Index
11 December 2008
SAMME Student wins inaugural ABB National Robotics Competition
Chun-Yen Lai’s Award for ABB Robotics Competition 2008.
Manufacturing and Engineering Management student, Chun-Yen Lai, has won the 2008 Annual ABB National Robotics Innovation Competition.
This competition was awarded to the student who could produce the most innovative and cost effective way of manufacturing or improving an existing component or manufacturing process, through the use of robot based automation.
Chun-Yen chose a real-life industry project, based on improving an existing furniture manufacturing process through the integration of automation with ABB robots.
By comparing and developing two innovative process lines, he was able to determine the most efficient way for SK Furniture Ltd to improve their manufacturing processes.
Chun-Yen acknowledged that when changing an existing manufacturing process, economic justification was of vital importance to industry.
“In terms of economic justification, the project was mainly concerned with investment cost, quality, productivity, efficiency and payback periods”, he said.
Chun-Yen expressed a great sense of accomplishment in attaining this award and felt it provided him with an exceptional opportunity to develop a better understanding of ‘real-life’ concerns in industry.
“This project has helped me in many ways. I have been able to experience a real-life situation, develop better communication and social skills with industry professionals and find out what I would like to do in my career. As well as this I will be able to use this accomplishment to pursue further graduate studies”, he said.