ACM to sign new research deal with local academic institutions
BUKIT KAYU HITAM: Aerospace Composites Malaysia Sdn Bhd ( ACM) is set to sign research agreementswithfourlocalacademic institutions on Tuesday and is also making significant investments in automated manufacturing technologies at its plant here.
ACM managing director Jose Garza said the collaboration with local institutions would provide valuable training opportunities for its employees and promote a strong and qualified future workforce.
“We continue to make strategic investments in key manufacturing technology areas to enable future growth, improve performance and meet the demands of our customers today and well into the future,” he said in a statement today.
ACM is expected to sign memorandums of understandings (MoUs) with Universiti Malaysia Perlis, Politeknik Sultan Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shah (Polimas), Institut Latihan Perindustrian Jitra (ILP Jitra), and Institut Kemahiran Belia Negara Jitra (IKBN Jitra).
Under these MoUs, ACM would collaborate with the four local academic institutions in the areas of researchanddevelopment;advisory, training and skills development for students and lecturers; and knowledge and skills exchange via the National Dual Training System programme.
In particular, industrial training institutes ILP Jitra and IKBN Jitra would provide technical training to ACM employees.
“Upon completion of the training, employees will be formally certified with Level 2 and 3 of the Malaysia Skill Certificate. ILP Jitra will become an authorised training provider for ACM to facilitate industrial training and job placements for ILP Jitra students,” said Garza.
Under the agreement, ACM would also secure a new automated spray paint system from UniMAP and would collaborate in the areas of joint research, teaching, as well as, share expertise and academic material with the university.
The automated paint system, used to paint flat panels, would replace the manual spray paint processes, improving paint booth capacity by increasing daily output by 67 per cent and saving 20 per cent daily in material usage.
Theautomatedspraypaintsystem represented the latest investment in manufacturing technology that ACM was now making.
Other recent manufacturing investments would include automated sanding, core cutting and 5-axis CNC machines, as well as a, sixth autoclave machine which would begin operations in 2019.
Established in 1998, ACM is a joint venture between US companies Boeing and Hexcel, and is a world leader in supplying composite products and subassemblies to the global aerospace industry.
ACM supports every Boeing Commerc i a l A i r p l a n e s programme.
Every commercial airplane produced by Boeing is delivered with parts made in Malaysia, added the statement. — Bernama