Light and lightweight metals

A market with great future projection (especially in e-mobility) that requires machines which adapt to the future

The market for the application of new materials such as light and lightweight metals is one of the most promising for the future. According to data from the consulting firm Grand View Research, the demand for these products is growing rapidly in Latin America due to the increase in the number of manufacturers of lightweight materials that supply mainly to the United States.

 

And with the relocation of industries expected in the region in the future due to reshoring and nearshoring caused by the Covid-19 pandemic for most of the companies from powers such as Europe and the United States, which currently have operations in Asia, a wide range of possibilities are opening up for the region in the manufacture of solutions with lightweight materials.

 

For example, energy conservation, which is a well-known issue in all industries, has caused that in the field of electric vehicles, energy saving has become important not only for environmental protection, but also for the durability of the vehicles. Lightweight metals and high-tensile steel plates are widely used in the automotive industry to save energy.

 

But such solutions require specialized machinery that is also optimized for today's requirements. One company that knows that is Chin Fong. The company has developed a series of equipment and machines to meet the forming needs of the new metal field, due to the different forming conditions of these special metals.

 

Chin Fong's servo presses seamlessly combine traditional mechanical presses and digital servo control systems to achieve a meticulous, intelligent, composite and environmentally friendly process. The processing and forming speed of the slide can be arbitrarily controlled by the servo system to meet these special metal forming needs.

 

Chin Fong machines are used in a wide variety of applications, such as the automotive industry, computer, communications and electronics manufacturing, metal hardware manufacturing, bicycle industry, home appliance and lighting equipment manufacturing, and recreational product manufacturing; Chin Fong machines can produce almost all metal formed parts.

 

These solutions that are going to be so necessary in the development of products for the light and lightweight metal market of the future, allow for the production of a wide variety of products, such as automotive interior and exterior covering parts, transmission parts, automotive seat rail metal parts, computer cases, flat-panel TV back plate metal parts, terminal metal parts, etc.

 

In the same field of electric car parts development, Chin Fong stresses it is essential to integrate innovative technology into traditional technology in stamping manufacturing. Consequently, manufacturing technology tailored to new energy vehicles, light vehicles and unmanned vehicles will invariably make its way into automotive equipment.

 

Chin Fong offers energy-, material- and compound-saving punches in these areas, reducing the number of processes and significantly save production time, space and redundant equipment.

 

With precise stamping and forming technology, Chin Fong's automatic Knuckle-joint cold forging presses have successfully simplified the processing time and procedures required by traditional presses. In addition, Chin Fong's large-scale servo presses and hot forging presses are ideal for working with light metals and high-tensile steel plates.

 

Chin Fong's machines equip many sensors, which can utilize Chin Fong's unique forming technology more intelligently. The processing and forming speed can be arbitrarily controlled by the servo system to meet the needs of difficult-to-process forming materials.

 

In addition, Chin Fong has developed its own smart stamping solution, the iForming system, which can help traditional stamping factories to become smart factories, mainly by assisting customers in the stamping industry in such aspects as:

 

●     Smart manufacturing equipment

●     IoT device management

●     Production line with intelligent management

●     Quickly set up situation room

●     Timely service for global customers

●     Integration process and mobile application

 

Chin Fong's intelligent forming productivity management system, iFormingPMS, is equipped with AI equipment as well as excellent big data collection and system integration applications to enable real-time monitoring of the manufacturing process.

 

It can use intelligent production scheduling and order delivery forecasts to increase customer productivity, provide predictive maintenance notifications and mold life predictions, expand customer equipment utilization, reduce equipment failures, and reduce customer costs and improve quality assurance.

 

If you would like to learn more about Chin Fong's machines and how they can help you with metal forming solutions focused on electric mobility or machines to produce parts with light and lightweight metals, contact the company by filling out the form provided at the top right.

