2.6
Topics of discussion during technical visits (specific questions)
Dear Mr. Brown,
Appreciation for scheduling the technical visit
Thank you for allowing us to visit to ABC Corporation. Dr.
Chang, Mr. Lin and myself would like to thank you in advance for meeting
us at the Novotel (Europa BLVD 10, NL-1083 AD, Tel: 20-54111-23) at
9:00 on August 28.
As stated in our fax dated July 29, we would like to visit your LBR
test unit and the ABC Treatment Plant-Apeldoorn, as well as discuss
the details of our cooperative agreement. Specific
questions so that their company can prepare in advance We thought
that it would be a good idea to pose the following questions before
the August 28 discussion, to allow you time to prepare your responses:
- Since it is quite expensive, in Taiwan, to drill a 1225m deephole in Taiwan, would it be possible to instead drill a 600m deephole with an additional pressure of 60 Kg/cm on the ground surface to meet the 1225m vertical pressure?
- The periodic operation for ABC Treatment Systems takes approximately 168/hrs per week (143 hrs for operation, 25 hrs for start-up, maintenance and clean-up). Can the operation period be extended? If not, is a batch operation performed each week?
- The operating pressure of the ABC Treatment System ranges from 1250-1617 psi. We wonder how the operating pressure is determined?
- What is the oxygen content of the discharged gas after treatment? Is this amount of oxygen worth recovering? What is the temperature of the steam generated by the cooling water or the heat exchanger? Is it worth recovering the heat?
- Could ABC provide more detailed information on cost analysis for our plant's future reference?
- Was geology a concern when ABC designed the ABC Treatment System?
- Because of the small piping and valving on the LBR, samples containing solids must be macerated and sieved to produce a particle size less than 0.32cm. How did you achieve that and how did you measure particle sizes less than 0.32 cm?
- The ABC Treatment Plant generates 2280 tons of dried sludge per year. What is the water content of this dried sludge? What is the total daily sludge yield from the ABC Treatment Systems?
I hope that these questions will give you a clearer idea of some of
the topics we hope to cover during the upcoming visit. I am looking
forward to meeting you on August 28.
Yours sincerely,
NOTE:
Topics
of discussion 討論主題說明 belongs
to correspondence that involves overseas technical visits.
Correspondence involving an overseas
technical visit commonly includes the following:
A proposal for the visit and remarks or preliminary details
A visit should be viewed as a way of satisfying your organization's
need (e.g., information exchange, short training courses, or general
understanding of their operations). Details such as time and discussion
topics should be included:
"It would be much appreciated if you could arrange for me to observe
your production line during my stay at ABC on March 19, 1993."
"I would like to visit the Special Carbon Division (or the Technical
Center) of ABC Corporation/Massachusetts during the upcoming trip."
"Professor Liu from the Virginia Institute of Technology recommended
that we visit your renowned institute and find a time to discuss
our needs with you, as well as to learn of your own related experiences."
"We recognize that ensuring continued success of this program depends
on our observing and understanding similar work in other countries.
At this stage, I would like to arrange for a visit to your country."
"I am keenly interested in visiting Dr. Jones and his staff to learn
of all the operational aspects involved with this program."
Explaining the purpose of the visit
A direct statement of what you expect to gain during the technical
visit may prevent confusion about what the other party is able or
willing to provide:
"We need to enhance our knowledge of carbon black in terms of the
chemistry, characterization, and processing application (e.g., ESD
protection, wire and cable, coating and UV protection). Such knowledge
would also benefit our customers, many of whom are manufacturers."
"Purpose: to understand and evaluate successful cases and the current
status of the Japanese dye industry with respect to technology,
equipment, and information on industrial waste minimization."
"Visits to compressor system companies that manufacture systems
for heat pump or vapor recompression would be equally beneficial.
Information regarding the variety of available heat pump systems
would also be quite useful for future promotion of such systems
in Taiwan."
Commending the organization's achievements
Complementing another organization on its achievements is not only
good public relations. It also gives the organization a clearer
idea of what your expectations will be when and if you pay a visit
to their facilities.
"Waste minimization is a global trend, and your country already
has much experience in this area."
"As is well known, ABC Corporation has the resources needed to produce
good quality diverse carbon blacks."
Emphasizing the cooperative nature of the visit
The technical visit should be described in terms of a specific perspective.
It is not only your own organization that stands to benefit: a technical
visit can also clarify the common interests and capabilities of
both organizations. This may pave the way for future collaborative
activities.
"I hope this visit will strengthen the ties of cooperation that
bind our organizations."
"In light of these concerns, we are looking forward to collaborating
with your organization in the near future."
"We hope this visit will open doors for further cooperation between
our two organizations."
Additional instruction can be found in the accompanying Power Point presentation.
