The machine is good for bigger diameter and deep depth “Worm Shaft” workpieces. The rotary directions of the thread rolling dies (clockwise & counter clockwise) can be set for one rolling progress. The precision and straightness of the workpieces can be improved for CNC thread rolling machine.
By: Kathryn Gerardino-Elagio
In today's dynamic business scenario, the organisations that truly stand out from the pack all have one common factor: they all embrace innovation. Hence manufacturing and innovation go together, enabling the organisation to grow consistently, stay relevant, and be a differentiator to deliver value to its customers.
International Metalworking News for Asia (IMNA) preceded an online panel discussion during the recent ASEAN Electronics and Semiconductor Manufacturing Summit 2022, titled: Digital Transformation, Smart Manufacturing, wherein Dr. Danilo C. Lachica, President of Semiconductor and Electronics Industries in the Philippines Foundation, Inc. (SEIPI), Mr. Rhett Ramos, Director of Asia IT and Smart Manufacturing Director, Allegro MicroSystems, and Mr. Sherwin C. Nones, Head of Strategic Planning and Marketing from Integrated Micro-Electronics Inc. (IMI Global), answered two of the most sought after questions from the attendees. Below are excerpts from the discussion.
IMNA: What are some specific smart solutions can you share that can assist manufacturers in adopting to the evolving industry needs?
Mr. Ramos: The smart solution that we want to share here is the investment in IoT solutions. IoT has been a buzzword for the past six to seven years. As a subset of Industry 4.0, everything is connected. There are sensors in the equipment that will tell you what’s going on. You can set the equipment based on certain conditions or even manually do it.
Being in the semiconductor industry, we have a consortium worldwide that adopts IoT. We have protocols that allows us to plug and play an equipment. The equipment tells us if something goes wrong. And that really allows us to adopt smart manufacturing much faster. This is something I'm hoping that many people in the industry can implement more of those standards, so that they can get faster adoption on the smart manufacturing side.
Dr. Lachica: In terms of a practical example, I will break it down in three segments. First, I will start with industry needs and then go to smart solutions, and then to assisting manufacturers. Let's take the case of the Covid19 pandemic, the rest of the world had to shut down factories but we can't shut down forever. So, we had to figure out a way how to be able to resume production without compromising the safety of the employees and the society at large.
Through innovation and being responsive to the needs of society, we come out with smart solutions. What do I mean by smart solutions? Examples would be like, you know from nothing all of a sudden, people are developing the capability to do respirators, do contactless temperature checks, digital and contactless medical examinations. Those are actually the smart solutions, which eventually address not only the manufacturer's needs but the needs of the society at large. Those are practical examples. But now I should expand it because of the nature of our industry. We are unique in the sense that we're both users of the technologies as well. Suppliers of the hardware are in a unique position that's why this echoes according to the specialities and the nature of our industry.
Mr. Nones: There are so many things every company must take into consideration with the pandemic. One of which would be the areas in making sure that employees are safe. There was a lot of work done behind those. We made sure that we were able to monitor the employees remotely. In IMI, we built a lot of systems just for that. And just over the past couple of years, we were able to really beef up our traceability, not just on the component side but to everything else even in the supply chain from end to end. In fact, what is really a standout today, at least for us, is that we were able to define where smart manufacturing is in terms of our long-term plans. Smart manufacturing automation would generally give us three things: save costs, increase revenue or profits, and create value. But now there is a fourth stream and this is actually the umbrella that encompasses all of these, and this is the road towards sustainability.
Every year, we have customers who are increasingly asking us about this and there are more customers doing sustainability audits and asking us what is our net zero roadmap. It pays to be able to understand where this smart manufacturing is, and I realised over this past couple of years that when you actually put some processes in the Cloud when you automate things, you actually reduce carbon emissions and these are some of the things that will benefit you aside from saving costs and increasing revenue and creating value. When you do smart manufacturing, that gives us a better perspective of where things should be. And right now, we are in the process of really firming up our net zero roadmap and that includes of course our digitalisation roadmap as well.
