Precision engineering and manufacturing automation are covered in the advanced manufacturing technology. Although there are only few manufacturers of precision machining in Taiwan, they are still in the leading position in comparison with some countries that have been aiming at this area, such as the U.S., the U.K., Japan, Germany, and the Netherlands. MIRDC has always been focusing on ultra-precision machining and leading in various micro-fabrication applications, including traditional, non-traditional, and ultra-precision machining technologies for cooperation and development of semi-conductor, 3C, and photoelectric industries in the country. For a decade, MIRDC has obtained wonderful results by facilitating industry investment and driving the creation of production value.
In terms of the industry of optical lens, smart phones are becoming thinner, and plastic lens within are nearly reaching their physical limitations. Many manufacturers start to think about the design of “Aspheric Glass Molding (G-MO) with Plastic”. In addition, the discussions on autopilot have become popular. As advance driver assistance system (ADAS) has been becoming standard equipment, demands for vehicle lens are thus booming. Since lens must meet the requirement of strict environment tests, such as “high temperature and freezing environment” and “dirt-proof, shock-proof” etc., molded glasses are now therefore on the development trend in order to effectively increase imaging quality and to reduce the thickness of spherical lenses.
The ultra-precision machining team of MIRDC has been in technology exchange and cooperation with outstanding domestic and foreign research institutes, and thus has established complete capability of ultra-precision machining. The ultra-precision cutting vibration technology, which covers diamond cutting and ultrasonically elliptical vibration cutting, are developed to overcome the obstacles of mold steel lenses and machining of special materials; it can directly conduct the ultra-precision machining upon hard and brittle steels. After improving the mold manufacturing conditions and introducing systematic technology to the industries with precision machining models, parameter optimization, and error compensation technologies, demands for high quality lenses can be met and production efficiency can be enhanced.
Dr. Chiu-feng Lin, president of MIRDC, stated that the ultra-precision machining can even be further combined with online monitoring and cutter profile analysis for extended application as well as development of ultra-precision mold manufacturing technologies, including stainless steel, tool steel, brittle materials. Moreover, digitalization can be introduced and applied on intelligent wear-gear screen development. One of the examples is intelligent AR skiing goggles is also a weather forecaster, Such can improve the practicability and enhance the competitiveness in global market.