2012 Taiwan International Machine Tool Show Puts Spotlight on Taichung Industrial Cluster
Industry continues to grow in spite of global economic slump
2013/04/08 | By Andrew Wang
Many well-known Taiwanese machine tool companies were present, including Hiwin Technology Corp., Victor Taichung Machinery Works. Co., Ching Hung Machinery & Electric Industrial Co., GSA Technology Co., Tongtai Group, Luren Precision Co., Joen Lih Machinery Co., and Pinnacle Machine Tool Co.
The Taiwanese companies were joined by 21 overseas exhibitors from 11countries: Germany, Switzerland, Japan, Korea, the U.S., China, Singapore, Italy, the Netherlands, Malaysia, and the Philippines. The exhibit attracted 1,984 foreign buyers from 50 countries.
New Exhibition Style
Taichung City, site of a major machine-tool cluster, was chosen to host TMTS 2012. TMBA chairman Y. T. Chuo commented that the show was held in an innovative style–an "exhibition integrated with a manufacturing supply chain"--which encouraged foreign buyers to come and buy. The buyers were able to visit not only all the displays at the exhibition, but also a large number of factories within a 30~40 minute drive to see how Taiwanese machine tool makers craft their products. This innovation helped spark an 85% growth in the size of the exhibition and a 30% increase in number of exhibitors compared to the previous TMTS.
Taiwan's high-quality and reasonably priced machine tool accessories are popular among buyers around the world, especially in China, Japan, Korea, Germany, Hong Kong, the U.S., Italy, India, Brazil, and Thailand. In 2011 exports by the island's machine tool and accessories industry reached US$4 billion, fourth-largest in the world after Japan, Germany, and Italy. Taiwan is the world's sixth-highest manufacturer of machine tools, with a production value that reached US$5.26 billion in 2011, up 35% from the previous year.
Despite the debt crisis afflicting Europe and the sluggish global economic climate, Taiwan's machine tool export value still managed to grow 9.2% year on year in the first 10 months of 2012, to US$3.59 billion.
Tongtai Group
Tongtai Group and its member firms, Tongtai, Honor, APEC, and Quick-TECH, showcased a wide range of products at the fair, including vertical milling and tapping centers, horizontal/vertical machining centers, horizontal/vertical multi-tasking turning centers, vertical grinding machines, gantry type machining centers, and multi-axes lathes.
Tongtai Group chairman Jui-Hsiung Yen emphasized that machine-tool manufacturers need to place themselves in their customers' position if they want to stimulate sales. He noted that in the past year, in order to compete with rivals in Europe and U.S. and to polish its brand image, Tongtai has not only upgraded its manufacturing capability but has also cooperated with the Precision Machinery Research Development Center (PMC) to improve the appearance of its machines with a strong corporate identity system.
According to Yen, Tongtai uses recyclable materials and energy-saving manufacturing processing in addition to aesthetic design in its machine tools, fully expressing the company's “love the earth” motto.
During the show Tongtai unveiled its newest product, the HB-500II horizontal machining center, which was developed with value analysis/engineering (VA/VE) design to meet customer requirements. The new machine cuts the machining cycle-time by 26% by improving its automatic pallet changer (APC), 3-axies acceleration, automatic tool change (ATC), and B-table rotational rigidity. The machine also incorporates innovations that enhance its ergonomic operation.
Luren Precision Co.
Many visitors to the show were intrigued by the innovative LFG-8040 vertical type CNC gear profile grinding machine demonstrated by Luren Precision Co., a veteran Taiwanese maker of gear cutting tools, gear grinding machines, and spinning pumps.
The LFG-8040 incorporates the most advanced technologies, such as Fanuc CNC 8-axis control in a closed-loop servo control system, direct drive motor, and an industrial-grade computer, to meet high-precision gear grinding needs. A Windows-based user-friendly smart interface developed by the firm is also installed in the LFG-8040, making it easy to key in gear data, modify gear profiles, and specify grinding steps.
Charles Hung, assistant manager of Luren's cutting tool department, noted that the firm's technology development team works with domestic universities and the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI), helping it to provide efficient manufacturing solutions. Thanks to its success in building up an R&D advantage, the firm's hub cutters and shaving cutters were recognized by Taiwan Excellence Awards 2011.
Luren has never faltered in its effort to improve customer services and expand overseas markets. It has set up branches in major international cities including Osaka, Shanghai, and Chicago over the past decade, and will soon establish a new one in Xiamen, in China's Guangdong Province, to provide maintenance and after-sales services for customers in China and Southeast Asia, Hung revealed.