IMNA: What role will each of your respective associations/companies play in making manufacturing industries more efficient?
Mr. Ramos: Our role is to spearhead and push our members to move into the direction of smart manufacturing. Sadly, a lot of our members are still in Industry 2.0 and so it's going to be a big jump for them. But then it’s our role to understand what are those gaps, and how can we help them adopt. So that it won't be a big obstacle for them to go from Industry 2.0 to a little bit of Industry 4.0. I believe that through industrial transformation, the Philippines can transition to the fourth industrial revolution with adequate understanding.
Dr. Lachica: My role as the head of the association is to be the enabler and the facilitator. I need to make sure that the road map is moving that we're making progress. We are the leading organisation in the Philippines this year for practicing Industry 4.0, and we're not going to keep it to ourselves. We're going to share it with the rest of the other industries in our country. So that they can learn from our experience and be motivated to get up and accelerate their journey towards industrial revolution.
Mr. Nones: The goal is to figure out where is the need for more efficiency and address that; not just for us in the Philippines but on a global scale. For IMI, I think our role here is for us to be a catalyst for our customers and suppliers in achieving certain levels in smart manufacturing and also in sustainability, that is for us is our ultimate goal. Of course, we will continuously align ourselves with the industry working with the government and a lot of universities, not just in the Philippines but in other countries.
By: Kathryn Gerardino-Elagio
Rockwell Automation has been present in Vietnam since 2007. As a key area of strategic growth, the country is an important market for the company in South East Asia, contributing significantly to its business across Asia and worldwide. In March 2022, Rockwell Automation has appointed Pham Kieu Trinh, as Country Manager effective immediately. She is responsible for the company's business operations and direct sales in the country.
Every new country manager always seems to have turnaround plans for a company, and Pham Kieu Trinh is no exception. She has a clear plan on how to develop the company's presence in Vietnam and achieve double digit growth rates, increasing market share by two-fold in 2025.
A month into the job, International Metalworking News for Asia (IMNA) conducted an online interview with Trinh. Here are the excerpts:
IMNA: As the new Country Manager for Vietnam, which markets will you focus on, and why?
Pham Kieu Trinh: As the Country Manager for Vietnam, I look forward to developing our business across several sectors, including oil and gas, health, food and beverage and personal care. Key focus areas are strengthening our capabilities and improving sales by developing our distributor and partner ecosystems, and meeting customer needs with our digital transformation and industrial automation products and services.
Demand for digitisation and automation is growing in Vietnam as the country aims to be among the top ASEAN economies in industrial competitiveness. We aim to meet this demand, leveraging our extensive experience in providing automation and digital solutions to businesses across sectors. We remain committed to helping manufacturers adopt new technologies and support the transformation of smart manufacturing in Vietnam.
IMNA: In your profile, it says that you have also handled not just Vietnam but also Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Thailand, have you noticed any changes in the expectations and demands of customers in recent years?
Pham Kieu Trinh: There is growing demand for industrial automation in South East Asia. The region’s industrial automation and process control market is expected to reach US$4.97 billion by 2025.[1] We are also seeing growing adoption in Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, and Thailand, driven predominately by government initiatives to transform the country's manufacturing capabilities.
For example, last year, Thailand[2] approved measures giving eligible companies a three-year corporate income tax exemption covering all their investment for Industry 4.0 upgrades, to encourage them to speed up their digital technology and automation adoptions to promote Industry 4.0 transformation.
Such supportive initiatives have helped businesses adopt automation and accelerate digital transformation.
Businesses are also recognising the immense benefits automation and digital solutions offer, especially since the start of the pandemic, and the critical need to adopt them in order to gain a competitive advantage both locally and internationally.
IMNA: How important is the Vietnam market for Rockwell Automation?
Pham Kieu Trinh: Global businesses are seeking to reduce dependency on a single country and increase the connectivity of their supply chains. Vietnam has become a top destination for investments in manufacturing due to its strategic location and advantages in shipping, competitive labor, and production costs.
