On 3 September 2018, NSTDA, Choknamchai Hitech Pressing Company Limited and Sakun C Innovation signed a Memorandum of Understanding to carry out research and development to design the next generation vehicles, as well as manpower development in this field. Both Choknamchai Hitech Pressing and Sakun C Innovation are part of CNC Group, the largest die maker in Thailand.
The partnership focuses on joint research and development of next generation vehicles, including parts, frames and components, as well as developing innovative technology for die making, designing and manufacturing of light-weight frame.
NSTDA and CNC Group previously collaborated on designing frame for boat and automobile. The technical expertise was provided by MTEC and the Design and Engineering Consulting Service Center (DECC), both are the units under NSTDA. In the previous project, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) was employed in the design of the boat frame. In addition, the analysis of cabin structure was made in order to develop a lighter cabin to lower fuel consumption. Apart from the technical assistance, the company also received low-interest loan, 300% R&D tax deduction and had the products listed on the Innovation List which are eligible for the government procurement program.
In the new collaboration, NSTDA and Sakun C Innovation aims to develop a smart boat, equipped with modern technologies such as application to collect and analyze captain’s piloting behavior, GPS and navigation system, and IoT system to collect information on boats that have already been delivered to clients as part of customer relation management and product development.
NSTDA has been engaging in R&D in automotive engineering technology for more than a decade. Its research program is currently gearing towards the next-generation electric vehicles equipped with smart technologies. These research topics are now framed into Modern Transportation, one of the five NSTDA Targeted Research, with the goal to develop innovative technology and services for transportation industry.