1.                  Singapore, 10 June 2009: The Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology (SIMTech), a research institute of the Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), announced two new initiatives today involving the formation of technology consortia and development of manpower to boost the local Precision Engineering (PE) industry. These initiatives are significant to propel the industry’s capabilities to handle more complex manufacturing processes.

 

2.                  The two new initiatives will focus in the areas of High-Mix Low-Volume Manufacturing and Precision Measurements and Characterisation. In each of these areas, a technology consortium will be formed with SIMTech and PE companies to develop technologies required. Complementing these consortia are new Precision Engineering Workforce Skills Qualifications (PE WSQ) Graduate Diploma Programmes jointly organised by SIMTech and the Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA) to equip Professionals, Managers and Engineers (PMEs) with relevant skills in these niche and specialised areas. Upon completion of their training, the skilled professionals will be channelled to the consortia to further advance the R&D work.

3.         The High-Mix Low-Volume Manufacturing Consortium comprises 8 companies to develop a software system to better track and manage the production process and maximise resource. This software system is expected to boost manufacturing capacity utilisation by between 10% to 40% and cycle time reduction by between 20% to 80%.This is especially useful to manage the dynamism of customers’ orders in an increasingly complex manufacturing environment. Companies are challenged to keep costs down and meet customers’ production deadlines at the same time. High-Mix Low-Volume Manufacturing hence provides competitive advantage over low cost manufacturing as it is more agile, able to meet complex and conflicting needs of diverse small-batch manufacturing. The corresponding training programme is the new Graduate Diploma Programme in Manufacturing Operations Management (MOM). (Refer to Annex A for more information on High-Mix Low-Volume Consortium and WSQ Graduate Diploma in MOM)

 

3.                  Said Mr Michael Oxborrow, Chief Executive Officer of ACP Metal Finishing Pte Ltd, “Most of the orders we receive from our customers are of high-mix, low-volume production which is the focus of the High-Mix Low-Volume Manufacturing consortium. In joining the consortium, the cost to develop the planning and scheduling system is shared among the participants. ACP Metal Finishing will also benefit from the attachment of trainees to help improve its current production planning and scheduling system with the expert guidance and supervision from SIMTech staff through the PE WSQ Graduate Diploma Programme.”

4.                  “The collaboration with SIMTech is a step forward to upgrade ourselves and keep us on the competitive edge. By tapping into the talents and expertise from outside resources we build a knowledge base from which to grow our foundation of technical know-how and business model. We are excited to see the benefits to our company from various aspects starting from the practical day-to-day increase in productivity and increased efficiencies in our production flow process”, said Mr Lim Sim Tiong, Director of Riso Seki Singapore

5.                  The second consortium formed is in the area of Precision Measurements and Characterisation. It pulls together five companies to address the challenges of the PE industry in manufacturing parts with increasing miniaturisation, transparent surfaces, high accuracy, high resolution and high speed manufacturing. Similarly, the professionals in this sector can look to the PE WSQ Graduate Diploma in Precision Measurements and Characterisation (PMC) to acquire the necessary skills sets in the methods and techniques of precision measurements, metrology, measurement instruments operation, measurement result analysis, error transfer and control, and material characterisation. (Refer to Annex B for more details on the Precision Measurements and Characterisation Consortium and PE WSQ Graduate Diploma in PMC.)

6.                  Said Dr Li Xiaomin, Managing Director of Wintech Nanotechnology Services,” Our company is currently expanding to provide full analysis capability in nano-metric measurement and characterisation for the semiconductor industry and nano-material development. The future R&D development of Wintech Nanotechnology Services is to transform our business from service-based into a product-based manufacturing company. This collaboration will help our company to achieve this and help to broaden our customer base to the world-wide market.

7.                  “As an expanding company, we need highly-skilled staff with experience in precision dimensional measurements, metrology and precision instruments. The PE WSQ Graduate Diploma Programme provides the opportunities to identify suitable candidates,” commented Dr Zhu Chuanggui, General Manager, Sunny Instruments Singapore.

