Technology Adoption Indicators Applied to the ATP Flow Control Machining Project

摘要

In its 1995 General Competition, the Advanced Technology Program funded the Flow-Control Machining Project, a four-year $7.9 million research joint venture involving Extrude Hone Corporation, a small company in Irwin, PA, General Motors, the University of Pittsburgh, and the University of Nebraska at Lincoln to develop two new automated finishing processes and make them cost effective for large-production manufacturing. The Flow-Control Machining processes advance the state-of-the-art in manufacturing finishing by allowing manufacturers to more effectively fabricate parts for their intended functional performance. It uses neural-network algorithms, process control methods, and new abrading techniques to develop manufacturing processes that are economically compatible with high-volume, relatively low-value engines. This report presents a case study of the economic impact of applying flow-control machining technology-first developed for the automobile industry-to the lawnmower industry. A Technology Adoption Indicator methodology is used to provide a structure for analysis of the adoption of technology by an industry. These indicators assist in the analysis of the potential for adoption of the Flow-Control Machining technology by the lawnmower industry.