Visit to Makino

Through this visit to Makino, I have discovered various impressive and interesting points about Makino. Firstly, one of the interesting innovations by the Research and Development sector in Makino is the Spindle core cooling. Makino's spindle core cooling and under race lubrication system is used to suppress spindle thermal distortion. The spindle core cooling system circulates a large volume of temperature-controlled cooling oil through the centre of the rotating spindle to cool it directly from the inside. With under race lubrication, the cooling oil circulated through the spindle flows through holes in the inner bearing races to lubricate the bearings as well. Previously, heat from many machines by companies (including Makino) cannot be dissipated quick enough to ensure that the machines will operate at high efficiency and not overheat. A revolutionary idea was introduced. Makino decided to replace a solid spindle with a hollow spindle, allowing oil to flow through it. This not only solves the problem of slow heat dissipation, but brings about additional benefits such as lubrication of bearings.

Next, operations in Makino are very precise. In one particular machine, laser is used to take measurements of various distances up to 4 decimal places. When we chanced upon an engineer assembling a machine during the visit, we saw how parts of machine are manufactured and assembled. Not only that, we also witnessed the importance of precision in the assembly of the machine. Tools are used to measure how parallel the 2 metal bars are. Thus, as can be seen, Makino is very passionate about producing quality machines to meet demands of customers with their cutting-edge technologies and high precision.

Precision engineering, the craft Makino is specialised in, is related to everyone. Personally, I have an Iphone4. It is only through this visit that I realise the collaboration between Apple and Makino.
(http://blog.gtispindle.com/2011/05/18/iphone-and-ipad-drive-makino-sales/) The stainless steel frame which makes up the perimeter of the Iphone4 is beautifully made. (http://www.phonesreview.co.uk/2010/06/08/iphone-4-and-its-slimming-stainless-steel-frame/ ) The cut, accomplished by machines from Makino, on the metal frame is very precise, making Iphone4 an art piece too. In a globalised world, the term ‘aeroplane’ is no longer new. But how are these aeroplanes manufactured. Machines from Makino are used to produce various components of aeroplanes. Of which include the doors of the aeroplanes and some engines. (http://wn.com/Aerospace_Engine_Manufacturing_on_a_Makino_G5_Grinder)

Finally, after the visit, I also have some project ideas in my mind. Firstly, it is the investigation of materials of low linear expansion coefficient to replace materials currently used in machines since precision is key in precision engineering. Next, it will be the investigation of methods to make use of heat produced by machines instead of dissipating them.

More about Makino: http://www.youtube.com/user/MakinoMachineTools

Visit to GSK

From this trip to GSK, it is evident that GSK aims to achieve environmental sustainability. GSK aims to be carbon neutral (zero carbon emission) by 2050 and has already put in place a series of strategies and measures to reach this aim. The strategies include reduction in water use, raw materials and carbon dioxide emission. For example, GSK aims to recover used solvent and recycle them. The quality of the solvent will not be compromised during the process. This way, less raw materials will be required, maximising the use of these raw materials. Also, one of the plans is waste heat boiler. Since most chemical reactions taking place in pharmaceutical company, GSK, are exothermic, they release energy to the surroundings as heat. The thermal energy can then be used to heat up other reactors in the company. The 2^nd generation processes are other strategies by GSK. GSK promotes research and development to use new methods to produce active ingredients of high quality with less raw materials or power consumption. High carbon emission and waste production are major problems in today’s world. However, as time goes on, rate of production will definitely increase. This will even makes it even harder for GSK to become carbon neutral. Their effort to do something for Earth is worth applauding and learning.

(Further reading on GSK actions and plans to ensure environmental sustainability:
http://www.gsk.com/responsibility/cr-report-2010/environmental-sustainability/ )

Currently, GSK produces 90% of the active ingredients for respiratory drugs worldwide. GSK is also famous for some of their medicine and products targeting respiratory disease. One of these includes Advair Diskus, which prevent and treat asthma symptoms. However, the medicine comes together with the device to administer it. Furthermore, this device cannot be reused as the medicine is not refillable. If new methods to administer the drug with the same device, or make the medicine refillable, it is then possible to produce lesser such devices. This way, it helps to save cost and makes it more affordable to more people. Most importantly, by reducing the products manufactured, it also reduces the use of raw materials, hence saving the world.

