The “Micro-Heat Treatment Industry Application Alliance” established by the Metal Industries Research & Development Centre (MIRDC) is expected to create a more comprehensive industrial supply chain. The ceremony were held on March 28 with other members of the alliance, Hi Heat Furnace Industrial Co., Ltd., Xing Guang Industry, Sha Yang Ye Industry, Taiwan Society for Metal Heat Treatment, and the Taiwan Micro-Fabrication Alliance. This alliance aims to self-develop innovative technology, assist firms move toward value heightening of machining, and heat treatment for precision parts, and provide the industry with technical and production solutions.
Dr. Chen, Chin-Ming, acting President of MIRDC stated that MIRDC has always worked towards developing micro manufacturing technology and equipment that maximize value. As products become more precision, demand for automation and robots are on the rise. Parts development has been moving toward miniaturization and precision. The establishment of this alliance can link industry and academic resources that involve machining and heat treatment, which is required by the precision parts industry and for domestically developed parts and equipment.
In the meantime, MIRDC signed the contract of technology transfer with Shing Kuang Heat Treatment Co., Ltd. for “continuous heat treatment system technology for micro components.” It is expected that the cooperation will quickly enter the international precision parts supply chain and drive development in Taiwan’s precision heat treatment related industries.
The “continuous heat treatment system technology for micro components” is jointly developed by MIRDC and Hi Heat Furnace Industrial Co., Ltd., a heat treatment equipment manufacturer. The heat treatment system technolgy completely collects micro workpieces smaller than 2 mm in diameter through the integration of innovative mechanism design, automatic material feeding system for micro workpieces, quenching and cooling system, automatic cleaning system, tempering system, furnace gas production, and monitoring system. In addition, product tests show that the size precision and wear resistance of micro carbon steel screws and gears produced by this equipment exceeds the quality of current domestic products, and that the quality has reached international standards.
The establishment of the Micro-Heat Treatment Industry Application Alliance expects to expand and attract more firms join this alliance and develop different high value products, such as pneumatic tools, robot modules, 3C products, aerospace fasteners, and medical devices that possess international competitive advantage. In addition, Mr. Hung, Chou-Hung, chairman of Taiwan Society for Metal Heat Treatment indicated that heat treatment is the foundation of the machinery industry and precision heat treatment is a key capability of Taiwan’s precision industry. He added that domestic industries, the government, and academic sectors in Taiwan must work together in the future to invest in this field in order to create new opportunities for the heat treatment industry.