Visit to Makino

One-of-a-kind pretty much summarizes this trip. I never expected to see a machine made to build parts for another machine - it was pretty mind-blowing. Nevertheless, the mechanics involved were so controlled that every single part had to be of amazing precision (~2 microns). Even with the advanced equipment provided, the engineers there must be extremely concentrated to be able to pull off such professionalism. We watched the mechanics at work, and there was a man who worked there for 19 years! It was so unbelievable! 19 years at the same job every day? I will never fathom the patience needed to persevere for such a long time.

Many concepts that the company pay attention are basic theories like expansion under high temperature, friction and such physical constraints. Therefore, what we learnt is applied in the work by grasping an understanding and then countering such problems through the ingenious ideas of engineering.

Visit to GlaxoSmithKline

Today's experience was exceptional, totally different from the previous companies we went. The field which GSK focuses on is Chemical Engineering, which is something rather rare in Singapore. When I first read up on GSK, I wasn't particularly interested, but during the trip, many surprises presented themselves to change my opinion. First, during the introduction, I realised that the medication I had been taking for a long time, Avamys, was actually produced from the same factory I was in. Second, during the plant tour, I was amazed at how a process can require 4 levels of machinery to entirely finish, with each level serving a different purpose. Yet, there were only 2 handlers at the plant and the end product was shockingly expensive. Lastly, the talk on carbon footprint was inspiring and signified a huge step the company was taking in to conserve the environment. If other big MNCs are bold enough to undertake this almost impossible challenge set by GSK, the environmental impact caused by factories will be reduced ridiculously. Therefore, from this trip, I conclude that GSK is not only a world leader in the medicine industry, but a leader in many aspects of the world.

For the technical concepts involved in the industry, they are pretty much related to our syllabus - forming of mixtures, bonding, reactions etc. As a result, the terms used are all familiar and there wasn't any catching up I had to do. Overall, the understand of these terminology made the experience more fruitful than any other.

Visit to Qioptic

To be honest, I felt that the technical talk during the trip was really out of my league. However, the connection between our host, Mr. Ronian Siew, and us students made me really comfortable. Physics, particularly understand of light, has been the poorest among the three sciences for me. Yet, this trip made me able to breach the gap between 'law-by-law' principles and real life usage. What surprises me is that even the simplest of principles, such as the reflection of light and total internal reflection are actually truly important in constructing machines or lenses at a industrial level. Truthfully speaking, Mr. Ronian Siew's stories were pretty hard to believe, and all the more unimaginable, especially for me, since there really is no freedom for exploration in Singapore. I could feel the huge difference between an American-educated person from any one of us here - he was daring and never feared risk-taking, something many of us lack. I feel this is something all of us can learn from, else we will never pursue our dreams and passions.

Simple knowledge on light can be applied from our studies to the industry. Basic principles of light never change such as reflection, refraction, total internal reflection and dispersion of light. These concepts are necessary in order to construct a usable product.

Visit to 3M

The importance and impact of innovation in today's competitive market is most evident from 3M. 3M's R&D department is the key to its current standing as a world leader in terms of innovation and answering the public's needs. By churning out simple yet ingenious inventions such as Post-it Notes (which I am going to elaborate on later on) and Scotch Tape, 3M has brought its name to glory for being a leader in innovation worldwide.

I remember using Post-it Notes to jot down whatever I wanted to and sticking them to the walls for the sole purpose of having fun when I was still in Primary School. Even now, Post-it Notes are really helpful for writing down reminders in my daily life. I find it rather intriguing how a simple use of being able to stick to other objects can separate an average from a glorifying innovation. This simple ability has sustained the attractiveness of Post-it Notes all the way from a decade ago till this day. Personally, I feel that the crucial point behind this success is its clever target on daily life convenience. Post-it Notes truly outshine other note-taking inventions in terms of convenience as it takes little time to stick something on the wall at a specific location than having to use magnets or other traditional ways which might even damage the wall paint. Therefore, 3M has truly understood the feelings of the consumers and not only invented one of the most widely used adhesive products, but has constantly improved and brought this simple product to the ears of most Singaporeans.