Major Takeaways

• Ensuring sustainability is necessary
  Amount of waste is increasing. Amount of energy consumption is increasing. Amount of raw materials used is increasing. These are all consequences of increasing economic activities. As rate of manufacturing increases, it is inevitable for company to use more raw materials and produce more waste. However, this may not be true in all cases. For example in GSK, plans and strategies have already been put in place to make the company carbon neutral by 2050 despite projections showing that rate of manufacturing will continue to rise. Innovations such as solvent recovery, 2^nd generation processes and waste heat boiler not only aim to raise the competitiveness of the GSK and save cost on energy, raw materials, but also help to save the environment, ensuring sustainability. Earth is our home and it is only right that we protect her. However hard it may be, I think everyone, and every company should work together towards a greener future to prevent adverse effects such as further increase in global temperature or extinction of more animals.
  
  
  
• Knowledge of how drugs are manufactured
  Small percentage (approximately 3% for Panadol ) of active ingredients is used in producing one drug tablet. The rest of the drug tablet is made up of excipients such as lactose. The production of a new drug goes a long way, taking about 10 to 15 years of continuous hard work and research. For example, for development and optimisation of new drugs, many factors such as seed loading, seed size, temperature for the process, solvent used are considered. Furthermore, even if a new drug is discovered, it is also essential to consider different factors to scale up the process to meet the demands of the customers and ensure economic sustainability. Definitely, drug discovery is also very important in ensuring that GSK remains strong in the pharmaceutical sector. (Further reading on discovery of new medicine by GSK: http://www.gsk.com/research/discover/index.htm )

Visit to Qioptiq

From this visit to Qioptiq, I have learnt various new processes such as diamond turning, lens centering, lens bonding and lens coating. For example, diamond turning (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diamond_turning) is a process of mechanical machining of precision elements using lathes (rotary stuff) equipped with diamond-tipped tool bits. The diamond-tipped lathe tool is used in the final stages of the manufacturing process to achieve sub-nanometer level surface finishes. The process of diamond turning is widely used to manufacture high-quality aspheric (shocking for me because I always thought that all lens are spherical) optical elements from crystals, metals, acrylic, and other materials. In Qioptiq, diamond turning is usually worked on germanium.

• Science, Math, Humanities applied:

o Precision engineering (ensure high precision and accuracy of process)

o Computing (automation of machines)

o Visual Arts (sketch of design of diamond turning machine and aspheric elements)

Also, I have learnt about interesting products such as liquid lens and Heads-Up Display (HUD). The liquid lens uses one or more fluids to create an infinitely-variable lens by controlling the meniscus (http://www.digitalcamerainfo.com/content/Scientists-in-Singapore-Create-Liquid-Lens-that-Zooms-Without-Electricity-.htm ). HUD is any transparent display that presents data without requiring users to look away from their usual viewpoints. It is of paramount importance for pilots in fighter planes to concentrate on their targets. This technology definitely helps these pilots as they no longer require the need have to look down but focus on looking at their usual viewpoints.

The stories I will like to share with my descendants and others when I near mid-life will be how I succeed and fail. I think that my life experiences then will be helpful to others as they realise that no matter how successful one can be, one must have suffered several setbacks and failures. Everyone will experience this. This is life. Most importantly, I hope that through my stories of failure and success, they will understand that failure breeds success and work even harder in spite of failures. Only sharing stories of how I fail will make them depress and only sharing stories of how I succeed will create a mindset that they are living in utopia. A mixture of both success and failure stories make the sharing more realistic and instil the right values into their minds.

Major Takeaways

• Make engineering a way of life
  
  By keeping our eyes peeled and having a curious mind, we will be able to observe phenomenon in life. However, we should not stop there. Curiosity within us should fuel us to investigate and understand these phenomena. If there is no literature or past research on these phenomena, then we should not stop there. We should press on and conduct a study to find out the workings of these phenomena. Life is a learning journey by itself. By making engineering a way of life, we can then enrich our lives and find evidence to understand a phenomenon that no one else observes or understands, gaining a sense of achievement.
  
  
  · Innovation is essential
  
  In a knowledge-based economy, it no longer possible to work without innovation. Innovation is what makes a company unique. In Qioptiq, employees need to constantly innovate to meet the demands of customers. By working within constraints, they will need to think of new, creative ways to produce something. Only then, can the company survive and further innovate to clinch more business deals. Innovation is prominent in Qioptiq and essential for Qioptiq’s success.

Visit to 3M

Of all the 3M products, I find 2 of them most interesting

1. 3M™ Intelligent Return and Sorter System

http://multimedia.3m.com/mws/mediawebserver?mwsId=SSSSSu7zK1fslxtUn8_eO8tBev7qe17zHvTSevTSeSSSSSS--&fn=Intlgnt%20return%20sort.pdf

It is interesting to see how advancement in technology has significantly increased the efficiency of work and made the experience of customers (in this case, library users) better. For example, at the very start, librarians scanned the barcode of the returned books manually. Hence, the books returned by customers might not be detected instantly. However, this 3M™ Intelligent Return and Sorter System,designed for libraries interested in automating their check-in and sorting process, allows customers to quickly self return items with “real-time check-in”. With this feature, they can be assured items are instantly checked in upon return. This allows them to check out items without exceeding loan limits in the same visit. It is also interesting that this product is very customizable. For libraries with limited space, the system can be used for return only or can accommodate up to three bins with a sort matrix configured to best meet your library’s needs.