According to Vietnam’s Foreign Investment Agency (FIA), foreign investors pledged US$31.15 billion into Vietnam in 2021, up 9.2 percent year-over-year. The manufacturing and processing sector attracted the most foreign direct investments with a total capital of over US$18.1 billion, or 58.2 percent[3].
This boom in the manufacturing and industrial sectors makes Vietnam a critical market for us in South East Asia, which is a key area of strategic growth, contributing significantly to our business across Asia and worldwide.
IMNA: With an emphasis on Industry 4.0 and localising the supply chain, how will you take Rockwell Automation from where it is, to where the company wants it to be?
Pham Kieu Trinh: We are working towards boosting our sales performance by 40% in Southern Vietnam and by 30% in Northern Vietnam this year. By 2025, we aim to achieve double digit growth rates and increase our market share by two-fold. We also plan to expand our Vietnam team by 50% by the end of this year.
We will plan to achieve this by focusing on offering a wide range of manufacturing and automation products and solutions through our two distributors, more than 30 system integrators and original equipment manufacturer (OEM) partners.
IMNA: How will the future of automation be in Vietnam, and what are some predictions you can make?
Pham Kieu Trinh: Vietnam is transforming into a global manufacturing hub. Automation in manufacturing is something that most business leaders are exploring, as they consider it critical to their operations and competitiveness.
The government’s industrial policy[4] highlights that by 2030, the industrial sector will make up over 40% of the gross domestic product (GDP), in which manufacturing and processing industries will account for 30%. Our competitiveness industrial performance index will be among the top three ASEAN countries.
While Vietnam seems to be on track to achieve these goals, more needs to be done if the country wants to remain competitive in the future, especially with the rise of Industry 4.0. Accelerated adoption of automation and advanced technology across sectors will play a key role in achieving these ambitions.
As for Rockwell, we are dedicated to investing in continually educating and training our partners and customers to be able to adopt these technologies and enjoy the benefits of sustainability and increased profits in the long run.
READ International Metalworking News for Asia - April 2022 E-zine
[1] https://www.meticulousresearch.com/product/southeast-asia-industrial-automation-process-control-market-5073#:~:text=The%20Southeast%20Asia%20industrial%20Automation,reach%20%244.97%20billion%20by%202025.&text=Automation%20mainly%20refers%20to%20the,delivery%20of%20products%20and%20services.
[2] http://www.news.cn/english/2021-10/13/c_1310242163.htm
[3] https://vietnamnews.vn/economy/1109793/pledged-foreign-investment-in-viet-nam-surpasses-us31-billion-in-2021.html
[4] https://www.vietnam-briefing.com/news/vietnam-sets-ambitious-goals-in-new-national-industrial-policy.html/
Modern life is a constant stream of possibilities, and the transformation to a digital world of work must be conceived to comprehensive automation. For this to be successful, it is imperative to get the employees fully onside from a very early stage.
By: Kathryn Gerardino-Elagio
Global automotive and industrial supplier Schaeffler announced late last year the appointment of Alfred Lee, as the President for Industrial Asia Pacific. In an interview with International Metalworking News for Asia (IMNA), Alfred details his goals and what he can offer to help the company and customers to fulfil this goal.
Prior to joining Schaeffler, Alfred was the vice president for sales & marketing at IMI Norgren. Bringing close to 30 years of professional experience in the process and automation industry, Alfred also worked at organisations including ABB, Emerson Process Management, and McDermott International.
Alfred’s role will see him spearheading the company’s growth across various industrial sectors in APAC, including two-wheelers, off-road, rail, aerospace, raw materials, industrial automation, power transmission, and wind.
KEY MARKETS
As the new Industrial President for Asia Pacific, Alfred shared the markets in which he will focus on, and why. “We have presence in all sub-regions in Asia Pacific focusing on high-growth markets like India, Vietnam, Indonesia, Malaysia and Thailand and mature and innovating markets like Singapore, Japan, South Korea, Australia and New Zealand. Over the years, we have built excellent market positions, customer relationships, and technology footprint in the region. Countries in the region are also emerging as development hubs and hotspots for areas like Robotics, Industry 4.0, new mobility, Digitalisation, and Clean Energy like Wind, Solar and Hydrogen. We look to leverage our industrial expertise to bring innovative solutions and grow our business in these markets,” he said.