Rockwell Automation paving the way for enterprises to be future-ready

 By: Kathryn Gerardino-Elagio

 

Inbavanan Rathinam, Senior Director, Solutions & Services, Asia-Pacific at Rockwell Automation

The Asia-Pacific economy is challenged with countless urgent and possible problems and threats. One of the many hurdles industrial players in the region face is how to adopt smart manufacturing technology quickly, whilst seamlessly integrating legacy equipment and machinery. This challenge merits close attention and serious consideration.

Mr. Inbavanan Rathinam, Senior Director, Solutions & Services, Asia-Pacific at Rockwell Automation, explained how enterprises in Asia-Pacific could be future-ready, especially with the growing attention on sustainable operations in an interview with International Metalworking News for Asia.

 

Adopting smart manufacturing

For a company to implement smart manufacturing successfully, it demands processes to be intelligent, aware, connected, and responsive. Inbavanan said that adopting smart manufacturing often requires a phased, evolutionary approach.

 

"Manufacturers incorporating these changes must account for both short- and long-term benefits, allowing them to identify competitive advantages and establish a market leading positon. The most successful manufacturers design systems that allow for the mining of valuable data insights from their production processes by carefully choosing their entry point," he explained.

 

Inbavanan added that implementing smart manufacturing typically starts with identifying available manufacturing data, assessing readiness, and maturity, before developing a blueprint, and identifying the necessary tools, practices, and investments to realise the vision. He emphasised, "The execution requires careful selection of a highly-secured technology stack that allows for seamless connectivity between various assets and integrated processes."

 

"Equally important are the new skills and competency needed with the relevant stakeholders to maximise the new processes, deriving optimised business outcomes," noted Inbavanan.

 

LifeCycleIQ Services

Inbavanan revealed how LifeCycleIQ Services can help industrial manufacturers address the adoption of smart manufacturing technology here in APAC quickly whilst seamlessly integrating legacy equipment and machinery.

 

"Many organisations have lingering issues with aging legacy infrastructure, skill gaps within the workforce, and supply chain issues that hinder their ability to adopt smart manufacturing. Through its consultative engagement model, LifecycleIQ Services provides a comprehensive, trusted, and long-term partnership solution for our customers throughout their product lifecycle journey, supporting them to successfully adopt smart manufacturing in order to maximise productivity and stay competitive," he expounded.

 

Inbavanan added that having a secured, well-connected infrastructure and a seamless integrated process is vital for smart manufacturing adoption. This starts with an assessment of the current status and identifying quantifiable targets before building out a digital transformation roadmap to achieve these goals.

 

"Through LifecycleIQ Services, Rockwell Automation designs, develops, and implements bespoke digital transformation strategies for our customers. LifecycleIQ Services combines legacy expertise and innovative technologies to help companies maximise their systems, processes and plant investments across the enterprise lifecycle," he further added.

 

According to Inbavanan, the significant advantage LifecycleIQ Services brings to manufacturers is reducing inefficiencies and minimising waste to maximise output. At the same time, digitalising manufacturing processes is crucial to increase end-to-end agility to drive innovation, future proofing the business.

 

"Through leveraging data analytics, Rockwell Automation is able to help business gain a deeper understanding of their clientele’s behaviour to create a unique digitally-enhanced customer experience. This results in a competitive advantage that fosters brand loyalty, augmenting customer acquisition and retention efforts," he stated.

 

Customer experience in APAC

Inbavanan shared that they have worked with customers across various industries across the region, including food and beverage manufacturing, chemicals, and life sciences to implement LifeCycle IQ Services. "Its discernible benefits include helping businesses quicken market launches, lower ownership costs, improve asset utilisation, and improve enterprise risk management," he mentioned.

 

"For example, a large tire-manufacturing player in the region was facing high downtime risks which would have increased production costs had the manufacturing environment not been properly maintained. Due to its a highly complex control system, the organisation needed additional expertise to manage and support the plant in terms of technical domain expertise for speedy problem resolution, optimised asset management, and 24/7 support," Inbavanan said.

