THS 2010 Confirms Taiwan Hand Tool Makers' Innovativeness

The 10th anniversary draws 250 exhibitors and 25,000 visitors and buyers

Taiwan's hand tool makers have had to change with the times. For many decades, the island had been supplying large quantities of DIY tools at competitive prices to the world. But China's cost advantages have taken over Taiwan's dominance by annual output value for years, forcing Taiwanese manufacturers to go upmarket to supply higher-caliber products; so foreign buyers have a good reason to visit the Taiwan Hardware Show (THS), to source higher quality tools that may not be readily available in China and elsewhere.

The THS celebrated its 10th anniversary from October 21 to 23, 2010 at the TWTC (Taipei World Trade Center) Hall 1, attracting about 250 exhibitors mainly from the tools, fasteners and fittings, garden equipment and machinery sectors and drawing more than 25,000 visitors and foreign buyers, says the organizer, Kaigo Co., Ltd.

Most of the exhibitors were tool and accessory suppliers, and many of them attended the show this year due partly to the industry's ongoing recovery, and partly to answering the call by THTMA (Taiwan Hand Tool Manufacturers' Association). . Some chose the THS 2010 to debut their newest products, which helped to raise the event's profile as a platform of cutting-edge functions and innovation.

Allprofessional Versed in Shear Production

Consistently improving production technologies and materials to enhance the quality of shears, Allprofessional Mfg. Co., Ltd., founded in 1980 in Taichung County, central Taiwan, showcased its line built with the finest steel alloy.

Allprofessional is one of the best-known, biggest shear makers in Asia, supplying a wider variety of shears all meeting ANSI standards and featuring unbeatable quality. Besides being a contract maker, the company also sells under its own Allpro brand, as well as seeing sales recover to pre-financial-tsunami level in the past three quarters of this year.

Pointing to the blades of a Trieasy shear at its booth, Allrpofessional president David Huang says his company joined hands with China Steel, Taiwan's largest steelmaker, and a local university to jointly develop super-hard alloy steel, which has been tested to measure up to ASTM Grade 11 standards in hardness.

“Based on our research, lifespan of shears can be prolonged by 60% on average by using steel alloy to ASTM requirements,” Huang says. Unlike its peers who usually rely on trial-and-error to raise product quality, Allrpofessional uses computerized technologies, like X-ray diffractometry, to observe and analyze metallographic structure and hardness of materials, and then improve these characteristics and processing methodologies to achieve the best quality. Such efforts are paying off: some of the company's professional-caliber shears can even cut sheet steel with surface hardness of HRC 40, putting his company atop the industry in Asia.

Industry-exceeding QC
Exceeding global quality testing standards also reflects the company's confidence in its shears. Huang says that, instead of test cutting only one cycle as required by international standards to be certified, Allpro's shears are tested 100 cycles, each of which includes one paper cut, one cloth cut, five metal sheet cuts, one cloth cut and one paper cut. “So we aim for the best quality.”

The industry's growth will be unchanged in 2011 but accelerate in 2012, due mainly due to moderation of the global economy next year in the wake of rapid recovery in 2010, according to Huang, who is also a member of the board of directors and supervisors of the THTMA.

Also Huang confirmed that his company will construct a new factory equipped with automated forging lines in Taiwan. “We've been studying the project. Automated forging lines call for electromechanical integration capabilities, so we are trying to employ resources available anywhere. Taiwan has no automated forging lines currently,” Huang says.

Forging automation is difficult and costly, but key to sustaining Allpro's business development and the future of Taiwan's hand tool industry, says Huang, considering that forging companies had fallen behind demand in the first half when most tool makers relting on contract forging services received flood of orders.

Ra Che's Newest Combination Wrench
Believing that even mundane wrenches can be given new life through innovation, Ra Che Industrial Co., Ltd. launched its newest combination wrench, dubbed All Drive & Rapid, at the show.

Established in 1982 in Taichung County, Ra Che is a 28-year-old maker of wrenches with time-tested production capability and good reputation, with over 70% of its output going to Europe and 20% to the U.S., whose annual growth has averaged at 20% over the past three years

The company's owner Ivan Nai introduced an All Drive & Rapid combination wrench, saying that the wrench features a special design at the open end, which makes the product functionally similar to a ratchet wrench.

Unlike conventional combination wrench's open end which is U-shaped, the All Drive & Rapid's open end has one indentation to allow a nut or bolt to be firmly gripped. Nuts or bolts can be easily moved and re-gripped by pulling back the shank after each turn without removing and repositioning the wrench, enabling a ratchet-wrench function, says Nai. Besides, the indentation also allows working with nuts of various shapes.