Joen Lih Machinery Co.
The Joen Lih Machinery Co.'s JL-2550 high-precision NC surface grinding machine drew intense attention with its outstanding functions and innovative design. The ISO9001-certified firm also showcased a variety of high-precision and CNC surface grinders, hand-operated surface grinders, and semi-automated precision surface grinders at the show.
The company's president, H.T. Lin, claimed that the JL-2550 is designed to meet all of his customers' current and future grinding needs with the highest standard of surface grinding accuracy. The model features a one-piece fabricated base to provide solid support for the saddle, table, and column, and is equipped with high-precision cartridge-type spindles having two precision angular contact ball bearings at the front and rear ends, as well as an automatic lubrication system to enhance machining durability and accuracy.
“The competitiveness of Joen Lih lies in its ability to develop machines that feature superior rigidity, accuracy, stability, and efficiency, and that meet the diverse customization requirements of international customers,” said Lin. He noted that the main structures of all of his machines are made of top-quality FC30 fine grey iron, which features high strength and inherent vibration-dampening characteristics. Top-end servo motors drive the ball screws and liner guides of the machines, resulting in the high-speed machining consistency and high-frequency response needed to ensure supreme efficiency.
Pinnacle Machine Tool Co.
With its impressive exterior appearance and functionality, the five-axis CNC machining center unveiled by the Pinnacle Machine Tool Co. at TMTS also attracted intense notice. According to Allen Hsieh, the firm's general manager, the product is designed to meet rising demand from high-end manufacturers looking to boost their competitiveness in the tepid global economy by maintaining precision production while reducing cost.
“Five-axis machining centers are generating higher profits for manufacturers than three- and four-axis units,” said Hsieh. To differentiate itself from its rivals and avoid price-cutting wars in the market, Pinnacle moved to specialize in five-axis CNC machining centers three years ago.
Hsieh stated that Pinnacle's AX and BX series five-axis machines are ideal for making precision components in irregular shapes, such as fan blades for automobile superchargers and components for aircraft and medical equipment. While the AX series with a 360-degree turntable and 110-degree swing A-axis is perfect for making smaller items, the BX series is suitable for big items with its patented seamless docking of turntable with T-slot table.
“We are proud that our application software unit, which is composed of experienced engineers who develop new programs and has facilities including CAD/CAM/CAE software and finite element analysis”, said Hsieh. This provides a technological advantage that enables the company to target its latest machines at high-end markets in Germany, Russia, Turkey, and Southeast Asia. “Our high price/performance ratio lures buyers in these markets away from the pricier, western-made products at a time when the market is in a downturn and the byword is austerity,” Hsieh stated.
Looking to Become a New Trillion-dollar Industry
The five-day TMTS 2012 attracted more than 65,000 visitors and achieved on-site sales preliminarily estimated at NT$1.5 billion (US$50 million). Together with follow-up orders, this show will contribute an estimated total of NT$4 billion (US$133.3 million) in orders.
The Victor Taichung Machinery Works. Co., Taiwan's top manufacturer of machine tools and cast iron, alone recorded on-site orders for machine tools and plastic injection molding machines of NT$100 million (US$3.33 million), with follow-up orders, mainly by buyers from Russia, Turkey, and Southeast Asia, expected to reach NT$200 million (US$6.67 million).
The show highlighted an important trend of cooperation between industries and educational institutions. This kind of cooperation helps ensure the effective transfer of knowledge and the availability of highly skilled manpower. With support from the Ministry of Education and the National Science Council, students from 58 universities were able to demonstrate their fruitful research results at the show. .
Y.T. Chuo, founder of Hiwin and chairman of the TMBA, stressed that “Taiwan enjoys a technology advantage and is looking to offer new solutions that are more efficient and competitive in addressing the needs of different clients." Chuo predicted that Taiwan will surpass Italy in machine-tool exports this year, to take the No. 3 ranking in the world.
During a visit to TMTS 2012, President Ma Ying-Jeou emphasized that the precision machinery industry will have a critical influence on the future development of Taiwan. With the government's support via the signing of economic cooperation agreements with other countries, he predicted, the industry will generate NT$1 trillion (US$33.3 billion) of overall production value in 2013, thus becoming a new trillion-dollar industry for Taiwan.
The next TMTS is scheduled to be held on Nov.5~9, 2014, when, Chuo announced, it will be expanded by a further 40% to accommodate 3,500 to 4,000 booths.