XN000022-1986-01-01 — Page 4

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WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 1, 1986

THE INCREASING APPEARANCE OF CAD-CAM SYSTEMS ON THE FACTORY FLOOR BOTH LOCALLY AND IN OTHER PARTS OF THE WORLD HAS TRIGGERED A SURGE OF INTEREST IN THE LOCAL TERTIARY INSTITUTIONS WHICH ARE PLACING GREAT EMPHASIS ON DEVELOPMENTS IN THIS FIELD.

ONE NOTABLE EXAMPLE IS THE WORK BEING DONE AT THE INDUSTRIAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF HONG KONG WHICH HAS ACQUIRED SEVERAL CNC (COMPUTER NUMERICAL CONTROL) MACHINES AND INDUSTRIAL ROBOTS. RESEARCH IS BEING DONE ON LINKING THEM TOGETHER TO STIMULATE A FLEXIBLE MANUFACTURING SYSTEM.

ANOTHER INTERESTING PROJECT BEING UNDERTAKEN IN THE INDUSTRIAL CENTRE OF THE HONG KONG POLYTECHNIC SINCE 1982 IS GEARED TO EXPLORING THE USES OF MICRO-COMPUTERS IN CAD-CAM.

CAD-CAM TECHNOLOGY DOES NOT COME CHEAP AND MANY OF THE IMPORTED SYSTEMS CARRY PRICE TAGS OF WELL OVER $1 MILLION. FOR HARD-HEADED INDUSTRIALISTS, THE BOTTOM-LINE IS COST AND MANY ARE FINDING THE PRICES OF CAD-CAM SYSTEMS PROHIBITIVE.

TO OVERCOME THIS PROBLEM, THE GOVERNMENT THROUGH THE HONG KONG PRODUCTIVITY COUNCIL, HAS DEVELOPED TWO AFFORDABLE CAD SYSTEMS FOR THE CLOTHING AND THE ELECTRONICS INDUSTRIES TO BRING THE BENEFITS OF ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY WITHIN THE REACH OF HONG KONG'S MANY SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED FACTORIES.

ONE IS FOR PATTERN GRADING IN THE GARMENT INDUSTRY. PATTERN GRADING IS A CRUCIAL PROCESS IN GARMENT PRODUCTION WHICH DICTATES THE STANDARD OF THE FINISHED PRODUCT. TRADITIONALLY A TIME CONSUMING AND LABORIOUS EXERCISE, PATTERN GRADING RELIES HEAVILY ON INDIVIDUAL EXPERTISE AND PERSONAL JUDGEMENT. THIS DEPENDENCE ON VARIABLE HUMAN FACTORS HAS ALWAYS BEEN A HEADACHE FOR GARMENT MANUFACTURERS WHO CAN NEVER BE CERTAIN OF MEETING STRINGENT DEADLINES AND STANDARDS OF CLIENTS.

THE NEW LOW-COST SYSTEM IS DESIGNED TO ENHANCE PRODUCTIVITY AND TO PROVIDE A CONVENIENT MEANS OF CHECKING MARKER EFFICIENCY TO FREE MANUFACTURERS FROM THEIR RELIANCE ON THE PERSONAL SKILLS OF PATTERN GRADERS.

THE SECOND CAD SYSTEM IS FOR PRINTED CIRCUIT BOARD DESIGN IN THE ELECTRONICS INDUSTRY, PCB IS A KEY COMPONENT IN ALMOST ALL ELECTRONIC PRODUCTS BUT ITS DESIGN HAS ALWAYS BEEN A TEDIOUS AND ERROR-PRONE TASK. THE COUNCIL HAS ALSO DEVELOPED A PHOTOPLOTTER TO SUPPORT THE CAD SYSTEM.

THIS CAD SYSTEM OFFERS SIGNIFICANT IMPROVEMENT IN PRODUCTIVITY OVER THE MANUAL APPROACH AND REDUCES THE AVERAGE TURNAROUND TIME BY AT LEAST 80 PER CENT.

THE PROTOTYPES OF THESE TWO SYSTEMS HAVE BEEN COMPLETED AND INTRODUCED TO LOCAL MANUFACTURERS SINCE THE SUMMER OF 1984.

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