The Sungkyun Times

Have you ever thought about what processes an automobile should undergo before it appears to us with its terrific looks? Those processes are much more complicated than we think. Kang Hyung-suk, a senior in the School of System Management Engineering is showing the detail.

   <His Choice, The School of System Management Engineering>

 He has been interested in computer and making things since his childhood.  This made him a student of the school of System Management Engineering and is being an axis for his eagerness.

    'System Management Engineering' is a field of study that provides students with the techniques and the theories on 'Quality control' and 'Production Control' related to manufacturing. It has been developed with the 'Information Technology (IT)' that is becoming the core of 'Engineering'.

          He said that he was proud of his major. "Our courses include several Business and Administration courses such as OR(Operation Research). We learn its basic principles as well as the relating advanced theories. The system management Engineering is not only a kind of operation to optimize a corporate system that is needed by any business but also treats machines, being called a ‘machine doctor’.”

         Owing to his passion for the major and sociable nature, he worked as the head of 'The Public Information Section' of the Students' Association when he was a junior.  Such experience gave him chances of learning how to get along and cooperate with different type of people in the college.

< Research Assistant of e-Manufacturing Laboratory>

Kang came to think about becoming a research assistant while taking the 'Manufacturing System Engineering' course. He says, "This subject gives the basic knowledges on manufacturing. Once, we were assigned a task of making a virtual factory with a certain free item. Our team chose 'pot' and visited some exhibitions featuring pot.  Carrying out the project, I was fascinated by this field of study.

After a while, there was an advertisement recruiting for research assistants of 'e-Manufacturing Laboratory'.  So he applied for it and became a research assistant through an interview with a professor. "In an interview the professor asked me what the laboratory is for. So I answered, 'Our work is to develop the current technologies, using IT.'  And it might have been the answer that the professor just wanted."

   He gets instructed by the seniors when the need arises. He said, "They teach me how to use new tools and draw a design."

         He is also free to attend seminars held by the CAD(Computer-Aided Design)/CAM(Computer-Aided Manufacturing) society where experts, professors and graduate students gathered together and exchange their opinions with one another.  He is admitted to attend seminar as a research assistant although he is still an undergraduate.

         It is challenging to keep up with the courses in his major working as a research student at the same time. "I don’t have any spare time. If I learn something new from seniors (such as how to use new tools or draw designs), there is always an assignment along with it. I have to be torn between homework and major subject test"  But he also said, "The harder I study, the more I gain. Most of the projects are carried out with the helps of Seoul National University, Ministry of Commerce, Industry and Energy and GM Daewoo.  So, I have chances to meet many experts and students in this field.  It works as a learning process to me.

He said that he is very satisfied with his laboratory job.  "It was a new start of my life. I got over my laziness and started designing my life. I'm convinced that it had a positive effect on me."

<Plunging into real work places!>

 Last winter, Kang served his internship at Bucheon plant of GM Daewoo Auto & technology with five other undergraduates and some graduates to implement the project named 'A Study on Digital Engineering Technology for Assembling Automobile'.

         They were assigned to register all the factory data on the system, to digitalize them and finally to set up a virtual factory.

“We examined the data which are modeled using CAD tools which is 3D image.  Generally most factories produce various cars with different options using the same assembling line. So, there must be thorough examination on whether a certain kind of equipment is available for other kinds of cars or not.  But it would take too much time and money to use real equipment. The method of modeling data allows us to save expenses and to achieve 'Quality Innovation' and ‘Customer Satisfaction'.

         This experience gave him a good chance to utilize his skills he learned at the laboratory.  “I gained confidence in myself through the internship. I will be able to adapt myself to any technical work more easily.

"There were a few episodes during the internship.  For example, we were so hungry because we had to get up very early in the morning and did tough work. We were 10 but when we finished dinner there were 15 empty dishes in front of us.

   He is planning to serve another internship at Kunsan plant this summer.

He hopes to study 'Biotechnology' some day. "Nano-technology and Biotechnology are the main industries of the future. I think Biotechnology is a kind of manufacturing system. I want to combine Biotechnology with Manufacturing Technology in the future."

Today, he is still transforming complicated automobile data to 3D images in the laboratory. Someday his dream will also be realized like his drawing.