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TO MONITOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF CAD-CAM TECHNOLOGY, THE IDB IN 1984 SET UP A CAD-CAM SUB-COMMITTEE CHAIRED BY MR YAXLEY.
AT AN INFORMAL MEETING BETWEEN SOME MEMBERS OF THE CAD-CAM SUB-COMMITTEE, INDUSTRIALISTS AND CAD-CAM EQUIPMENT VENDORS HELD IN APRIL 1985, ONE OF THE POINTS THAT EMERGED WAS THE FEELING THAT THE INDUSTRY AS A WHOLE IS STILL NOT WELL INFORMED ON THE NEW ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY AND ITS POTENTIAL.
AS A RESULT OF THAT MEETING AND IN A BID TO IMPROVE THE CLIMATE FOR WIDER APPLICATION OF CAD-CAM TECHNOLOGY, THE SUB-COMMITTEE AGREED TO TWO RECOMMENDATIONS.
THE FIRST WAS FOR REGULAR APPRECIATION SEMINARS TO BE HELD TO FAMILIARISE MANUFACTURERS WITH CAD-CAM TECHNOLOGY.
IT WAS ALSO AGREED THAT REGULAR COMMUNICATION CHANNELS SHOULD BE ESTABLISHED BETWEEN THE INDUSTRY, TECHNOLOGY VENDORS, ACADEMIC INSTITUTIONS AND OTHER INTERESTED BODIES.
THESE RECOMMENDATIONS LED TO THE HOLDING OF A HALF-DAY APPRECIATION SEMINAR ORGANISED JOINTLY BY THE INDUSTRY DEPARTMENT AND THE HONG KONG PRODUCTIVITY COUNCIL ON OCTOBER 8 WHICH WAS ATTENDED BY ABOUT 100 INDUSTRIALISTS, MAINLY FROM SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED FACTORIES, THE SEMINAR EXAMINED THE BENEFITS LIMITATIONS, POTENTIAL APPLICATION AREAS AND FUTURE DEVELOPMENT TRENDS OF CAD-CAM TECHNOLOGY.
THE SUB-COMMITTEE IS ALSO RESPONSIBLE FOR MONITORING OF THE TWO PROJECTS AT THE HONG KONG POLYTECHNIC AND THE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG WHICH ARE SUPPORTED BY GOVERNMENT FUNDS.
THE FIRST PROJECT, ON COMPUTER-AIDED DESIGN OF ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS, BY THE DEPARTMENT OF ELECTRONIC ENGINEERING OF THE HONG KONG POLYTECHNIC, IS AIMED AT DEVELOPING AND PROMOTING THE APPLICATION OF CAD-CAM TECHNIQUES IN THE LOCAL ELECTRONICS SECTOR. IT IS HOPED THAT THE NEW TECHNOLOGY WILL HELP THE INDUSTRY DESIGN AND MANUFACTURE GOODS OF GREATER SOPHISTICATION AND VARIETY, BETTER QUALITY AND RELIABILITY, WITH A SHORTER PRODUCTION CYCLE, FASTER RESPONSE TO MARKET CHANGES AND BETTER INTEGRATION BETWEEN DESIGN AND MANUFACTURE.
THE PROJECT COSTING $1 790 000 BEGAN IN JANUARY 1983 AND
IS EXPECTED TO BE COMPLETED IN ABOUT THREE YEARS.
A SECOND GOVERNMENT-FUNDED RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT PROJECT IS BEING CONDUCTED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF MECHANICAL ENGINEERING OF THE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG,
THE TARGET IS TO INTRODUCE CAD-CAM TECHNOLOGY TO LOCAL INDUSTRY INCLUDING MANUFACTURERS OF ELECTRONICS, TOYS AND OPTICAL INSTRUMENTS WHICH RELY HEAVILY ON PRECISION AND SPEED IN THE PRODUCTION OF DIES AND MOULDS. THE PROJECT STARTED IN JULY 1985 AND IS EXPECTED TO TAKE THREE YEARS TO COMPLETE. THE TOTAL COST IS $1.64 MILLION.
THE INCREASING