93-53651 Farrington Swain Messimer Industry/University Interaction for Simulation-based Process Improvement in Electronic Manufacturing Electronics manufacturing is one of the most critical and highly competitive industries within the U.S. economy. In the automotive electronics industry, these electronics are used to control an increasing number of engine and safety functions. Unlike the computer and consumer electronics arenas the harsh under-the-hood environment of automotive electronics often stresses electronics devices to their limits. In addition, technological developments are occurring that improve functionality, decrease package size, and increase reliability while maintaining efficient, high-volume assembly operations. To succeed, firms must balance the complex and competing requirements of electronics design, materials processing, manufacturing, and reliability at the earliest stages of product development to insure that the finished product can be produced in a timely, highly reliable, cost effective manner. The difficulty of this task has led manufacturers to build a network of shared knowledge among vendors and assemblers, and to reach out to research institutions for specialized knowledge and assistance in the integration of the tasks noted above. This proposal aims to establish a cooperative process improvement initiative between UAH and Chrysler's Huntsville Electronics Division (HED). This project will focus on the development of simulation tools to support all aspects of product and process development, in order to evaluate a variety of design, materials, and manufacturing alternatives. In particular, generic simulation models of existing process lines will be developed which can be easily maintained, modified, and expanded thereby speeding the modeling process in the future. The principal investigators will also assist Chrysler's HED in establishing procedures for validating and analyzing these models. The net result of this project will b e increased university/industry interaction, mainstreaming of junior faculty, as well as the development of advanced simulation tools, and the transfer of knowledge about their development and use.
