Thailand ups the ante on HDDs

       Hitachi Global Storage Technologies has for the first time in the industry commissioned a Thai university to upgrade one of its production lines to the latest technology as part of a public private research partnership rather than have equipment sent over to Singapore for retrofitting and sent back.
       The upgrade project, the first by the new Hard Disk Drive (HDD) Industrial Prototyping Research Laboratory at Suranaree University of Technology in Nakhon Ratchasima province is an important step in fostering closer relationships between the hard drive industry and local researchers and SMEs to help Thailand move up the value chain.
       Hitachi GST is upgrading two of its four 1.8 HDD production lines to make new 2.5 drives as trends in demand shift to consumer electronics and even HDDs in the automotive sector. One line has been dismantled and sent to Singapore while the other is being retrofitted at Suranaree University of Technology at the cost of some 17 million baht. Initially, Hitachi GST was reluctant to save a few million baht, given the extra risk of trying something new and groundbreaking, but further negotiation and the offer of a research grant to subsidise the project from Nectec, the National Electronics and Computer Technology Centre, coupled with a local Hitachi GST management eager to source locally to reduce costs, changed their minds.
       Associate Professor Flight Lieutenant Dr Konthorn Chamniprasert, who heads the project, explained how Nectec is paying for the researchers working on the project to the tune of 5 million baht, while Hitachi GST is funding the 17 million worth of equipment and supplying engineers to help in the modifications. The project was approved last year and work started in January.
       Aside from the size, the main difference between the 1.8" drive and the 2.5" is that the 2.5 has two platters.This means two new machines for the old 12-step process, adding a hyperbalancing to tune the vibrations and a new pivot cover part.
       Another difference is that with more heads, the head stack assembly is now more complex and shipped with protection that needs to be removed.
       Hitachi GST provides the drawings of what is needed, but much of the software and programming of the tools has to be engineered locally.
       Capacity is expected to be at 600 drives an hour once the system has been installed at the factory at Prachin Buri and Konthorn said he and his team are trying to ensure the Thai-designed production line operates faster than the one done in Singapore.
       Konthorn said that he and his team have learned so much from the process and he is eager to transfer this knowledge to the industry. This has nothing to do with Hitachi GST's trade secrets, but general knowledge of technology and programming the robots.
       Earlier, Professor Dr Prasart Suebka,Rector of Suranaree University of Technology, said that Nectec funding has provided places for 8 undergraduates,19 masters and one doctorate student and three full-time research staff.
       "We must move from downstream to mid-stream, and with the right research facilities we can become part of the upstream industry," he said.
       Thailand must change from valueaddition to value creation, he said, pinning much of his hopes on the 1.4 trillionbaht Stimulus Package 2.
       Nectec Director Dr Pansak Siriruchatapong spoke of the HDD industry's importance to Thailand, which makes 40 percent of the world's drives, worth 500 billion baht annually. Today the challenge is not just to maintain number one status, but to engage in high-tech research and move up the value chain.
       Pansak said he hoped that the Stimulus Package 2 funds would start flowing as early as the beginning of next year.However, the details of what would filter down to Nectec or the HDD industry in particular have yet to be finalised. It was Nectec's parent organisation, the National Science and Technology Development Agency, requesting the budget from the Ministry of Finance and thus it would be the NSTDA board that decides how any stimulus package money they receive is spent, and how much of it given to Nectec. That said,Pansak said he expects to be able to fund many more researchers through the SP2 funds than in the past.
       Nakorn Tangsujaritpan, Deputy Managing Director of Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Thailand said that the opening of the laboratory would provide a great opportunity for students and SMEs to study and develop automation technology.
       Dr Djitt Laowattana, Director of Hard Disk Drive Programme, National Electronics and Computer Technology Centre said:"Today, we are in a state of war with Singapore and Malaysia. Our competitors are now doing research on upstream technology while we are still selling noodles on a rickshaw. But today we have help from partners like Hitachi telling us to add more pepper and cut down on the fish sauce.
       Our intention is to add just one percent to the industry. That would be an extra five billion baht to the country's GDP."