I'm entering the 3rd week since I started my internship here in TOPY Toyohashi.
I am allocated into the R&D department, placed under a guy named Kakami, whom I will describe as a 18 year old looking, 29 year old man. But let's talk more about him later. Also in the team is a Chinese Chinese called "Cho" and a fellow Malaysian Chinese named "Tan".
Now that I'm into R&D, you must be thinking I'm designing or developing something right?
Well, not exactly...
During my 3 weeks here, I've learned that what matters most to a manufacturing company is cost of material. It doesn't matter whether other materials are superior in terms of hardness or yield strength, being superior doesn’t always means it’s good(In my case, superior means hard but low yield point). Instead, inferior, cheaper things bring good news. In a society full of stingy bastards where people are always going for cheaper things, it makes sense not to sell them your best item, just your cheaper ones(Ask Microsoft, they know best about not selling you good, reliable software).
And this is where I fit in.
In my 5 months internship here, I will have to perform various observations, and fatigue tests on different types of steel, and make comparison of them so that I can recommend the best one for mass production.
In these 3 weeks, I have identified which among them are best for use, but I was bluntly told, "Really? Wow, good work. Nicely done. But we are thinking of using this instead. We know it sucks, but it's cheap. Now, try to think of a way to make it better."
So, I've come to understand that when it comes to steel manufacturing, R&D here means Research cheaper material and Develop a way to make them better. And amazingly, there are many cheap, simple tricks in order to get them to perform better. Well, at least we are making effort in making it better...
I know, it sounds a lot like a big middle finger to people who discovers new, superior materials. This time, it will be MY middle finger...haha, take that you arrogant inventors!!
Ok, I've jumped ahead too much in my story telling...
What I really do here is, I've studied a lot on the various works involved, like punch process, and types of test I will need to perform on them. Also on my schedule was learning to use all kinds of machines; band saw machine, refine cutter, polishing machine, that damn microscope...etc.
And the one tutoring me is Kakami.
And, in all my lessons, we've managed to cause problems to all of them, except the microscope...he hadn’t manage to misguide me into breaking the lenses yet. I can go on and on describing the various "misguidance" but let's just settle for the fact that he tends to forget "certain step". The worst resulted in a machine being sent for overhaul just because he forgotten a "certain step" of checking the filter...
This dude...Kakami tends to speak with that teenager attitude, with no command in his voice when speaking to me.
Ehem, here's a fact you never knew about Randy...
I'm constantly looking for people to look up to...someone I can respect. But if I meet anyone who fails to establish control over me, no matter how old they are, I tend to "take charge". It's a bad habit of mine...but I can't help it, certain events in my life have sculpted me this way. Before you judge me further, I do try to make an effort of suppressing my dark side...
So, this Kakami fellow... you very well know which category he falls in.
Anyway, I'm busy most of the time, always having something to do...be it studies or preparation of test materials. But there are times when I'm suddenly free...like when the machines are hogged up. Times like that…well, guess when I wrote this post?
Sigh...the worst thing in life is having nothing to do.
