Memo on material technology cooperation

This memo's goal is to tell readers about the ongoing projects, which include creating a substrate for a micro-electric circuit hybrid, a packaging for an electronic sensor, and a turbocharger rotor for car engines. Each project's actions are clearly described in the document. The memo further suggests that one of the suggested initiatives be taken into consideration by the CEO and the Board of Directors.
Background
Numerous clients have recently come up to me and proposed that I offer new services including electronic sensor packages, turbocharger rotors for car engines, and hybrid micro-electric circuit substrate. For these services, the customers are willing to pay the cost themselves. After carefully examining the suggestions from the customers, I realized that they could be adopted by the company as new projects. The hybrid circuit substrate will be easy to make because the company is already working on other similar products for different customers. In order to customize the hybrid substrate, the company engineers need to be trained for a few weeks since the new product will need new cutting and firing equipment. For the sensor, a molding process whose pilot-scale plant had already been constructed will be used. However, the pilot process plant is still under development and developing the right composite materials as per customers’ request will difficult. The turbocharger project, on the other hand, was going to be more challenging since MTC does not have prior experience with mold design technology and creating a composite material. Despite the challenges that might be encountered in the course of these projects, the company will have an opportunity to expand their market and customers.

In order to conduct the above projects, the company needs to provide training on tape casting technology, superconducting ceramic wire, and molding technology. When conducting a production process using tape casting technology, a process of creating smooth and flat sheets of ceramics should be developed. Tape casting process comprises of mixing organic binders or glues with aluminum oxide slurry particles. Blanks are cut from the tape using a die and placed in a furnace at 700o C where the organic glue is burned away. At 1500oc, ceramic particles will be bound together. The tape casting process will lead to the production of products such as smooth and flat substrates. Molding technology comprises of the Quickset process where dispersion technology will be utilized to establish a water slurry of mono-dispersed particles. The Quickest process is hard but it improves yields and increases reliability. The development of superconducting ceramic wires will be used to create superconducting electric motors for different uses.

Over the years, MTC has been adopting new projects from different sources. For example, the development of substrate was suggested by customers who wanted more than what the company is offering at the moment. In molded products, MTC acquired customers due to their reputation. To determine the appropriate projects to work on, managers will take part in the decision making process. The project planning process will involve the development of overall project cost and the date of delivery. The planning process will be headed by the project manager as the team leader. In tape cast projects, only customers willing to pay for samples and development costs will be accepted while most molding projects are accepted without a limitation of demanding payments first. The costs of the project will include development cost and costs to pay engineers, scientists, and other participating employees. In each developmental stage, three to four experiments will be required. The four or three experiments will be important in determining the best solution to each problem. The time development at each phase depends on the time each experiment will take.

The engineering process for all the three projects will involve five stages; materials development, process development, tool design, tool refinement, and prototype part production. Materials development comprise a mixture of electrical, thermal, and mechanical properties as per customers’ desire. The process will involve research and development of new composite materials. Process development phase is where engineers learn how powders are monodispersed. Process development will take between four to six days to be completed. Tool design involves the production of molds which can take up to ten to two days. Machine tooling, however, will take close to four weeks. After designing and machining the tools, tool refinement follows. Tool refinement is the process by which a manufacturer receives a tool from a vendor for testing and refining. Prototype part production follows the tool refinement phase. In prototype production, tools satisfying the needs of customers are produced by adjusting the properties of the existing tool to make it stronger.

Recommendation

Due to the information provided above, I recommend that the Board consider adopting the production of hybrid circuit substrate since the company is already manufacturing products similar to this. The cost of production of hybrid circuit substrate will be less because less research and training is needed.