• Journal of Technology Innovation
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.61-81
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• 2007

A typical small firm in consumer goods sectors of developing countries is an OEM supplier to big MNCs. Lacking design and marketing capability, a small firm relies on the MNCs for survival but their long term growth is not guaranteed as the MNCs are always looking for, and ready to relocate to, cheaper production sites. In this light, we can say that there is something like "OEM trap" from which most firms from LDCs find difficult to move out (Lee 2005). In this situation, one way for long term growth and catch-up is to make a transition to the OBM (own brand manufacturer). But, the transition is not easy or even risky. This paper analyzes the cases of three companies in Korea to find out common features in their successful transition to OBM. They are Aurora World (a flush toy maker), Hankook Chinaware (a chinaware maker), and Hanacobi (a plastic-made food container maker with the Lock-and-Lock brand). These firms can be commonly characterized by 1) arranging access to external knowledge base and steady increase of in-house R&D efforts and capabilities leading to acquisition of formal IPRs and their management, and 2) establishment of global production networks with factories in lower-income countries as well as their own independent global marketing network.

• Corrosion Science and Technology
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.193-201
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• 2018

In order to suppress $CO_2$ emission and protect passengers in case of vehicle collision, continuous efforts are being made to increase the application ratio and tensile strength of advanced high strength steels used in the manufacturing of automotive body. Simultaneously, hydrogen embrittlement which was not a concern in the past has currently become a major issue due to microstructure that is sensitive to hydrogen uptake. The sensitivity increases with residual stress and hydrogen uptake content. Many automotive OEM companies and mill makers are setting specifications to control hydrogen embrittlement. The factors which lead to hydrogen embrittlement are material sensitivity, residual stress, and hydrogen concentration; researches are in progress to develop countermeasures. To reduce material sensitivity, mill makers add high energy trap elements or microstructure refinement elements. Automotive OEM companies design the car parts not to concentrate local stress. And they manage the levels to not to exceed critical hydrogen concentration. In this article, we have reviewed hydrogen embrittlement evaluation methods and corresponding solutions that are being studied in automobile manufacturing industries and mill makers.