Establishment of a Design Center

and Fabrication Laboratory

in the State of Chihuahua

Su-Jin Kim
I. The State of Chihuahua
State of Chihuahua(1) – Requested Scope

• The metal manufacturing cluster in the State of Chihuahua seeks to

increase the value added of its products by innovating (Innovation
Network) generating design capacities (Design Center) and to
Objective provide the means for the firms to implement its ideas through a
facility capable fabricate prototypes at real costs (Fabrication
Laboratory).

Main Topic : Establishment of a Design Center and Fabrication

Topics Laboratory to enhance the innovation capacity of the metal
fabrication small medium firms of the State.

Opinion: Main topic and subtopics are interlinked and the requirements are clear.
The topics are related to Korea’s Cyber Design Center and Technology
Innovation Center(TIC).

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State of Chihuahua(2) – Overview

Population
1. 3.4 million habitants
2. 3.04 % of the country
3. 85 % urban

Economy
1. GDP 3.26 % of the
national

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State of Chihuahua(3) – Metal Mechanical Industry

 Though there is the maquiladora sector with international standards including know
how and equipment, the majority of the local firms are only able to sell in the local
markets due to the lack of technology.
 Chihuahua in one of the main employers in the metal mechanic sector, however the
production and value added of the State are small, indicating a low productivity in the
sector.

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State of Chihuahua(4) – Metal Mechanical Industry

 The metal mechanics industry in Chihuahua are approximately 40 firms employ about
640 employees.

Engeneers
Managment
11%
17%

Technicians
25%
Operations
47%

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State of Chihuahua(5) – Design Center & FABLAB

 Design center is a part of FAB laboratory focused on is CAD/CAM and CAE for
manufacturing.

Sales and
Research Design Production Service Logistics
marketing

Design FABLA
Center B

Prototypes, small initial production

and support for industrial scale impl
ementation on the production line

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State of Chihuahua(7) – Fabrication Lab

Punch Press Milling machine

Press break
Measuring Arm

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II. Korea’s Similar Experiences
Related Korean Experience(2) - Metal mechanical SME

 Automobile industry and Metal hot rolling are focused on the 3 Largest companies (CR3:
Automobile 90%, Hot rolling 80%). CR3 of car body parts 15%, Automobile parts 14%,
Cutting and surface treating of metal 30% is low.
 SME of Korean metal mechanical industry were supplying mechanical parts to Large
companies (dependency 80%). The low profit 1/3 and low salary 1/2 compared to large
companies.
 Korean and local governments have been supporting SME by technology development
funding and engineer education programs.
Automobile

Module

Parts
SME

Infra: Mold, Casting, Forging, Heat, Machining

Related Korean Experience(4) - Daegu Machinery Institute of
Component & Materials

Establishment with the support of Daegu City and local

businesses in 2001
Establishment
Total Budget, in 2013 : $24 Million / Personnel : 69

To support the local machinery & Metals businesses

Purpose strengthen competitiveness in the world market
To aim to develop regional economy by promoting
higher value added business

Materials Test & Evaluation Center, Constructed in 2005

Center
Mechatronics Parts Industrialization Center, Constructed in 2008
History
Die & Mold Technology Center, Constructed in 2009

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Related Korean Experience(7) - Daegu Machinery Institute of
Component & Materials

Material Test and Evaluation Center

Assistance Areas : Precision measurement, Material test & analysis,
Environment test, R&D of the Manufacturing field
International recognized certification(KOLAS) test about the
75 standards

Detailed Assistance Areas

Section Evaluation Section

Microstructure, Damage and failure Analysis, Chemical components,
Material
Crystal structure, Interface, Atomic structure, Nanostructure &
analysis
components
Reliability Mechanical properties, Life estimation, Reliability, Environment
evaluation properties, CAE
Precision High precision measurements of products, Reverse engineering,
measurement Surface analysis of nano products

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Related Korean Experience(8) - Daegu Machinery Institute of
Component & Materials

Die & Mold Technology Center

Assist Die & Mold companies make prototypes and evaluate their performance.
2010~2013, 2 great government projects, 16 R&D projects, Assistance of more than 2000 cases

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Related Korean Experience(9) - Daegu Machinery Institute of
Component & Materials

Research project with local Research from material to products

companies in 2012
· 120 government projects
· 19 company projects material Die & Mold Part production
· Total research fund : $12 million
· 27 patents
· $0.28 million technology transfer
Machine tools Automotive Robot

Material experiment & test in 2012 Root technology innovation project

· Service to 1024 companies · 2012 ~ 2015
· $1.8 million test fee
· Total $7.9 million

Die & Mold internationalize project IT smart Die & Mold technology project
· 2011 ~ 2014 · 2011 ~ 2014
· Total $2.7 million · Total $17.3 million

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Related Korean Experience(8) - Technology Innovation Center

 Government established 44 TIC (Technology Innovation Center) from 1995 to 2004 at

local universities and supported each center $5 million to buy expensive equipment used
by SME.
 GNU TIC is specialized on metal forging and powder metallurgy process

100 bevel gears developed,

70 for Japan, 30 for domestic appl.

