE CHALLENGES OF PRODUCING BETTER QUALITY, MORE INNOVATIVE, GOODS WITH HIGHER PRODUCTIVITY, SAYS DIRECTOR OF INDUSTRY, MR. JOHN YAXLEY.
IT IS VERY CONSCIOUS OF THE FACT THAT HONG KONG INDUSTRY MUST KEEP PACE WITH THE ADVANCED DESIGN AND PRODUCTION TECHNIQUES THAT HAVE BEEN ADOPTED IN MANY INDUSTRIALISED COUNTRIES, OR FACE THE RISK OF BEING LEFT BEHIND.
ENCOURAGING MANUFACTURERS TO EXPLOIT THE ADVANTAGES OF COMPUTER
CAM ASSISTED DESIGN OR CAD - AND COMPUTER ASSISTED MANUFACTURE TECHNOLOGY HAS BEEN A GOVERNMENT POLICY FOR SOME YEARS.
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A THREE-PRONGED APPROACH HAS BEEN PUT INTO EFFECT TO ACHIEVE THIS.
THE FIRST IS THROUGH THE ACTIVITIES OF THE INDUSTRY DEVELOPMENT BOARD (IDB) WHICH IS CHARGED WITH ADVISING THE GOVERNMENT ON ALL MATTERS RELATED TO INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT.
THE SECOND APPROACH IS THROUGH CONTINUED SUPPORT OF THE HONG KONG PRODUCTIVITY COUNCIL IN ITS EFFORTS TO HELP MANUFACTURERS IN THE APPLICATION OF NEW TECHNOLOGY.
AND FINALLY, TWO RESEARCH PROJECTS RELATED TO CAD-CAM TECHNOLOGY ARE BEING UNDERTAKEN BY THE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG AND THE HONG KONG POLYTECHNIC.
/TO KONITOR