| 摘要: | 碳纖維為下一世代的夢幻材料，理論上，目前可見的大多數結構性材料，未來的設計終會進入碳纖維複合材料領域。碳纖維不僅為一高科技產業，且亦是具有高度競爭門檻特色。目前全世界有能力生產高規格碳纖維的廠商主要位於日本，屬於高度寡佔的市場。以往碳纖維生產廠商有限，2008年後，航太、能源、運動產業等需求逐漸成型、消費者需求提高，產品升級開始出現高度需求，但除日本外，其餘國家包含我國台塑企業對高階碳纖維始終難以突破技術與量產障礙，因此高階碳纖維的技術開發及生產是對目前複合材料產業刻不容緩之議題。
本研究探討個案公司永虹科技如何克服技術困難，研發出高規格、低成本的碳纖，因此研究動機來自於深入探討其如何將實驗室中新材料技術轉為量產之研發歷程以供國內相關業界參考。永虹科技其主要技術及研發人員均來自工研院，一個以技術開發導向為主的公司，系統化的利用材料研發程序及專案管理工具，逐步地將具開發潛力但也極具製程高度不確定性之低成本高階碳纖維材料技術，由想法轉入驗證、設計開發、試量產、可靠度評估、產能財務評估等程序，逐步由實驗室技術移轉進入試量產階段，並產出可滿足市場需求之關鍵性高階碳纖維產品。永虹科技利用IBM研發實驗室的試量產開發準則，輔以源自美國國防部之軍品研製與驗收訂定試驗需求所作的分類，進行發展與量產。
本研究的結論歸納如下：
1.在探索技術及產品開發階段，利用此類開發準則，企業將可更宏觀的判斷技術成熟度，精準掌握研發進度、發現關鍵問題、建立量產環境評估、產品規格調整、知識智權系統化、人才培訓等深化企業研發能量之重要內容，大幅降低創新技術導入試量產之風險。
2.試量產階段，利用發展試驗和操作試驗的評估準則，可確認系統穩定性、量產可靠度、產品特性，並進行產能設計、成本預估、財務分析進而作為公司整體行銷策略、定價策略、市場策略擬定之基準。;Carbon fiber is a specific material with high strength and low density. It is appraised as a material of future. The market of carbon fiber is dominated by a few manufacturers, mainly from Japan. Manufacturing technology of those Japanese manufacturers is 30 years ahead of their international competitors. Barriers to enter this market are high. It is critical for Taiwanese companies to jump onto the bandwagon in the next 5 to 10 years. Since 2008, demands for this critical material have risen significantly due to the demands from such industries as aerospace, automotive, wind energy, gas energy, and sport. Taiwanese firms will need technological breakthroughs in order to manufacture high-grade carbon fiber with a competitive cost.
This study shows how UHT unitech, a spinoff from ITRI (Industrial Technology Research Institute), commercializes its carbon fiber technology, from the development of ideas to mass production. UHT unitech specializes in high-grade carbon fiber. In the early days, the company was obviously lack of expertise in factory management, production management and project management.
UHT develops its own pilot production guidelines based on the guidelines developed by IBM and Department of Defense of the United States. Following IBM, UHT differentiates its new product development into four stages: MC0 (exploration technology validation), MC1 (product development) for the field of materials chemistry, MC2 (trial production stage) and MC2 (mass production stage). Guidelines from the Department of Defense of US, on the other hand, divide new product development into two stages: the development test (Development test and evaluation, DT & E) and operational testing (Operational test and evaluation, OT & E).
Findings of the study are summarized as follows:
1. The guidelines UHT developed benefits new product development. The guidelines facilitate evaluation of new ideas, monitoring of the progress, identification of critical issues, preparation of for pilot/mass production, product specification adjustment, suppliers management, and employee training. Overall, the guidelines significantly reduce the risk of introducing innovative technology into pilot production.
2. After the pilot production stage, the use of test development and operation of test assessment criteria helps verify system stability, production reliability, product features, cost estimates, financial analysis, which, in turn, benefit the formulation of the company′s overall marketing strategy, pricing strategy, and marketing strategy. |
