The post on Processors & Microfabrication was a brief but helpful refresher on the current state of the art in microfabrication. I have found some (more current) interesting videos on chipmaking this past week. After reviewing an introduction to manufacturing, I found myself wondering which area of manufacturing would be interesting to me (one of the chapters had a question like that). It hit me that fabs are the only manufacturing industry that seem really intriguing at this point (perhaps based on my background in computer science). Therefore, I have been trying to get up to speed with what’s happening in semiconductor manufacturing.
The first video on chipmaking in TX gave me a good sense of how many companies are in this space. Learning that the integrated circuit was invented at Texas Instruments leaves me surprised at how little I know about the history of chips. Some of the companies manufacturing chips in TX are Samsung, Texas Instruments, Infineon, Global Wafers, NXP, and Applied Materials. TI mentions their Power management solutions as part of the vast reach of their products. The video highlights the importance of space, power, and water.
The next video is yet another overview of semiconductor manufacturing. One of the key takeaways for me is that Taiwan leads not just in logic (CPUs, GPUs, etc) but also in memory, courtesy of Micron! 25% of Micron employees are in Taiwan, producing 65% of Micron’s DRAM!
Inside Micron Taiwan’s Semiconductor Factory | Taiwan’s Mega Factories Ep.1
Featured next is Harley Davidson. I have never really paid attention to these bikes or how they are made so this was quite interesting (especially the in-house road tests)!
How It’s Made: Harley Davidson
Another company highlighted is Union Carbide, which I had never heard of before. It features a production technician at a plant making Butanol in St. Charles LA. This area definitely fell into the unknown unknowns for me.
The History of Union Carbide in Kanawha County, WV
The course links to this video about some biofuel research focused on butanol. Doesn’t seem particularly interesting to me but to each their own.
Last company is American Licorice Company plant in Alsip, IL. The Our Story page mentions that they’re now in Indiana. Yet another product whose origins I never before stopped to ponder.
There is also a link to Mike Rowe’s talk on learning from dirty jobs. I’m only now realizing how big of an advocate of vocational jobs Mike is but then again, I didn’t really watch much of his show so it’s not surprising I’m late to the party.
Learning from dirty jobs | Mike Rowe
Finally, there is a discussion about safety practices and personal protective equipment (PPE).
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): An Overview of the Basics | Your ACSA Safety Training
I wasn’t sure what to expect from such a course, but it has certainly been educational given that I now see Doritos and my first thought is how was this made and packaged and what does the supply chain look like?
I have been trying to branch out of computer science/software and learn more about how things are made in the “real world”. Here are some videos that I have watched as part of an online intro to manufacturing course I’m slowly working through. The key idea in the first video is that not everybody needs to get a 4-year degree. Don’t overlook manufacturing when picking a career path.
Path To Careers – The Truth About Manufacturing Careers
The Path to Careers video above features people from these companies:
The “future of manufacturing” video below might be a bit dated now. I’m not sure how many of its predictions hold as of today.
The Future of Manufacturing
There is also a discussion of the services industry in manufacturing, which is great because it really opens my eyes to how I’ve never really thought much about this sector.
The Evolution of Manufacturing Services Industry
Another video to stimulate some thinking about supply chains:
What Toilet Paper Can Teach Us About Supply Chains | Willy Shih | TEDxBeaconStreet
I have been learning a little bit about how things are made. One of the important concepts that is emphasized is GD&T. Here are the YouTube videos I found explaining what it is and why it is important.
Understanding GD&T
The next playlist was particularly interesting to me because of the discussion in one of the videos about how mechanical engineers often graduate without a basic knowledge of GD&T, which can set them back when they get into the industry.