 

He disclosed that the company partnered with Rockwell Automation for an Integrated Support Agreement which allows ready access to spare parts, remote technical support, on-site preventative maintenance and parts replacement (with fixed fees) to help regulate their entire manufacturing environment.  

 

"Rockwell Automation completed a first-year support contract which helped the company save productivity losses by addressing issues and anomalies in real time. The customer was so satisfied, they have extended the program for three additional years and the scope to other plants in Asia Pacific," Inbavanan remarked.

 

Smart manufacturing transformation

In this highly competitive and rapidly changing technology landscape, the convergence of Information Technology (IT) and Operational Technology (OT) under a common governance structure is key for smart manufacturing transformation. The holistic management of manufacturing lifecycles is imperative to ensure that systems, machines, and processes work faster, smarter, and with greater agility.

 

Inbavanan pointed, "This is where LifeCycle IQ Services comes in. With its tailored approach and end-to-end solutions, LifeCycle IQ services combines in-depth consultation, deep technical expertise, and industry knowledge to to improve operational performance at every stage of the process: innovate, design, operate, and maintain."

 

He disclosed that even in its nascent stage, the market is huge, providing a play for every company in this transformation. In general, software companies may lack in-depth expertise and knowledge of the OT domain. Aligning IT and OT is fundamental in optimising the business performance and processes. The advantage Rockwell Automation can offer is in the seamless convergence of OT and IT environments to achieve critical business objectives.

 

As of today, Inbavanan stated that the company is currently working with several strategic global regional customers on large and mid-sized digital transformation programs in the region, with a focus on targeting Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) to accelerate their transition into Industry 4.0 through smart manufacturing solutions. 

Hurco celebrates 30 years in South East Asia

 By: Kathryn Gerardino-Elagio

 

At the 30-year anniversary of machine tool company Hurco (S.E. Asia) Pte Ltd, General Manager Wai Yip Lee reflects on his time with the company, how an opportunity propelled him to build his career with Hurco, and what is in store for the next years to come.

 

Wai Yip is a driven manager who is always planning on new strategies, keeping the company growing and working alongside his sales team. However, beneath his business competency is someone who forges connections to prepare for a changing future.

 

LOOKING BACK

As Hurco celebrates its 30th Anniversary in South East Asia (SEA) this year, Wai Yip is both excited and honoured to have the privilege to lead an extremely committed, talented, and experienced Hurco SEA team to cross this important anniversary milestone.

 

"I am sincerely grateful to my fellow team members and past employees for their contributions and the support from our customers, which allowed Hurco to grow and establish our presence in SEA over the years," he states.

 

Looking back, Hurco SEA started in Aug 1991 with small team of three member. From the first Hurco KM3 Knee Mill to the current Hurco VC500i Simultaneous Five-axis Machining Centre, our team has grown over the year to the current core team of 16 members. Besides establishing Hurco's presence in Singapore in the earlier years, Wai Yip says that Hurco SEA was heavily involved in supporting Hurco's entry into the China and India markets from 2005. "Hurco SEA has since refocused on developing the SEA market from 2011 with the formation of Hurco China and Hurco India entities," he adds.

 

Wai Yip shares how two years ago he was thinking about a huge celebration with customers to mark this important 30th anniversary, but with the pandemic, their party plans were on a hold. He reveals, "We will instead focus on supporting our customers during this tough time with their machining needs while building our core competencies to position ourselves for further growth in the next five years."

 

INSPIRATION

Wai Yip joined Hurco in 2007 as its Asia Pacific Financial Controller. The opportunity appealed him to be involved in the establishment of Hurco China and India entities. His role extended beyond financial and commercial matters as Wai Yip had a keen interest in operations and sales channel development.

 

"During my four years as the finance head of Asia Pacific, I provided support to the corporate management team in reviewing the operations, pricing strategies, and communicating with channel partners. With the subsequent establishment of local Hurco teams in China and India, I transitioned to the role of General Manager of Hurco SEA in 2011 and have since focused on developing our sales channel in SEA and expanding into new markets like Taiwan and Australia," he discloses.