8.                  Both training programmes are the first available locally to equip PMEs with relevant skills in these niche areas. SIMTech and WDA have developed the programme based on employers’ feedback there is a demand for professionals with higher focus on knowledge to fill positions such as Industrial Engineers, Production Managers, Operations Managers, Planners, Schedulers, QA and QC Managers. The Programmes will provide opportunities for existing professionals involved in production, inventory and supply chain management, and engineers in automatic inspection systems and machine vision systems to enhance their knowledge for career progression. Professionals from other industries can also  undergo the programme as conversion training to embark on careers in these emerging areas.  . 

 

9.                  “This is the first time that WDA is offering WSQ Graduate Diploma Programmes for the Manufacturing sector.” Said Mr Chan Heng Kee, Chief Executive of WDA: “These WSQ Graduate Diploma Programmes reflect our commitment to build a pool of highly skilled professionals in the Precision Engineering industry and move towards higher value-added skills.  I am encouraged by the good response from employers and industry partners who have pledged their support for the Programmes. Over the next 2 years, WDA will invest a total of $6 million to groom and up-skill more than 400 professionals in these niche areas”. 

 

10.             Commented Dr Lim Ser Yong, SIMTech Executive Director,” SIMTech research scientists and engineers with vast advanced technical knowledge and industrial experience have regularly conducted specialist upgrading courses to improve technical expertise of industry through hands-on training. The PE technology consortia and PE WSQ Graduate Diploma Programmes are extensions of our engagement with the industry with a unique R&D and on-the-job manpower training component  to help the industry develop new technology and at the same time train the professionals with the new skills and knowledge.”

 

Media Contacts
Lee Swee Heng
A*STAR Shared Services Corporate Communications
DID: + 65 6793 8368
HP: 9620 3902
Email: leesh@scei.a-star.edu.sg
 
Ms Amy Wong
Singapore Workforce Development Agency
DID: 65121244
Email: Amy_Wong@wda.gov.sg
 
 
Annex A
 
About HIGH-MIX LOW-VOLUME MANUFACTURING CONSORTIUM AND
PE WSQ GRADUATE DIPLOMA PROGRAMME IN MANUFACTURING OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT (MOM)
 
Consortium on High-Mix Low-Volume Manufacturing
This consortium will address the needs of Precision Engineering companies in manufacturing operations management; and shopfloor automation and control; to manage the dynamism of customer orders in this complex high-mix low-volume manufacturing environment. In this environment, increased product variety increases costs (inventory, material handling, production set-up, test, and other overhead costs), and companies are challenged to keep costs down and yet meet customers’ production due dates which are increasingly shorter as many of its customers shortened the order lead time. To date eight  Precision Engineering companies had confirmed participation in this consortium which starts in July 2009.
 
The consortium involves the R&D of an integrated production planning/scheduling and shop floor control software system to facilitate the management of available production resources to ensure that company resources are working on the right product at the right time to fulfill customer’s order deadline. The shop floor tracking automates the collection of production execution data and provides an overview of the production status and resource availability. The software system, expected to boost manufacturing capacity utilisation by between 10 to 40% and cycle time reduction by between 20% to 80%,  will be tailored to the individual needs of each company. It is planned to license this new technology creating new business opportunities for the system integrators.
 
PE WSQ Graduate Diploma in Manufacturing Operations Management (MOM)
This WSQ Programme enables the participants to carry out effective planning, scheduling, use, and control of a manufacturing organisation through the study of concepts from industrial engineering, management information systems, production management, inventory management, and other functions as they affect the organisation. This Programme focuses on five modules: Shop Floor Execution & Control; Advanced Planning & Scheduling (APS); Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP); Inventory Management as well as Operations Analysis.
 
The target group for the PE Graduate Diploma in MOM include Production Supervisors, Industrial Engineering Engineers, Production Engineers, Planners, Schedulers, Production Managers, Production Control Managers, and other professionals involved in Production and inventory management, Shop floor operations management, Supply chain management, Procurement, and Materials management etc. from the Precision Engineering, Electronics, Aerospace and Automotive sectors.

