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KUALA LUMPUR: KCL Metal Industries Sdn Bhd, a metal stamping business that started in the 1980s was a typical small and medium scale business, doing things the old-fashioned way, drawing diagrams of engineering components on a sheet of paper and sending these off to the wire cutter.
It was an expensive, laborious and not very precise process. According to its business development manager Lim Chun Mun, this often resulted in a lot of back and forth between the wire cutters and the company as all the dimensions could not be spelled out in a mere drawing.
He realised that technology had progressed and there was software which would enable these drawings to be done on the computer, but the software was often prohibitively expensive, especially for small and medium enterprises (SMEs) which had only just survived the pandemic.
Lim heard about the Digitised Design to Manufacturing - Mechanical Computer Aided Design (DDTM-MCAD) programme which would provide such software for free and train employees on how to use it. He applied and KCL was one of the 21 companies selected.
The training was so comprehensive that Lim, who had a background in economics rather than engineering, was able to pick it up quite easily.
KCL implemented the software immediately and Lim said it resulted in a 40 per cent increase in efficiency as well as a 20 to 30 per centincrease in new business.
DDTM-MCAD is a programme that offers SMES in the electrical and electronics as well as the machine and equipment industries, a Solidworks CAD software licence and training on how to use it, for free.
These tools would allow the SMEs, among other things, to create sophisticated part and assembly designs quickly, find and leverage existing engineering data to create new designs and speed up product development, provide flexible 3D modelling tools to help quickly develop product concepts and verify operation and performance with fully integrated simulation and analysis tools.
The DDTM-MCAD programme is an initiative by MIMOS Bhd and the Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry (MOSTI) under the 12th Malaysia Plan, in collaboration with NCER Malaysia, Malaysia Productivity Corporation, Electrical and Electronics Productivity Nexus (EEPN) and Machinery and Equipment Productivity Nexus.
"As a national applied R&D agency under MOSTI, MIMOS wants to empower Malaysian SMEs in the E&E and M&E sectors by providing them with technical expertise and tools to propel their digitalisation journey and thus boost competitiveness.
Results have been promising - the DDTM-MCAD programme has shown to improve efficiency by at least 20 per cent and cut material consumption by at least 10 to 15 per cent, improving both material cost and cycle time which are critical parameters in manufacturing", said MIMOS Bhd president and chief executive officer Dr Iskandar Samad.
So far, 51 companies have received the software and training. The government is targeting to disburse the software and training to a minimum of 100 companies under the DDTM-MCAD programme for the duration of RMK12, which ends in 2025.
Malaysia Productivity Corporation director general Datuk Abdul Latif Abu Seman is optimistic that the DDTM -MCAD programme will continue to increase the productivity and competitiveness of Malaysian SMEs.
"This programme will help SMEs build capabilities, creating opportunities in product design and high-value jobs whilst facilitating knowledge transfer."
"We're very pleased with the results," said Chair of EEPN Pillar #1: E&E Value Chain and CEO of Kontron Malaysia chief executive officer Datuk Dr Shanmuganathan Palanisamy.
"But we'd like to see more applicants from other states for the 2023 cohort. We noticed the first and second cohorts were very Klang Valley and Penang-centric, which is perhaps natural, but now, we'd like this programme to have a wider reach throughout the country," he added.
All SMEs with sales turnover of less than RM25 million, or less than 150 full-time employees, and are at least 51 per cent Malaysian-owned are welcome to apply for the next DDTM-MCAD programme at www.ddtm.com.my.
This includes SMEs with a minimum design and development capability and staff with basic CAD knowledge, and are preferably in the electrical and electronics or machine and equipment industries.
Source: https://www.nst.com.my/business/2023/04/903012/ddtm-mcad-programme-provides-free-design-training-and-software-smes