 

Wai Yip considers himself fortunate to have mentors from their USA headquarters that are always supportive and yet provided them with the full autonomy to develop their markets. He remarks, "The wealth and depth of experience in our Hurco SEA team, including two founding members, provided valuable technical knowledge to support our growth across product lines and regions. This incredible knowledge base and commitment from the team coupled with our track record in developing new markets have inspired and encouraged me to put my best forward to achieve greater success with this team."

 

Wai Yip remembers how 14 years ago he started with zero knowledge on CNC machines. He narrates, "Without an engineering background, I am very blessed to have a team of experienced individuals who are extremely committed to their work and provided me with their sound technical advice along the years. Getting the best out of each individual and creating synergies in the the team has been the most rewarding experience I had. The competency in the Hurco SEA team has allowed me to focus my energy fully on charting our brand and market growth strategies."

 

VISION OF THE FUTURE

Wai Yip outlines his vision of the future with confidence. "My vision when I assumed the role of General Manager was to build our brand and company as a reliable, innovative, and trusted technology partner to our users, and to expand Hurco's presence in SEA and rest of Asia Pacific," he comments.

 

"We have always been known in our foundation years for our user-friendly controller and intuitive conversational programming. These advantages have in turned confined our focus to small job shops and entry-level CNC machines. As a machine tool company with our proprietary and advanced controller, I believe that we could expand our presence to a wider user base across various industries and markets," Wai Yip notes.

 

Hurco SEA started to promote actively their 5-axis technology in 2014 with its first dedicated 5-axis machining open house in Singapore to display advanced 5-axis controller with industry leading control features. He informs, "I am pleased that this relentless campaign to promote 5-axis technology in the past six years has paid off, as we see a steady growth in the sales of Hurco 5-axis machines across the region. With an expanded product range and stronger branding, we were able to expand our installed base beyond general manufacturing to various industries like Aerospace, Automation, Defence, Electronics, Medical, Oil & Gas, and Semi-conductor."

 

Wai Yip believes that they can accomplish more should they continue to focus on strengthening the company's core competencies and improve their coverage and support to end-users in the region.

 

CORE VALUES

Hurco Tagline, "Mind over Metal," have set the foundation for its group and organisation. Hurco was founded as a technology company and the emphasis on its innovative controller and software have never been stronger.

 

"As a machine tool company with our proprietary CNC controller, we embrace the fact that we are 'different' from other makers. We endeavour to use our proprietary control technology to assist our customers to be more productive and profitable," he underlines

 

Wai Yip and his team take pride in listening to their customer's machining needs and providing a customised solution to solve their problems.

 

He emphasises, "Our showroom and technical centres are always opened to our customers and new users (with Safe Management Measures in-placed), and our engineers on standby to assist them with demanding new projects. We hope that regular technical exchanges with end-users' not only help solve their machining issues but also continually build our teams' knowledge and understanding of end-user dynamic machining needs."

 

LOOKING FORWARD

Hurco SEA aims to position themselves further as a technology partner for end-users, which seeks to transform their machining business.

 

Wai Yip details, "Our expanded product range includes Procobots: Job Shop Automation for high-mix manufacturing which provides a practical solution to job shops looking at modernising their machining operations through automation. Hurco customers will be pleased to know that programming of the Procobot and scheduling of the various CNC programs are completed through the Automation Manager software incorporated within the Winmax Controller that they are familiar with."

 

He also cites an expanded machine product line-up catering to various application needs, and new software features such as 3D Solid Model Import and 3D DXF, Enhanced Graphic Verifications and Simulation that focuses on user friendly CNC Operations to upskill new machinist for the digital economy.

 

Wai Yip is pleased to tell that in order to assist machine shops in automating their machining operations, he undertook the task to be personally qualified as a Practising Management Consultant (under Singapore Business Advisors & Consultants Council) in April 2021. In this way, he can advise machine shop business owners of the various government grants available to assist them financially in transforming their business.

