The Important of Hard Disk Drive Program

Currently, Hard Disk Drive (HDD) and Electronic component industry in Thailand has contributed a great deal to the Thai economy. Thailand is ranked to be the world's number one of HDD manufacturer. There are more than 100,000 workers employed by the industry and more than 400,000 million Baht worth for export values. However, there are other concerning factors to maintain Thailand status as the world's number one HDD production base, for example, competing with other developing countries such as, China and Malaysia to gain a larger share of HDD manufacturers. In addition, Thailand should focus on R&D in advanced technologies in HDD production and should develop facilities for supporting the growth of HDD industry in the future.

The strategic plan of HDD program is focusing on human resource development and technology capability development. These strategies will help strengthening investor's confidence in order to choose Thailand as the place for HDD production base instead of other developing countries (China and Malaysia). By doing that, we expect to gain more than 70,000 million Baht investment from international companies, especially in HDD up stream industry, such as Media platter and head-gimbal assemblies. More importantly, improving business investment will increase Thailand HDD export which can account for 850,000 million Baht by the year 2554, in other word, it will double the HDD export value compare with the present. As a result, it will increase more employment rate in this industry and Thailand could develop our own technologies for HDD production as well as reducing dependency on foreign technologies. If this strategic plan has been adopted, Thailand will move to advanced levels of electronic industry which creates more value and could generate a lot of revenue. In conclusion, the development of HDD industry will help to sustain Thailand's economy and increase our competitive advantages in HDD industry as other developed countries do.

Thailand HDD Cluster Development Plan

Strategic and Development Plan

Strategy 1: To maintain and increase foreign investment in the future

To maintain and increase HDD investors in Thailand, it needs to have a regulation and policy supported by the Thai government for attracting new foreign investors and to increase investors' confidence for long term investment in HDD business in Thailand. For example, Thai government should develop an investment promotion plan to support investors who have been continuing invest in HDD industry or generate a lot of revenue to the Thai economy.

Strategy 2 : To increase human resource development in HDD industry

Currently, compare with the growth rate of HDD industry, Thailand lacks of quality human resources. However, many companies have been continuing trained their employees but it still couldn't response to the increasing demand of higher-skill engineers. Therefore, the academic sectors such as universities and collages need to develop a specialize curriculum in the production and design of HDD in order to support the demand of higher-skill engineers for the HDD industry which continuing expand the market in the near future.

Strategy 3: To strengthening and support electronics and other components industry

The HDD producers are mainly owned by the foreign companies which these makers has supplied their materials from neighbor country instead of Thai companies because they haven't relied on materials standard which produced by Thai companies such as metal finishing, clean room, heat treatment and other HDD's components. With this reason, Thailand needs to improve our technologies capabilities and material standard to meet the world's standard.

Strategy 4 : To develop production technology and other supporting technology for HDD industry

The trend of chaining in product technology in HDD industry has affected to Thai equipment developer to enhance its production capabilities. Therefore, the development of production technology such as, automation, process design and product design is very important and we should develop these technologies related with the trend of chaining in product technology as well.

Strategy 5 : To create HDD market in Thailand

To create HDD market in Thailand needs to do a forward linkage to the up stream HDD's supply chain such as, ICT industry and electronics consumer by developing investment promotion plan form the government.

Output in FY 2006

Activity 1 – To support and create HDD technology research and development Cluster in the up stream level and transfer technology.

1. NECTEC In-house Research Project

• The research and development of microactuator designed for adjusting a precise position of slider head in hard disk drive (HDD) using MEMS Technology by Dr. Adisorn Tuantranont.

2. Funding Research Projects by Private Sector

• Optical metrology for object inspection and control by Dr. Sarun Sumriddetchkajorn.
• In-situ ellipsometric modeling used in controlling the ultra thin carbon films deposited on sliders by Dr. Pongpan Chindaudom.

3. Matching fund research project between NECTEC and Hitachi Global Storage Technology

• Automated HSA Beam soldering System by Dr. Nitin Afzulpurkar, Asian Institute of Technology.

4. Established 3 Industry/University Cooperative Research Centers (I/U CRC)

• I/U CRC in HDD Advanced Manufacturing – Institute of Field Robotics (FIBO), King Mongkut's University of Technology Thonburi.
• I/U CRC in HDD Component – Engineering Faculty, Khon Kaen University.
• I/U CRC in Data Storage Technology and Application - King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang

Activity 2 – Establish Human Resource Training Institute for HDD Industry in the regions.

• Developed 49 HDD Training Curriculums and 1 Scholarship Manual with HDD industry, universities, and training institutes.
• Established HDD Technology Training Institute with Western Digital (Thailand) Co.,Ltd., which provided the training course for 1,620 engineers and technicians.
• Provided training courses for 734 engineers and technicians (by HRC, NECTEC)
• Contributed 104 Bachelor degree scholarships and 57 Master degree scholarships for students in 14 institutes.

Activity 3 – Supply Chain and Infrastructure Development.

• 100 attendees from HDD Industry attend “Supply Chain Management in Hard Disk Drive Industry Seminar”.
• Developed 20 software developers for RosettaNet Standard implementation.
• MOU with ABAC to cover RosettaNet in Executive Programs and GS1 Thailand to cover RosettaNet in its training courses.
• Technology Improvement for HDD Manufacturers Program: 12 HDD manufacturers site visited and 2 companies are in-process of developing the proposals

Activity 4 – Policy and Incentive Development.

• “HDD Industrial Structure and Economic Value Added” Report by SRII, NECTEC. (Progress 80%)
• The First “Strategic for HDD Human Resource Development” Progress Report by FIBO, KMUTT.

Projects in HDD Program

Project Name	Project Leader
Automated Visual Inspection System for HDD Components	Dr. Nitin Afzulpurkar
Optical metrology for object inspection and control (Year 2)	Dr. Sarun Sumriddetchkajorn
In-situ ellipsometric modeling used in controlling the ultra thin carbon films deposited on sliders	Dr. Pongpan Chindaudom
Establish a central laboratory for service HDD industry (and establish Lab-network)	Dr. Suwat Sopitpan
HDD Human Resource Development	Miss Sutisa Apisiridej
Support and create HDD technology research and development cluster for 4 groups in the up stream level and technology transfer	Dr. Kamol Uahchinkul
RosettaNet Thailand	Dr. Chayakrit Charoensiriwath
Policy and incentive development to support HDD industry in Thailand	Dr. Kalaya Udomvitid
Establish Hard Disk Drive Institute	Miss Chalika Chandrawat

Contact :

Dr. Lertsak Lekawat HDD Program Manager National Electronics and Computer Technology Center 112 Thailand Science Park, Phahon Yothin Rd., Klong 1, Klong Luang, Pathumthani 12120, Thailand https://www.nectec.or.th/hdd