Apple’s Manufacturing R&D Support Center Introduces Smart Quality Lab Equipment at SME Week Event

Apple’s Manufacturing R&D Support Center introduces smart quality lab equipment to small and medium business executives at the ‘SME Week’ event held last December./Postech

On the 7th, I got off the train at Pohang Station and after a 20-minute ride, I saw the Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) campus. As I passed the narrow road between the gymnasium and the log cabin that was the meeting place for POSTECH students, I saw a building that housed a third generation synchrotron radiation accelerator in the distance. This is a familiar sight to scientists who do acceleration research.

As I turned left with the Pohang Accelerator Research Institute in front, an unfamiliar landscape appeared. When I entered the lobby of the POSTECH Advanced Technology Exchange Center, I saw an apple-shaped logo with teeth on the right side. It was the logo of Apple, an American IT company (information technology) that was famous for the iPhone, iPad, and MacBook. Apple will establish its manufacturing research and development (R&D) support center here in 2022.

“This is the first manufacturing R&D support center established by Apple in the world,” said Jeong Hyo-jin, manager of Apple’s manufacturing R&D support center. free.” By using domestic small and medium enterprises and this resource, we can improve manufacturing processes, find defective parts, and build a data-driven production system. Engineers sent from Apple and POSTECH are based here and are doing process analysis and system optimization requested by domestic companies.

Apple’s Manufacturing R&D Support Center also has a clean room capable of semiconductor processing./Postech

Apple’s Manufacturing R&D Support Center is equipped with approximately 60 pieces of state-of-the-art equipment. Includes a clean room (clean space) capable of semiconductor processing, various equipment such as It is located on the 3rd floor.

On this day, a small business was analyzing the inside of a remote control using X-ray and CT equipment to find defective parts. Baek Gyeong-heum, chief engineer at Apple’s Manufacturing R&D Support Center, said, “Just how people take” He said. An optical microscope that magnifies parts up to 6,000 times and equipment that can cross sections of cutting and viewing materials to find defective parts.

Chief Engineer Baek Gyeong-heum said, “Most of the research equipment was built recently, so its performance is better than that of other organizations,” and “A number of research facilities have been built, from a structure and components to electrical properties, shape, and reliability analysis, so we can help companies regardless of industry.” “I can give it to you,” he said. In fact, there are various aspects of domestic small and medium-sized companies that have received help from Apple’s Manufacturing R&D Support Center.

Seven Treasures, a traditional fermented food company that makes sauces such as red pepper paste and soy bean paste, learned how to apply modern technology to the fermented food production process here. After analyzing the process of making meju, we eliminated unnecessary processes. Meanwhile, temperature, humidity, light intensity, and oxygen concentration were measured in real time to streamline the meju manufacturing process. Kim Dong-gon, CEO of Seven Treasures, said, “Whether it is a traditional process or a modern manufacturing process, data management is essential, and the center’s training enabled the development and analysis of data the process.”

Smart Data Lab IoT (Internet of Things) class held at the ‘SME Week’ event held by Apple’s Manufacturing R&D Support Center in April. An engineer from the center listens to the concerns of small and medium business executives./Postech

Haedong Engineering, which developed a building-integrated solar module, received preventive maintenance training at the plant and later also consulted on process development with engineers from Apple and POSTECH. Inner Sensor, a semiconductor process-based sensor design and manufacturing company, saved analysis costs by replacing material analysis at the plant, which was outsourced, and ENT, which provides semiconductor reliability testing services, also systematic testing and analysis using. high equipment at the Apple Center I do it.

Apple, famous for its iPhone and MacBook, is helping Korean small and medium-sized companies to build smart factories because Korean companies have always been a big part of Apple’s supply chain for the past 20 years who left Through the Apple Manufacturing R&D Support Center, many small and medium-sized businesses in Korea get help to grow with sufficient resources.

Apple’s Manufacturing R&D Support Center goes beyond just providing access to equipment and connects small and medium businesses with Apple experts by hosting an event called ‘Small and Medium Enterprise Week).’ This is an event where experts from Apple and POSTECH will be present to educate small and medium-sized domestic businesses with the latest information and knowledge on smart factories (intelligent factories that combine information and communication technology) and to help solve technical problems.

SME Week is divided into three sessions: smart data, smart process, and smart quality. SME Week was held twice last year, and was held again this year in April, and is scheduled to be held again at the end of June. “Apple makes a variety of products and has a lot of experience in managing these processes,” said Jeong Hyo-jin, manager of Apple’s Manufacturing R&D Support Center “The strength of Apple’s Manufacturing R&D Support Center is enhanced by adding to POSTECH’s excellent Researchers and the manufacturing business center near Pohang.” “It’s happening,” he said.