 

Hurco SEA will continue to expand its presence in SEA with new regional technical centres and increased resident engineers to support the respective domestic SEA markets, which has become imperative with the travel restrictions.

"I envision that the next five years would be the next key milestone for Hurco SEA where we hope to establish ourselves as a reliable technology partner to your machining needs in all parts of SEA, Australia and New Zealand, Korea, Japan and Taiwan," he finally closes.

Click for Hurco SEA Anniversary video

ASEAN Smart Manufacturing Summit 2021 Hội nghị thượng đỉnh về sản xuất thông minh ASEAN 2021

Vietnam currently has a large-scale automobile assembly and production plants, not only to meet domestic demand, but also to penetrate the Southeast Asian market.

The ASEAN Smart Manufacturing Summit 2021 brings industry leaders together to discuss flexible and green production solutions for automotive and automotive electronics industry.

The goal is to explore how Vietnam can gather benefits from domestic and overseas transactions, based on smart technology innovations, latest development trends in Industry 4.0 and related application cases. Don't miss this. Register now!

Việt Nam hiện có các nhà máy sản xuất, lắp ráp ô tô quy mô lớn, không chỉ đáp ứng nhu cầu trong nước, mà còn thâm nhập thị trường Đông Nam Á.

Hội nghị thượng đỉnh về sản xuất thông minh ASEAN 2021 quy tụ các nhà lãnh đạo trong ngành cùng nhau thảo luận về các giải pháp sản xuất linh hoạt và xanh cho ngành ô tô và điện tử ô tô.

Mục tiêu là tìm hiểu cách Việt Nam có thể thu thập lợi ích từ các giao dịch trong và ngoài nước, dựa trên các đổi mới công nghệ thông minh, các xu hướng phát triển mới nhất trong Công nghiệp 4.0 và các trường hợp ứng dụng liên quan. Đừng bỏ lỡ điều này. Đăng ký ngay!

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International Metalworking News for Asia August 2021

The manufacturing industry plays a significant role in local economies of South East Asian countries, contributing more than 20% of gross domestic products in markets like Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, and Thailand, according to Industry Platform Pte Ltd.

The COVID-19 pandemic has seen disruptions across industries, while some companies struggled to come to terms with unusual fluctuations in supply and demand, other companies were better prepared. This month’s issue of International Metalworking News for Asia highlights various technologies and manufacturing strategies to help customers address their problems.

For manufacturers, moving away from the established way of doing things — including their choice of machines or tools — invites risk. But what if doing so could be essential to tackling steel ISO P turning challenges? The Tooling & Workholding section explains why now the time for machine shops to embrace a new generation is tooling solutions that could make their operations more efficient and productive.

For manufacturers, CNC machine tool spindles are critical to any drilling, milling, boring, grinding, routing, cutting, or sawing process. However, when these systems deteriorate and fail due to contaminants, human error, improper maintenance, lubrication issues, or poor spindle design, a quality rebuild is often required. Machin Tools section discusses how despite the plentiful availability of spindle rebuilders nationwide, not every firm provides the same level of quality. Even if a rebuilder has the equipment, they may not have the experience, technical knowledge, or attention to detail necessary to rebuild a spindle that performs reliably for many years.

The welding shortage is a global problem. The American Welding Society has predicted a deficit of 400,000 welders by 2024. John Young, APAC country director at automation parts supplier EU Automation, expounds why cobots may be the solution to the world’s welding shortage. Learn more in this issue’s Laser & Welding.

One of the many hurdles industrial players face is how to adopt smart manufacturing technology quickly, whilst seamlessly integrating legacy equipment and machinery. This challenge merits close attention and serious consideration. Mr. Inbavanan Rathinam, Senior Director, Solutions & Services, Asia-Pacific at Rockwell Automation details how enterprises in Asia-Pacific could be future-ready, especially with the growing attention on sustainable operations.

This coronavirus has many of us glued to the news, anxious for our loved ones, and adjusting our lives to deal with the changes the pandemic is having on our homes and workplaces. It is tough but the priority is to stay safe and take care.