Science/Math principles involved:

Material engineering (to decide most suitable materials to use for different parts of the system)

Optical engineering (use of laser to scan barcode: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Barcode_reader#Laser_scanners)

Mechanical engineering (design of the system)

Computer science/Math (coding, algorithm)

2. BlueCheck

http://solutions.3m.com.sg/3MContentRetrievalAPI/BlobServlet?lmd=1318839883000&locale=en_SG&assetType=MMM_Image&assetId=1273695336267&blobAttribute=ImageFile

It is interesting that the fingerprint identification system (which was an enormous machine back then) has been downscaled to a portable equipment. BlueCheck enables users to perform two types of searches. Users can capture and search against fingerprint templates stored on the device or securely transfer captured fingerprints to a host,

such as a PDA, laptop, or smart phone, via Bluetooth or USB connection. With Cogent’s MobileID application, the host device can submit ANSI-NIST format files via SMTP or FTP to a remote server or to an Automated Fingerprint Identification System (AFIS) for fingerprint identification.Since this equipment is very portable, it will bring about much ease for the policemen and ensure no delay in capturing a potential criminal, maintaining peace in the region.

Science/Math principles involved:

Material engineering (to decide most suitable materials to use for different parts of the system)

Electrical engineering (detection of fingerprint: http://computer.howstuffworks.com/fingerprint-scanner3.htm)

Mechanical engineering (design of the system)

Computer science/Math (coding, algorithm, transmission of information wirelessly from BlueCheck to hos devices)

• What are the innovations you have experienced with since childhood?

XBox, Computer, PSP, TV, Radio, CD, Google, Youtube, Windows, Phone, Text Messaging, Air-conditioner, XBox 360, PS3, NDS, McDonald's Happy Meal, McDonald's McCafe, Iphone, Tablet PC, Laptop, Printer

• What are some interesting project ideas / areas of research or even hands-on experiments that you think can be explored in future learning of sciences & math in the school?

Project Ideas:

Searching for other renewable, alternative sources of energy to replace fuel which is depleting

Finding methods to replace expensive materials such as gold in memory chips and medicine (Ways how gold is used in products: http://www.gold.org/technology/uses/ )

Hands-on experiment:

Observing real life application of technologies and knowledge in products and understanding how their current knowledge is applied in real world. For example, in Secondary 4, we learnt about electrolysis, which is related to electroplating, a process essential in making of printer flex.

• Major Takeaways

3M values innovation. This can be seen from 3M policy that 6% of sales is re-invested back into research and development sector. Furthermore, 3M, Woodlands branch in Singapore, also has a Kaizen room (improvement room). This room allows workers to exercise their creativity to come up with innovative ideas to solve the problems. Afterwhich, they are then recognised for their effort. The 15% program by 3M also allows workers to have free time to research on their own to find new ideas to promote innovation. 3M management also encouraged workers to be inquisitive, asking questions which has objectives and benefits to all. The large emphasis 3M placed on innovation has definitely played an important role in development of 65,000+ products.

3M values employees. 3M allows workers to switch between the regular career path (management) and the technical career path. Employees are also free to choose which part of the process they prefer and switch between different processes easily (PI Etch in production of printer flex to sputter in the production of the same thing). 3M is very concerned with the interests of the employees. This prevents employees from getting bored by staying at the same job positions for many, many, many years. This will make job experience of employees more interesting, increasing productivity of employees. At the same time, 3M will be able to keep their talents and not lose them to competitors. 3M views employees not just as workers but part of their large family.

Expectations of EDB Learning Journey...

I have been engaged in scientific research and science projects since last year. As I have been able to obtain results from my research, I have decided to sign up for cluster B to understand how ideas and findings are brought out of the research labs to the market. Hence, through this learning journey, I wish to be able to know how a small, vague idea develops into a workable products or technologies in the real world. I believe having the knowledge of the process of developing these ideas can provide greater insights and allow me to apply my recent scientific findings better. Experience through interactions with the professionals in the various fields is most definitely invaluable and helpful in future. I am looking forward to this learning journey!

Pre-Learning Journey Reading (3M & Qioptiq)

3M is fundamentally a science-based company. 3M produce thousands of imaginative products - from health care and highway safety to office products and abrasives and adhesives. 3M even allow their all their workers 15% off their office time to exercise their creativity to apply technologies to meet an endless array of real-world customer needs.

