MANUFACTURING AUTOMATION TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH CENTER (MATRC)

Y.S. Liao, Professor
(Department of Mechanical Engineering)
TEL: (02)23626431
FAX: (02)23631755
Website: http://www.me.ntu.edu.tw/main.php?mod=adv_custom_page&func=show_page&site_id=0&page_id=131
E-mail: liaoys@ntu.edu.tw

INTRODUCTION
The research on manufacturing automation in College of Engineering at NTU can be traced back to 1986. In 1989, the college established the group of Computer-Integrated Manufacturing, which has developed the first set of Flexible Manufacturing System for education in the whole country. In February, 1996, the Manufacturing Automation Technology Center (MATRC) was established. The task at the beginning of the center was to develop manufacturing automation technology and to train relevant skilled manpower. Recently, the task is focused on promoting the efficiency, precision, reliability, and stability of the machines by developing intelligent system and precision machining. Further, the development of software, sensors, measurement, on-line control and intelligence control technology will be the core. In order to upgrade the technology of domestic industrial circle, the center has been integrated with the relevant research institutes to develop high value-added products and technologies.

The MATRC consists of the Precision Machine Shop and the Precision Manufacturing Center. It is also integrated with the Traditional and Non-traditional Machining Lad, the Computer-Integrated Manufacturing Lab, the Electro-mechanical Integration Lab, the Computer-Aided Design and Manufacturing Lab, the Robotic system, and the Production Technology Lab.

The advisory committee of MATERC is responsible for the planning of research themes, equipments, management and funding. The dean of the Engineering College is the Chair of the committee. The Chairman of the Mechanical Engineering Department is an officially assigned member. The Director of the center will be responsible for operation of the entire center.

OBJECTIVES
1. To develop the technologies related to intelligent manufacturing system and precision machining, in order to upgrade the technology of domestic industrial circle and train relevant skilled manpower.
2. Integrate the research resources of intelligent manufacturing at NTU, propose leading idea as well as practical usages of manufacturing intelligence, and offer consulting opinions to government for relevant policy-making.
3. Cooperate with other departments at NTU, and study the influence of manufacturing intelligence technology on society, economy, culture, and engineering ethics, in order to provide with timely advices to the government.

RECENT RESEARCH FOCUSES
1. Precision machine tools and micromachining technology
 Error measurement and compensation for machine tools, cutters and pieces
 Technology of on-line control work pieces precision
 Advanced control technologies of electrical discharge machines
 Technologies of ultra precision machining
 Technologies of micro-system machining
2. Computer-integrated manufacturing
 Production control and scheduling
 Material planning and purchase
 CAD/CAE/CAM
 The development of mold technique
 Reverse engineering, Rapid prototyping, Rapid tooling
 The development of intelligent computer-integrated manufacture
 Supply chain management
 Electronic business
 Enterprise resource planning
 Collaborative product electronic commerce
3. Development and application of flexible manufacturing system (FMS)
 Development and integration of FMS
 Planning of AGV system
 Planning of AS/RS
 Process planning and control
 Modeling and simulation of manufacturing system
 Development and application of various robots
4. The simulation and monitor of IC manufacturing process
 Arrangement and simulation of IC wafer factory
 Development of monitor technology of ion implanter
 Development of work unit
 Development of dispersed environment
 Development of manufacturing process model
 Development of model based SPC

ACADEMIA-INDUSTRY COLLABORATION
In addition to focusing on the development of new technologies, the center also makes efforts in introducing the research findings to the domestic industrial circle, in a hope to promote the academia-industry collaboration so as to strengthen the manufacturing ability of the domestic industry. The industrial partners involved in the collaboration programs are firstly the major manufacture consortiums in the industry, and then their satellite factories. By holding conferences and on-job training courses, the industry and the academia could have a better understanding and communication to each other, and then, initiate long-term cooperation projects. Up to present, the center has established close academia-industry collaboration partnership with several electro-optics companies and precision parts manufacturing factories.

FUTURE WORK
The center will continue to team up with other research institutes at NTU, such as the Department of Material science and Engineering, the Department of Information Management, the Graduate Institute of Industrial Engineering, the Graduate Institute of Biomedical Engineering, the Graduate Institute of Photonics and Optoelectronics, and the Graduate Institute of Environmental Engineering. Through interdisciplinary cooperation, the span of R&D of the center would extend from intra the College of Engineering to inter the colleges of the university, in order to fortify the researches in precision machining and intelligent manufacturing system.