The science behind adhesive(sticking) properties of the Post-it Note is pressure-sensitive sticking abilities. When pressure is applied onto Post-it Notes, the adhesives behind 'join' with its contact surface, allowing it to sustain the weight of the note without dropping. It is made such that these adhesives only create weak bonds with the surface so that users can peel them off with ease later on.

Expectations

Basically, I will approach this opportunity as a platform to experience 'behind-the-scenes' work that majority of us have no idea about, yet plays a huge role in our daily lives. Companies such as GSK and Makino are core in the medical and manufacturing industries respectively, churning out new innovations that benefit not only themselves, but also the public and their partners.
Also, this is a chance to get away from online reading of such operations and feel it with my true self, enjoy the genius behind today's technology. Similarly, I want to learn to appreciate the many things around us that may pass off as easy-to-come-by yet require precise and tedious processes before coming to the hands of the public.

Makino

Quote: 'Makino is really many companies in one: A world leader in metal cutting and manufacturing technology. A manufacturer of horizontal machining centers, vertical machining centers, wire EDM and ram EDM machines, and graphite machining centers. A software company and an application engineering company. A service company and a financing company. A turnkey engineering company and an integration services company. An automation company and a machine tool supplies company. A training company and a process technology company. A global company and a local company. That's why Makino is all a manufacturer needs to machine parts more accurately, productively and at a lower cost per part.' 


I am astounded by the numerous services Makino provides. To be able to operate efficiently with so many different operations that work coherently, there must be a clever and controlled system to prevent slip-ups. In 2010, they introduced new technology with four times the productivity and double the durability of conventional machinery. It is only with such innovation that the world's technology can continue to progress and judging from the current situation around the world, Makino has indeed braved uncountable challenges to climb to its reputable name today.

GSK - GlaxoSmithCline

GSK is the abbreviation for GlaxoSmithCline. As one of the world's leading research-based pharmaceutical and healthcare companies, its motto of 'Do more, feel better, live longer' is achieved in many parts of the world and is now targeting on developing countries who need the medical aid and advancement as soon as possible. This is not related to what I intend to follow up in the future, but this opportunity is not easy to come by and truly, such exposure would be unwise to put off. It can also provide many of us with knowledge of how a small part of manufacturing can have an impact on a big corporation.

The gentleman in the video above is CEO of GSK, Andrew Witty. He explains the many challenges that GSK has to overcome to achieve progress in terms of vaccine business, consumer healthcare business, market leadership. He believes in allowing creativity to conjure new ideas for researchers and constantly adapt to the need of the public. One of his recent aims is to reform operations to work more efficiently and it is evident that he cares about the well-being of his employees and shareholders. He is willing to put his interests before the interests of the majority(the company), sacrificing for the greater good.
In 2010, GSK has grown significantly despite losses caused by various health situations worldwide, showcasing their influence in the medical industry. Their research and development has managed to develop 15 key assets that secure the companies future prospects. The emphasis of the company remains on providing effiecient and reliable service to patients, and is determined to cross an even greater milestone in the near future.


I am thoroughly impressed by Mr. Andrew Witty. He is truly an entrepreneurial leader who is insightful, capable and constantly adapts to cope with negative situations, seizing these opportunities to turn the tide around and even find further progress in these areas through determination and selflessness. His beliefs are not at all clouded and his goals are clear. Judging from his description of the company's outlook, he has put much effort in planning for the future 2 years ahead, clearly indicating his passion for the company and its motto of bringing good to the society.


Frankly speaking, I thought that the trip to GSK would be relatively boring, but after doing some research, I realised that the process of manufacturing is not at all simple as I thought. In fact, it requires a precise process operated by advanced machines and I am truly curious on the truth behind such machinery.