As a student, I am actively involved in many activities such as CCA, sports and scientific research. Hence, it is very important to arrange my hectic schedule to ensure I do not miss any of these activities. However, I am quite absent-minded. Hence, I have been using the post-it notes to remind myself of school events and jot down details. Hence, I am quite familiar with the brand 3M and have a rough idea of 3M’s products before the research (though not very accurate).

3M’s culture of innovation wows me. As can be seen from this article (http://www.fastcodesign.com/1663137/how-3m-gave-everyone-days-off-and-created-an-innovation-dynamo), 3M’s program, “15 percent time”, allows everyone in the company to use a portion of their paid time to chase rainbows and hatch their own ideas. Furthermore, 3M is willing to take risks and listen to the new ideas by fellow workers, allowing these gems to develop into a creative product. This culture of innovation is indeed unique to 3M. This culture of innovation is also what leads 3M to great success.miliar with the brand 3M and have a rough idea of 3M’s products before the research (though not very accurate).

3M produces a wide range of innovative products and dwell into many industries. Most of the times, many successful MNCs and local companies specialise in a specific industry. However, 3M promotes creativity and urges all their fellow workers to think out of the box across all fields. As such, 3M is able to produce a large variety of products which are futuristic and helpful to us. Below are just some examples of 3M products.

3M Privacy Screen

3M Clean Water

3M Pet Hair Remover

Their ability to produce such large number of distinct products is an important characteristic of 3M, leading to their success in many fields.

Before the research, I thought that 3M only produces adhesive tapes and post-it notes.3M is a company that specialises in producing new and creative stationery. These products by 3M, adhesive tapes and post-it notes, are very useful. I use them frequently in school and at home. However, after the research, I realise that 3M is a company which produces a wide range of products. 3M researches and develops cutting-edge technologies such as privacy computer screen filter and clean water filter. 3M also produces many other daily household appliances which are lying all around my house (I didn’t know these are 3M products back then).

Qioptiq designs and manufactures photonic products and solutions that serve a wide range of markets and applications in the area of medical and life sciences, industrial manufacturing, defense and aerospace and research and development.

As the name suggests, Qioptiq is related to optics. Photonic is a relatively new field. However, in Singapore, the development of optics technology is rapid. Many HDB estates have already been notified of installation of optical fibers in the household. Optical fibers are used in communication, medical field, defence and many other industries. Since photonic technology is evident in Singapore, I briefly know the progress and usage of photonic technology, which is related to what Qioptiq does.

Qioptiq produces a wide variety of products, ranging from night vision military weapon to Optical Solar Reflectors in satellites. Their involvement in aerospace really wows me because I never thought photonic technology, a relatively new field, has already been applied to a satellite which costs a bomb. The sheer number of products Qioptiq produced is already stunning.
Products: http://www.qioptiq.com/products.html

As can be seen from this video, it is evident that Qioptiq value customers' feedbacks and develop their products accordingly. Their willingness to take in customers' feedbacks is what makes them so successful in the field of photonics. Furthermore, this video showcases some cutting-edge technology which is invented by Qioptiq. They source for new materials and novel methods to produce more durable, more energy-saving military equipments to suit the demands of the customers. For example, Dragon Compact, part of Dragon series shown in the video, is fitted with Qioptiq LOGLINT™ Coating Technology to reduce sunlight glint and reflection. It has a Stand Alone Thermal Weapon Sight, Clip On Thermal Weapon Sight and Hand Held Observation and Surveillance Sight. These products in the video are definitely just the tip of the iceberg.

Before the research, I thought that Qioptiq was only concerned about developing better optical fibers for various purposes such as communication, surgery and defence. Optical fibers are the technologies I am more familiar with. Thus, I related Qioptiq to optical fibers almost immediately. However, after the research, I realise that optical fibers technology is only a small part of photonic. Photonic encompasses thermal imaging technology, night vision technology and space-based technology, just to name a few. These technologies Qioptiq are concerned with are very sophisticated and related to many other fields (defence, medical, aerospace).

After doing the research, I have several project ideas in mind. Firstly, it will be the investigation of different, novel design of optical fibres to reduce loss of light during transmission. Secondly, it is the investigation of different resources and new methods to make the photonics product (such as the Dragon series) more energy-saving, more light-weight.

About Me

Name: Ang Wei Jian

Age: 16

Interests: psychology, technology, physics, Frisbee, soccer, scientific research, searching for new jokes

Favourite singers: Aerosmith, Bon Jovi, David Cook

Favourite books: Agatha Christie's crime novels, Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol

Research projects done: Recycling Waste Coffee, Investigation of novel methods to reduce membrane fouling in Membrane Bioreactors (MBR)