The structural strength of the wrench is uncompromised despite the open end, Nai stresses, for 6140-grade chrome vanadium steel is used with improved heat treatment to reinforce tensile strength meeting DIN standards. The series is available with mirror, satin, micro-satin finishes, manganese phosphate coating and color coating,” he says. With maximum output of over 500,000 wrenches a month, the company also handles OEM (original equipment manufacturing) orders.

Also a director of the THTMA, Nai says that the association will try harder to build cooperation between industry insiders and China Steel to develop value-added materials like titanium and processing technologies. “Enhancing product functionality to meet market trends has been Taiwanese makers' competitive edge,” he says.

Pard Hardware Tapping OBM Biz
Pard Hardware Industrial Co., Ltd., located in Taichung County, is an emerging tool maker who pays attention to OBM (original brand manufacturing) business, whose line includes trolleys, tool boxes and cases, workbenches, cabinets, spanners, screwdrivers, Allen keys, wrenches, socket sets, bits, ratchets, air impact tools, cordless impact tools, auto repair tools and accessories, chisels, pliers, clamps, pullers and other specialist tools.

The company's newest roller cabinet was an eye-catcher at the show, mainly for its dual-toned, compact look and excellent functionality. Developed to meet end user's demand, the cabinet has a document clipboard, side handle to hang a paper roll, and a computer turntable which is 360-degree rotatable for easy viewing. The Removable Work-Top is also multifunctional, with one side being an anti-sliding work surface and the other plastic surface featuring shallow grooves for small accessories and tools.

Other user-friendly designs include protective strips that keep trolleys from damage and work as cable organizers, a side door for better storage, and four improved casters that help rolling stability. Each drawer has corner protection to prevent user injuries and features good organization. Lin Ta-sen, president of the company, says the cabinet has been recognized by the Taiwan Design Center to be demonstrated at the Golden Pin Design Award exhibition in Taipei at the end of this year.

Lin also displayed a prototype of his company's proudest ratchet socket wrench, with an extra ratchet adjuster on the upper end of the handle to allow one-handed reversal of the ratchet. The wrench, along with another adjustable ratchet wrench with 360-degree rotatable head and improved gear-driving mechanism, will be volume produced in 2011, he says.

“The two prototypes were very popular with visitors when debuted at Automechanika Frankfurt 2010. They will help to boost Pard's image as an innovative tool maker in the global market,” says Lin.

Savco Masters Screwdriver Manufacturing

Savco Corporation's SurFix AutoLock series bit holders continued to be a big hit with foreign buyers this year.

Inaugurated in 1985 in Taichung County, Savco is a seasoned screwdriver bit holder and socket coupler maker. Backed by over two decades of manufacturing and R&D capability, the company has built a solid name as an OEM and ODM, whose product lines include screwdrivers, ratchet screwdrivers, torque drivers, torque drivers, super torque ratchet screwdrivers, AutoLock series magnetic bit holders, AutoLock series magnetic socket couplers, NARO series screwdrivers, all of which are tested to GS standards.

The sales representative Tracy Huang says that the Surfix AutoLock bit holder is made of drop-forged chrome vanadium steel, and hence can withstand torque more than 71n/m, with a notable feature being the improved bit-holding mechanism enabling the holding of C-6.3 and E-6.3 bits.

In addition, the bit holder has an easy lock-and-release design, allowing users to easily lock bits by pushing them into the holder with one finger or release them by pulling backwards the colored ring, according to Huang. The product can be used for any kinds of hand tools, power tools and pneumatic tools and is impact-resistant.

The company also showcased its Surfix Pistol Ratchet driver T53, with a magnetic AutoLock bit holder and two pairs of ratchet systems to generate four times the torque of competing models. Users can easily switch the driver to clockwise, counterclockwise or neutral by turning the cap on the front of the handle, while an integrated bit holder is inside the handle for easy storage.

Chung Chan Ent.'s Patented Chuck

Chung Chan Ent. Co., Ltd., a seasoned maker of screwdriver bits, bit holders, couplings and drill chucks, demonstrated its “Quick-release Chuck” at the show.

Hsu Chung-liang, president of the company, says the chuck features a bidirectional quick connect-and-release, allowing users to quickly install or remove the chuck from a pneumatic or electric tool by pressing the colored ring, which also easily grips and releases dual- and single-tip bits and drills.

The chuck was launched about two years ago and is patented in Japan, Germany, the U.S. and Taiwan, says Hsu, adding that the chuck is also available in bit or drill sets, and color of the ring is optional, any form of cooperation with foreign buyers is welcome.