The MATIC Working Group 1, or WG1 for short, is dedicated to serve R&D endeavors among MATIC member countries in the area of automotive industry. Periodically, members meet to exchange ideas and share lessons learned from their experience, findings, and developed products and services that are conducive toward the goals of WG1.

The following paragraphs describe the principles and relevant activities undertaken by MATIC and Thai MATIC:

Basic Philosophy and R&D Themes of the Project

Philosophy of R&D

  1. R&D will seek to clarify the final version and ask requirements in a step by step fashion obtaining cooperation from shop floors
  2. R&D will be undertaken as an experimental arena and come up with new ideas
  3. Research partners will be looked into, up to approximately two countries
  4. R&D will be attempted using existing devices in a piloting fashion
  5. Existing tools such as STEP, EDI, PDM, etc., will be applied to the operations.

R&D Theme

In the production-setup-operations of overseas factories, shortened periods, reductions in expenses and improvements in quality will be sought through cooperative ownership of information by the head office and the shop floors.

Outline of Operations

  1. Engineering Department: design, part shape, and part list
  2. Production Engineering Department: supply type, assembly sequence, equipment requirements, quality standards, and preparation of shop drawing
  3. Overseas Factory Production Setup: equipment/jig design, placing of orders for equipment/parts, and preparation of instructions.

System Requirements

  1. Data gathering
  2. Manual creation
  3. Management/retrieval/distribution
  4. Coping with engineering changes
  5. Other.

Contents of R&D Theme

  1. Integrated information management system
  2. Technical manual creation system
  3. Part list data/CAD data exchange system
  4. Automobile industry internation EDI system.

Future Vision

  1. Manuals can be prepared in Japan and locally through a concurrent division of labor
  2. Interference can be checked at the desk using the equipment and jig on site
  3. Each layout for manuals (parts indication, product shape indication field, etc.) is something like a reference window for comparison with the latest data
  4. Engineering changes are reflected in manuals automatically or semi-automatically.

Current Activities

A pilot project is under way in Thailand and Indonesia aiming to accomplish the aforementioned philosophy. Sponsored by Toyota Motors Corporation, the project was officially launched on January 31, 1997 at Toyota Motors (Thailand). It is hoped that the MATIC operation will expand to incorporate all manufacturing processes. Both domestic and international operations will benefit from the MATIC endeavor with highest efficiency and productivity.


Excerpt from "The Project Proposals" by Japanese MATIC Examination Committee, June 2, 1995.

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Last update: March 6, 1997