The students pose for a group photo at the Honda plant.
Miri – 7 October 2014 – The IEM Curtin Student Section of Curtin University, Sarawak Malaysia (Curtin Sarawak) recently organised a 5-day site visit trip for its members to Penang.
According to organiser Joey Sia, who was assisted by Sim Jia Ming, Koh Huey Ying, Tan Tze Sing and Goh Ruoh Chien, the trip was aimed at giving the 19 students of different engineering disciplines industry exposure and the opportunity to interact with industry practitioners.
It was also an opportunity for them to observe first-hand the operations of two major manufacturing plants, that of Cincaria Sdn. Bhd. which manufactures electronic devices for various industries, mechanical assemblies and road safety products, and Honda, one of the world’s largest automobile companies.
The students were accompanied by two staff advisors, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Dr. Garenth Lim King Hann and Associate Lecturer in Engineering Mathematics Jameson Malang.
At the Cincaria plant, the company’s chief executive officer, Marco Wong, briefed the students on its manufacturing processes and showcased one of its products, an edible thermometer used in the medical field. Wong also shared his experiences in the industry and took the students on a tour of the plant.
Meanwhile, at the Honda plant, company representatives gave an introduction to the plant’s facilities and business activities. While on a tour of the plant, the students were shown an assembly line where electronic components were being installed onto motorcycle frames.
According to the students, the Penang trip was very beneficial and enlightened them to the importance of having systematic production lines to optimise plant performance and produce products of high quality and with minimal impact to the environment.
“It was an experience we couldn’t have gotten from just learning in classrooms and labs. Being able to experience the environments at the plants was a whole new experience,” said petroleum engineering student Ian Change Huan Sheng.
Mechanical engineering student Tan Tze Sing said he was amazed by the scale of operations at the two plants. He added that the representatives of both companies were very knowledgeable and readily shared their experiences with the students.
Electrical and communication engineering student Koh Huey Ying also had high praise for the executives of the two companies. “The CEO of Cincaria is a very capable leader and I learned a lot from him, especially about being a good engineer,” he remarked.
He also said that he was fascinated by the high technology used in the production line at the Honda factory, and that he was glad he had chosen to become an engineer.
Meanwhile, Lee Mun Leong, a chemical engineering student, said, “Though the activities at the plants were not quite related to my discipline, I appreciated the opportunity to gain a better insight into the functions of assembly lines and how the workers work to meet daily production requirements. I also learned about important qualities one should have to succeed as an engineer and entrepreneur.”
While in Penang, the students got to meet a committee member of Young Engineers Section (YES) Penang who had a short sharing session with them. They also visited places of interest such as the War Museum, Penang 3D Art Museum and Penang Hill.
