The Malaysia Automotive Institute (MAI) has launched its new automotive technology centre, MAI Intelligent Technology Systems (MITS), at its headquarters in Cyberjaya today.
The facility is aimed at boosting product design capabilities and innovation within the local automotive components and parts supply chain. The initiative is said to be in line with the National Automotive Policy (NAP) 2014, which outlines the nation’s plan to become a regional hub in producing Energy Efficient Vehicles (EEV) by the year 2020.
“It is important that the industry’s technological edge is strengthened, particularly in the key areas of engineering design, prototyping, product validation and process development,” said MAI COO Nizmar Mohd Nazar. “This is a breakthrough project for local automotive parts suppliers and manufacturers to move up the product value chain, by adding local design and engineering into their present manufacturing base.”
Integrating products from American design and engineering software company Altair Engineering, it’s billed as a one-stop facility that provides software, hardware and technical support for the design and development of automotive parts and system engineering works.
At the heart of MITS is the HyperWorks Unlimited Physical Appliance (HWUL-PA), a 96-core private cloud server that provides users unlimited plug-and-play access to all of Altair’s HyperWorks computer-aided design (CAD) and engineering (CAE) software, as well as high-performance computing (HPC) tools for design, engineering and simulation purposes.
Users will be able to undertake a multitude of simulation tests to validate their product design and engineering processes, including crash, electromagnetic, noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) and manufacturing simulations. They will also be able to work closely with Altair’s experts in lightweight engineering and composites.
Mention the automotive industry and one would immediately think of Proton and Perodua. These (comparatively) large-scale carmakers would usually have CAD and CAE software – like HyperWorks – in their own systems, although Altair COO Brett Chouinard said that these companies could make use of MITS’ HWUL-PA system if they needed additional computing power.
However, the bigger draw for MITS – and the main reason for its being – are smaller companies such as Tier 1 and Tier 2 parts and components suppliers, which may not have their own access to the software. MAI expects the centre to play a key role in facilitating these companies in their product design and development initiatives, without them having to invest in expensive software, hardware and technical consulting services.
“The next immediate challenge for automotive suppliers and companies in Malaysia is to move forward and emphasise product design and engineering works, not just manufacturing,” said Chouinard.
“For the past 25 years, Altair has been working with automotive OEMs and suppliers around the world to support them in their journey towards simulation-driven design. “We look forward to sharing our expertise and experiences with the local auto parts players and help them jumpstart their innovation driven design journey.”
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For the first time ever, MAI and intelligent in one sentence!
MAI is one bogus organization. This is all rubbish and a waste of money. the true issues affecting the rakyat, MAI try to dodge and cover up. Hello MAI, for years you are avoiding the 3 most important issues. Please attend to these issues first before you do all this rubbish
Issue 1: What is happening to the AP nonsense? 30 people become billionaires whilst 30 million people suffer with high car prices. Is this fair? when is MAI going to have the balls to tell the Government it is high time to abolish the AP system. Have a system where those who want to import cars personally go to MITI and apply direct for the AP
Issue 2: 99% of all the AP holders bring in super high mileage cars. Then they clock down the odometer of the car. Most of the cars are ex-rental cars and have clocked around 200k to 300k KM. The AP holders clock down to 5000KM and tell us, the car is near brand new. This is outright cheating
Issue 3: It is MAI’s job to ensure Malaysians get good specced and safe cars. Until today, most of the cars sold in Malaysia don’t even have ABS and VSC and a mere 2 airbags. When is MAI going to get the government to implement laws to protect the rakyat and ensure that it is compulsory to sell cars with VSC, ABS as standard?
Please MAI, it is high time you all stop carrying balls. Do something for the rakyat.
Oh yes, the 4th Issue. Why has not MAI asked Najib to honour his promise to reduce car prices by 30%?
MAI should ask Najib to honour his promise to the rakyat. Looks like MAI prefer to keep quiet and get awarded Datukships for their silence.
Sendiri Cakap
Sendiri Syok
Money Spent
Nothing Done
MAI were more like a licence (cronies) department thanks to BN Rakyat keep suffer high-end car price with low safety spec !!!
Tax the rich and save the cronies, so no problem
Adunbilivit.
Ugh. This kinda article without any writer understanding and summary for the layman, will make MY pipu here confuse and think this waste their taxpayer money so they will bash.
And I can see one such idiot above. Sigh.
I am wondering would anyone be interested to run test i.e. simulation or testing in an external hardware when their product is still a design state? Surely there is risk of data being stolen if anyone were to put a still R&D stage product in someone else hardware.
Simulation software is expensive and the hardware as well, but most cost goes to the annual license for the software. For validation to meet current VTA regulations, all components need to be ECE approved and one of the criteria is physical or simulated testing (reliability, durability, endurance, crash-ability, etc). Not all small automotive suppliers can afford for this.
So MAI is trying to be a hub for product simulation for these small players. As far as IP is concerned, MyIPO has stressed on local companies to register their products and tech so that if any were copied, they wun lose in court. Anyways MAI is 3rd party so is impartial to any company and as long as the submitter monitors all data input, it shud be alright.
Thats why I said this article writer did not understand and summarise for layman to understand the purpose of this venture and therefore will kena bash, cuz bashers dun use brains they use bollocks. TLDR: Lazy writing.
Bunch of brainless and useless Malaysia Automotive Institute (MAI) waste of funds sitting on a white elephant, how can dream big when all the investment already in thailand and indonesia, They like the dog sitting in fronth of the posh, when they boss ask them to bark they do. Your principle of investment have lots of bullshit
Stop bashing the Gov if u don’t know what this article is about
Where is the EEV bus, MAI?? Missing in Action, after the last photo shown??
Good news. Sadly, most people won’t understand the significance of this.
This is a solid step forward in domestic R&D infrastructure. But as with all things (BN) government-related, it will be painted with the same tarnished brush. So it’ll be up to MAI to prove their competitiveness. Having the tools is one thing, knowing how to use it effectively, justly and productively is another matter.
i was here yesterday…
“not just manufacturing”
this one WIN