INDUSTRY 4.0, LOCAL SUPPLY CHAIN
With an emphasis on Industry 4.0 and localising the supply chain, Alfred explains how it can take the the industrial division from where it is to where you want it to be, “We will scale our existing Industry 4.0 product portfolio to expand our Industry 4.0 competence. Globally, we have partnered with leading industry leaders and companies to build a network of innovation and excellence in developing digitalisation and industry 4.0 solutions. This includes drive train 4.0, machine tool 4.0, comprehensive condition monitoring solutions and predictive maintenance for wind power. We have also rolled out our award-winning condition monitoring system OPTIME in the region.”
He added, “As a global company with a local presence worldwide, we work closely with our customers to develop solutions that fulfil their unique requirements and needs at the local level. To further refine our competitive edge, we are strengthening our regional manufacturing footprint and expanding our local development to improve our competitiveness in Asia Pacific.”
MOBILITY, ENERGY, AND ROBOTS
IMNA asked Alfred about the future of mobility, energy, and robotics be in APAC, and what are some predictions he can make.
“Asia Pacific is one of the key drivers of the global economy and is becoming a key development hub for technology and innovation,” remarked Alfred.
He mentioned, “We are witnessing an increase in the automation of value-added processes, leading to a higher demand for robotic solutions. An example of this is the market growth for collaborative robots or Cobots especially in South Korea and Japan, where we offer a diverse product portfolio that ranges from bearings to integrated system solutions. In light of this growth, we expect that the demands for automated digital services such as condition monitoring and intelligent lubricators will grow in the years ahead.”
According to Alfred, renewable energies will play a significant role in the energy mix on the energy front with strong developments within the region’s wind sector. “We expect demands for renewables to increase as governments look to commit towards green energy and conversations around climate change take centre stage. Furthermore, countries like India are emerging as a global production hub for many OEMs, gearboxes and complete wind systems. Schaeffler is ideally positioned to provide comparable services in this sector through our extended portfolio of friction-optimised bearings for maximum energy efficiency and predictive maintenance for wind systems for reliable energy production,” he commented.
Alfred noted, “As the world looks to recover from the effects of the pandemic gradually, the return of mass mobility and individual mobility, coupled with the rising demand for food production will also drive growth towards the rail, two-wheelers, and off-road sectors in the region.”
SUCCESS FACTORS FOR AN EFFECTIVE LEADER
Successful businesses rely on effective leadership. Thus, ensuring that your business has strong leaders with the correct leadership skills is crucial to being successful.
IMNA asked Alfred what are the success factors for an effective leader in his experience.
“An effective leader should have a clear vision for the future and communicate that vision to team members and employees. While it is crucial to remain goal-oriented, effective leaders focus on achieving results openly and cooperatively by empowering their teams to deliver excellence and performance. Similarly, effective leaders understand the importance of building an environment that encourages and acknowledges creativity to enable teams and employees to reach their full potential,” he declared.
At Schaeffler, Alfred disclosed that their leadership principles are rooted in transparency, trust, and teamwork, in which an open culture of feedback and empowerment of employees is vital for our success.
CHALLENGES IN 2022
Challenges are precursors to corporate crisis situations. Some are universal, and pose a threat to every company, while others are relative and depend on the nature of an organisation’s business or industry.
According to Alfred, supply chain-related constraints and microprocessor shortages will continue to pose challenges in 2022.
“With high inflation for prices of raw materials leaving companies in a profit margin squeeze, we will continue to take a cautious and calibrated approach towards the entire value chain in tackling these challenges. This means working closely with our customers to develop creative and collaborative solutions to overcome these challenges in our dynamic business environments,” he revealed.
The February issue of International Metalworking News for Asia is now out! Beyond the stories mentioned in the teaser, nearly every piece of content in this issue is about finding new ways forward. Despite the challenges we are facing, 2022 is a fresh start and acts as a reminder that we must keep moving forward. Happy Reading!
