Wright Williams & Kelly
IDC Selected by USDC to Develop
May 13, 1996 (Portland, OR) - Industrial Design Corporation (IDC) announced today the signing of a contract with the United States Display Consortium (USDC) to develop key tools needed to optimize the cost-effectiveness and productivity of flat panel display manufacturing. These tools, the first of their kind in the flat panel and semiconductor manufacturing industries, will offer an unprecedented degree of planning and control over factory tool sets, staffing, evaluation of layouts and automation, and overall facility costs. IDC has partnered with several experts in the field of flat panel display manufacturing and has subcontracted its subsidiary Wright Williams & Kelly (WWK) the difficult task of integrating the various models and user interface needed to meet the design specifications. "IDC was selected based on the strength of their proposal and their ability to field a team of industry leaders in cost, capacity, simulation, and process/factory design," states Dr. M. Robert Pinnel, USDC's Chief Technical Officer. "This unique integrated factory planning system will enhance our member companies' ability to compete globally on a cost effective basis." IDC's Project Manager Terry Behrens explained that this contract represents an important milestone in the development of tools that can yield long-term benefits to flat panel display manufacturing. "WWK and I developed the concept of integrating several of our models and a factory simulator to assist our clients in a more logical approach to determining the size, facilities requirements, and manufacturing costs of their factory," says Behrens. "This integration effort will expedite the end user's ability to formulate correct decisions about factory design and manufacturing costs." The team of experts that IDC has assembled to complete this modeling project is unique. The team includes WWK, Chance Industrial Solutions, Abbie Gregg, Inc., and the University of Michigan. IDC is providing the project management as well as the software models for facilities costing and cleanroom space. WWK, the developer of the TWO COOLTM family of cost of ownership software models, will be providing the process costing technology. WWK will also be responsible for the user interface, model integration, and software commercialization. Chance Industrial Solutions will provide the capacity analysis and simulation modules through its fast Factory ExplorerTM engine. AGI President Abbie Gregg and her staff will be providing in-depth experience in flat panel display manufacturing, processing, and modeling. The University of Michigan will be providing plate matching algorithms and modeling logic review. IDC is a multidiscipline firm providing a complete range of services to high-technology clients, including design, construction management, equipment installation, industrial engineering and numerous other services related to the design and construction of new and remodeled high-technology facilities. The U.S. Display Consortium is an industry-led, public/private partnership providing a common platform for flat panel display manufacturers, developers and users, and the manufacturing equipment and materials supplier base. Headquartered in San Jose, California, the consortium has more than 150 corporate members, as well as support from the U.S. government's Advanced Research Projects Agency (ARPA). USDC's mission is to establish and enlarge the U.S. supplier infrastructure required to support a world-class, U.S. based manufacturing capability for high-definition displays.
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