Annex B
 
ABOUT Precision Measurements and Characterisation CONSORTIUM AND PE WSQ PROGRAMME IN Precision Measurements and Characterisation (PMC)
 
Consortium on Precision Measurements and Characterisation (PMC)
Precision measurements and characterisation are required by various precision engineering industries as these are used to assure product quality and more importantly for industries to improve their processes and product design. The basic tasks include measurements of dimensions, inspection of defects, and characterisation of the material properties. The PE industry is rooted rapidly into other industry sectors such as semiconductor, electronics, aerospace, automotive, bio-medical devices, PE equipment manufacturing, marine and oil and gas. This rapid trend poses challenges in terms of miniaturised dimensions, transparent surfaces, high accuracy, high resolution, and high speed manufacturing. This consortium will address the challenges by developing enabling technologies in automatic vision inspection, nano-metric measurements, and characterisation of materials. The developed technologies are useful for the PE or PE-related industries specialising in precision machining, surface coating, forming, electronics assembly, etc. This consortium will start off with five seed companies in September 2009.
 
 PE WSQ Graduate Diploma in Precision Measurements and Characterisation (PMC)
The objective of this WSQ Programme is to enhance the capabilities of the participant to carry out methods, and techniques of precision measurements and characterisation required for a professional precision engineer. Through this Programme, the participants will capture the basic knowledge, methods, techniques, and skills on the precision measurements, metrology, measurement instruments operation, measurement result analysis, error transfer and control, and material characterisation.Geometric Dimensioning and Tolerancing; Optics and Optical Measurements; Dimensional Measurements and Nano-scale Metrology; Materials Characterisation as well as Advance image processing and industrial vision inspection are the five modules in the Programme.
 
Besides providing in-employment upgrading for existing employees, the Programmes are also targeted at retrenched professionals, managers and engineers (PMEs) who want to be trained for a career in the precision engineering and manufacturing industries. For these participants, the one-year full-time training includes 6 months of training, attachment at SIMTech and 6 months of industry attachment.
 
The target for PE WSQ Graduate Diploma programe in PMC includeQC and QA managers and technical staff, Managers, engineers and technical staff of automated inspection systems, machine vision systems, equipment development, optics and precision instrumentation, semiconductor, electronic, medical technology, aerospace and other industrial sectors.

Annex C
 
DETAILS ON THE PRECISION ENGINEERING WORKFORCE SKILLS QUALIFICATIONS  (PE WSQ) GRADUATE DIPLOMA PROGRAMMES
 
The Precision Engineering Workforce Skills Qualifications (PE WSQ) Graduate Diploma Programmes are a joint initiative by the Singapore Workforce Development Agency (WDA) and the Singapore Institute of Manufacturing Technology (SIMTech) to provide hands-on training to PE professionals. 
 
Details
(i) SIMTech will conduct a series of evening lectures, software tools demonstrations and hands-on model building exercises over a span of 1 year in selected industrial applications. The participant will be awarded the Graduate Diploma upon successful completion of all 5 modules for the Programme. 
 
(ii) Full-time participants of the Programme will be attached to SIMTech for 6 months full-time attachment. The attached participant will work in SIMTech for the whole duration of the attachment, working on the assigned consortium project under the direct supervision of a staff from SIMTech.
 
(iii) Upon completion of the attachment with SIMTech, the participants will be attached to a company for 6 months full-time attachment in the industry. The attached participant will work in the company for the whole duration of the attachment. The participant will be working on the assigned consortium project under the direct supervision of a staff from the company. A staff from SIMTech will oversee the industry attachment.  After the 1 year training, SIMTech assists in job placement of the participants in the industry.
 
(iv) For individuals who enrol for conversion training, they will undergo one-year of intensive training which includes 6 months of structured training plus another 6 months of work attachment in a precision engineering or manufacturing company participating in the consortium. WDA will provide funding of 90% of the course fees and a training stipend of $1,000 per month over the 12-month period. WDA and SIMTech will work together to facilitate the placement of the individuals in companies for work attachment and employment.