Engr. Richard R. Lonzaga, a Faculty member and Chair of the College of Engineering at Cebu Technological University (CTU) Tuburan undergone a weeklong industry immersion program at MinebeaMitsumi, formerly Cebu Mitsumi, Inc., an electronic manufacturing company located at the MRI-Special Economic Zone at Sabang, Danao City together with nine other faculty members from CTU Danao and CTU Main last September 2 to 7, 2019.
This activity was borne out of the need to bridge the gap of knowledge between academe and the industry in the manufacturing sector. This is an initial gathering and hands-on training of faculty representatives from the said schools with the intent of giving them first-hand experience of the electronic industry and technology, particularly at the Precision Tooling Division of Mitsumi.
This is a product of a collaborative effort through the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) to engage Mitsumi for the Fablab project established by DTI at CTU Danao. The initial cross visit and discussion led by our CTU President Rosein A. Ancheta and Nanette Arbon, DTI Region 7 Assistant Regional Director, together with Mitsumiโs Group Executive Officer Caesar Augosto resulted in a close cooperative agreement that materializes into a faculty immersion program related to fabrication technology and precision tooling of equipment part.
The 6-day hands-on training/seminar at the Precision Tooling Division (PTD) at MinebeaMitsumi offered a close glimpse of the inner workings of a highly technical and precise field of tool and die fabrication. We are exposed to the latest design process technology, which involves highly skilled workmanship established by the Japanese and taught to very capable Filipino technicians and engineers. Cutting-edge equipment such as Vertical Milling Machines, CNC Machines, Electro-Discharge Machining (EDM), Wire-Electro Discharge Machining (WEDM) and some of the equipment shown and demonstrated to us and how they could fabricate and mold tiny parts with very little tolerance. It was really an eye-opener for us faculty that there exists a huge gap between what is taught and trained in the academe and the fast-changing technological advancement of the manufacturing sector. The program was a massive success as it was carefully designed by them to us newbies in the industry. However, it was a novel approach to help the academe and prepare and equip their students to integrate into the highly specialized field in the manufacturing industry. /Engr. Richard Lonzaga