"An industrial renaissance is underway in the United States, not only in the advanced technologies of product and process design, but also in the evolution of totally new concepts of production systems and management that emphasize manufacturing excellence."
In May of 1989, the Oklahoma Center for Integrated Design and Manufacturing (OCIDM) was one of three Centers of Excellence selected for funding by the Oklahoma Center for the Advancement of Science and Technology (OCAST). Including both State and non-State resources, the Center has seen funding at more than $13 million since that time, to support high-quality research and development projects. The Center is based at Oklahoma State University, but is a cooperative effort involving key faculty members from the University of Oklahoma, and the University of Tulsa.
An industrial renaissance is underway in the United States, not only in the advanced technologies of product and process design, but also in the evolution of totally new concepts of production systems and management that emphasize manufacturing excellence. The emergence of complementary advanced technology strategies such as Computer-Aided Design (CAD), Computer-Aided Manufacturing (CAM), and Computer-Integrated Manufacturing (CIM) makes possible significant improvements in productivity and product quality. Also, the effective use of intelligent and programmable machines can potentially revolutionize the way in which complex, sometimes repetitive and dangerous, production processes are carried out. Automation of the product design, development, manufacturing, evaluation, and distribution processes may well be the key to success for industrial firms seeking to attain and maintain product leadership in an increasingly competitive and global marketplace.
Numerous studies have shown that the existence of strong university programs available to industry is a major factor in attracting new industry and in preserving the competitiveness of existing industry. The economic vitality and rate of growth in Oklahoma's manufacturing sector depend, in part, on the responsiveness of the State's educational institutions. The Oklahoma Center for Integrated Design and Manufacturing is one key strategy in Oklahoma's economic development plan.
The goals of the Center are fully consistent with the goals of Oklahoma Futures and OCAST, as well as the recommendations of the former Oklahoma Council on Science and Technology, the report on the Crisis in Higher Education in Oklahoma, and the Five-Year Strategic Economic Development Plan for Oklahoma. Oklahoma Futures has established 13 priority goals for Oklahoma's economic development. Of these, seven are being addressed by the Center.
The Center is focusing its research efforts in three complementary areas of strategic importance to Oklahoma and the nation: design, manufacturing, and system integration. The three strategic research areas imply a complex and interdisciplinary problem focus that requires a "center" approach. Research Goals which guide the selection of research and technology development projects are as follows:
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Research target areas within design, manufacturing, and system integration include Computer Aided Design and Engineering, Manufacturing Processes and Materials, Web Handling, Computer Integrated Manufacturing, and Intelligent Systems. Although individuals and small groups can address specific tasks related to the target areas, collaboration across organizational boundaries is required to address the integration issues.
The research tasks being pursued in OCIDM are largely basic or fundamental in nature. However, some of the tasks involve close collaboration between university and industry personnel and focus on problems where a potential for commercialization exists. These latter applied research tasks focus on new products and processes. An example of an applied research task is a collaborative effort between OSU and two Oklahoma firms to create a tapered tube manufacturing enterprise in Oklahoma. With the completion of patent application this past year, five companies have indicated significant interest in the process, with at least one moving forward towards application.
New projects are continually being identified. Recent examples include significant collaboration between OSU and OU Industrial Engineering faculty on major program proposals for the National Science Foundation. Major strides as a result of OCIDM programs have established these institutions as leaders in the Object Oriented Programming area.
The research programs of the Center are utilizing industry/university cooperative relationships patterned after the highly successful Web Handling Research Center at OSU. A comprehensive technology transfer plan has been developed to adapt research results to the specific needs of Oklahoma industry and to deliver that information through a variety of outlets.
The Computer-Integrated Manufacturing Center is concerned with the total spectrum of advanced technologies applied to the manufacture of goods, especially the use of computer and communication technologies applied to the design, manufacturing, and management functions of a firm. The Robotics Laboratory is concerned with the design of robotic manipulators and gripping devices, the development of robotic sensor capabilities (including vision), and the effective application of robot systems in manufacturing processes. The Web Handling Research Center is concerned with the study of fundamental problems associated with the handling of materials in continuous strip form and the development of the knowledge base required in the optimum design of automated processes and machines involving these materials.
The Computer-Aided Design and Interactive Graphics Laboratory is a facility which supports a large variety of research, instruction, and technology transfer activities involving the use of computer-based analytical and graphical methods, especially in the synthesis of optimum geometrical designs and in validation of designs against functional and operation requirements. In the Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, special emphasis is given to the development of expert systems for industrial sponsors in Oklahoma who wish to improve the productivity and profitability of their firms. The Manufacturing Processes and Materials Laboratory is concerned with baseline research in machining, casting, forming, diamond coating, and other manufacturing operations.
To ensure that the Center serves the most pressing needs of its intended constituents, a Center Advisory Committee has been formed consisting of the Director of the Oklahoma Department of Commerce and top level managers from Oklahoma and national manufacturing firms. The "top level manager" group includes representatives from Seagate Technologies, AT&T Technologies, Mobil Chemical, 3M, Charles Machine Works, Applied Polymer Technology, Fife Corporation, Purolator, Inc., and Gear Products.
Evidence that the Center is continually improving progress toward its goals is demonstrated by a number of accomplishments during the years of the Center. Research has been expanded in the areas of original strength and a number of new research projects have been initiated in priority areas. Research project selection has been driven by strategic plans established in the five research target areas. Each plan has a sharp intellectual focus and is the result of the collaboration of individuals from more than one institution. These individuals have developed a mutual trust and dependence. Several proposals have been prepared and submitted to industry and federal sources which involve researchers from two of the participating institutions. Several new research projects have been initiated in partnership with Oklahoma manufacturing firms, thereby ensuring that research is being focused on the strategic needs of Oklahoma manufacturing. One invention disclosure has increased opportunities for a new manufacturing firm to start up using the results of research efforts.
One striking accomplishment is the development of improved, unique, and non-duplicative research laboratory facilities that serve all three participating institutions and potentially serve the needs of certain target industries in Oklahoma. A precision machining facility at OSU is one example of the development of a unique state resource that promises to place OCIDM in a national leadership position in this vital area of manufacturing process research. Funds available from a competitive grant from the U. S. Department of Education were combined with OCAST funds to create this facility.
OCIDM has been an active participant in the development of the Oklahoma Alliance for Manufacturing Excellence (the Alliance). The formation in 1993 of this coordinating agency for the industrial extension system in Oklahoma was a major step toward providing support vitally needed for modernization of small- and mid-sized manufacturing firms. A new grant has just been awarded by the federal Manufacturing Extension Partnerships (MEP) at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), which when combined with OCAST and OSU funds, will place three Applications Engineers in rural areas of Oklahoma to support the engineering needs of rural manufacturers. The program, being scaled up during the first three of six years, is a joint effort of the College of Engineering, Architecture, and Technology, and the Division of Agricultural Science and Natural Resources. In the past two years, technology support through OCIDM and the DASNR Technology Transfer Program has helped over 200 companies in Oklahoma. With this program, OCIDM is rounding out its research and applications development activities with an outreach (technology transfer) activity that pulls into manufacturing industries the engineering support that they need, resulting in significant economic development that is quickly visible for many small industries in Oklahoma.