Korea leading research group

for powder metallurgy

AFDEX

PMsolver
PIMsolver
http://www.tic.or.kr

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Related Korean Experience(9) - Technology Innovation Center

 CAM TIC supports SME from idea design by CAD/CAE to mold fabrication by
CAM/CNC.

CAD/CAM/CAE Softwares

EDM CMM

Machning Plastic Injection Mold Machinig  Mold design  Process analysis  Idea design
http://www.camtic.or.kr

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Related Korean Experience(16) - Technology Innovation Center

 The TIC are established and operated by govern support in the university and some of
them are closed or difficult to be operated when government supporting was stopped.
 SME using TIC equipment low price get more profits and wines at the market the other
SME that using expensive equipment

Case Percent Reasons of success and failure

-Independent space, isolated from main campus
-located at the center of Industrialized area
-Equipment necessary both for industry and university
Success 20
-Professional leader with enthusiastic staffs
-Successive connecting programs or projects
-Much investment supported by local government
-Broad specific fields
-Spreaded placement of equipment
Failure 80 -Equipment only for university or only for industry
-Amateur personnel or staffs who had not stayed long for the TIC
-No incentive for involved professors

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Related Korean Experience(10) - Cyber Design Center

 Cyber Design Center developed Cyber Engineer U24 supports SME manufacturing
process CAE service on the website.

 The casting, heat treatment, plastic injection and metal forging simulation software
developed in Korea are used for manufacturing process analysis.

Large Casting
company SME

Plastic injection simulation

Casting
Simulation
by Cyber
Engineer

Metal forging simulation

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III. Policy Recommendations
Suggestion to Chihuahua(1) – Government

Short term
 The infra of metal mechanical industry is too week. The number of SME should be
increased by supporting fund. The companies will become the infra of metal
mechanical industries.
 Government should guarantee the bank space and equipment loan of SME.
 Local government should support the FAB lab operation cost and research funding
to support local companies.

Long term
 Government prepare master plane to develop SME.
 Support SME research funds to develop manufacturing technology by the help of
research center and university.

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Suggestion to Chihuahua(2) – Design center

Short term
 Design Center does manufacturing process simulation & analysis service to improve
fabrication technology of SME.
 The CAE software required to Design Center is donated by Korea. Z-cast (casting
simulation), AFDX (Forging simulation) ect.
 The professors and students learn donated Z-cast and AFDX and do simulation
service.
Long term
 In the future, Design Center does engineering design service by CAD/CAE software
with CAD/CAE software existing at Technological Park.

I-Master V-CNC

AFDEX Z-CAST Z-Stamp MAPS-3D

Development Companies : MFRC, CubicTech, KITECH, VMTech

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Suggestion to Chihuahua(3) – Fabrication Lab

Next step
 Fabrication Lab needs additional operation costs for related special tools and
CAD/CAM software required to use the fabrication equipment.
 The operator should be trained well and get good salary because the stable running
of equipment is important.
 In case of Korea, the equipment and operation costs are fully supported by
government but Fabrication Lab of Chihuahua should independent by himself at the
beginning.

Short term
 The private company should use the equipment to make profit and keep for the
future operation and repairing costs.

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Suggestion to Chihuahua(4) – Fabrication Lab

Long term
 Fabrication Lab starts public fabrication service to other SME.
 The co-work of Fabrication Lab and other local SMEs do casting, forging, forming,
heat treat, grinding, EDM, coating, die-molding process is essential to fabricate a
metal part and supply to international company.
 If you success to develop prototype, the mass production with Die & Mold should be
fallowed to increase productivity and decrease cost. The cooperation of Korean mold
companies strong to develop new mold and Mexican companies strong to setup and
repair it will make successful mass production in long term.

Fab. Lab: Design Center:

Machining Sheet metal Inspection CAD/CAM/CAE

SME :

Casting Die&Mold Welding Forging Coating Heat treat

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¡Muchas Gracias!