Implementing the “Using Legal Entities to Link Industry-Academia Collaboration Project” of the Ministry of Science and Technology (MOST), the Metal Industries Research and Development Centre (MIRDC) combined research and development (R&D) results of school with the core capabilities of legal entities. Through value-added technologies such as processing equipment development, prototyping, and patent deployment, MIRDC is focused on smart machinery and green energy technologies, and has completed fifteen projects including high entropy alloy applied on thin film resistors, energy-efficient stone grinding equipment and processing technology, a diffuse-light control skylight system, and an intelligent aeroponic system. We hope to achieve industrialization with added values to create a triple-win situation for industry, academic and research sectors.
In the case of the “Development of New Generation, Energy-Efficient Large-Scale Acrylic Substrate” as an example, the MIRDC worked with Professor Day-Shan Liu of National Formosa University to provide a solution of localized, low-cost coatable acrylic substrate. So far, there are only a few specific acrylic substrates from abroad that do not require surface treatment, but their price is more than four times higher than domestic products, resulting in higher costs for the industry. In view of this, MIRDC has developed large-scale, 300mm × 300mm coating equipment, combined with patented plasma polymerization technology from the academia, which can coat various functional films on acrylic substrates. Furthermore, its mass production in the future can be applied to consumer goods such as thermal insulation panels for green building, agricultural energy-efficient greenhouses, energy-efficient light-pervious roofing, and automobile electronic panels, putting energy saving into practical action.
Acrylic has the advantages of high light transmittance, weather resistance and light weight. In addition, acrylic is much better than glass in terms of transporting and safety. To improve the application of thick glass and imported materials, MIRDC currently assists in transferring patented technologies to mass production, facilitating academic strength to be applied in the industry. As a result, the project results have been successfully transferred to acrylic production and the OEMs (such as Taipu Enterprise Co.), replacing imports with domestic products and effectively reducing the production cost of the industry by more than 30%. In the future, MIRDC will continue to tackle relevant patented technologies and equipment, enhancing the competitiveness of related domestic industries and moving towards the ultimate goal of expanding overseas markets.