A Global Vision with new manufacturing procedure towards Industry 4.0

In the age of industrial competition which goes beyond one’s own region and the completion has been fierce for the last decade, many manufacturers have tried to find ways to improve their efficiency, their productivity as well as their potentials in order to meet the requirements of international standards. Therefore, the evolution and the industrial development towards Industry 4.0 is the trend which many entrepreneurs have to observe closely for any changes in the future.

For this issue, MEGA Tech Magazine would like to make something special so we have gathered 4 big brands in the world’s leading innovation and technology companies for an interview about their visions and their preparation for the industrial development in Thailand in order to fulfill the potentials and to reach Industry 4.0 in a sustainable manner.

Q 1: Today is the most suitable time for Thailand’s industrial change. Therefore, as one of the global brands with experience and practical knowledge in the industrial development, what kind of products and services can be offered and developed to enhance Thailand towards Industry 4.0 so that Thailand is recognized and achieve success in a continuous manner?

Mr. Norbert Seo, Bystronic

ANS:  Our customers’ challenges consist of being able to quickly respond to their customers’ inquiries in the most efficient manner possible. The markets, sheet metal products, and batch sizes are rapidly changing. Hence, our customers require flexible solutions that enable them to profitably process both large batch sizes and small-scale orders. Industry 4.0 creates important impulses for the development of new solutions. Intelligently networked processes, automation solutions, and at the core of all this, the fiber laser’s integrated cutting technology are key for successful sheet metal processing.

Mr. Taveesak Srisuntisuk, Hexagon Metrology

ANS:  Nowadays we are well-equipped with technology for Industry 4.0 and we are ready in terms of Turnkey Project or Integrator which is going on in China at the moment. Regarding Asia-Pacific, we are beginning to develop and provide solutions to meet the requirements and the demands of entrepreneurs in Thailand. We have Partner who is Integrator with readiness and experience. We believe that in 3-5 years Thailand will be ready for investment and have a higher demand for technology. Today at HexagonMI we present ourselves with the slogan “Quality 4.0”, that is, we use Quality to drive Productivity. We believe that our service will meet the current demands of our customers and when Thai entrepreneurs are ready for Industry 4.0, we are sure that our technology will still meet the demands of our customers.

Mr. Naoki Mori, Sodick

ANS:  We learn and develop products from our customers which are everywhere in the world in order to meet and fulfill the demands of our customers. The principles of Industry 4.0 have been proposed in industrially advanced and developed countries such as Germany, the United States and Japan where the principles are successful. So, we are ready to present our technology and automation system to develop our customer’s industries so that they can compete in the world’s market.

Mr. Nobuhito Todama, Toyoda Machinery

ANS:  Nowadays, the demands in the development of Industry 4.0 is a trend which many people are paying close attention because it is spreading all over the world. Access to data is at the heart of everything or we can say that it is at number ONE. Now it is time for IOE or Internet of Everything. In other words, every step of manufacturing procedure should be connected to the internet and the data so that it can be responsive to commands and data management system which will affect the whole line of production. The data will be processed in terms of effectiveness and productivity of the factory. This system will work with our machines in a perfect manner. Moreover, our experience as the technology owner tells us that if Thai entrepreneurs want the best solution to the manufacturing procedure, TOYODA can provide them with the right technology immediately.

Q 2: Can you mention your customers in Thailand who succeeded when you offered products or services related to Industry 4.0 (If it is confidential, please identify the industrial sector instead)?

Mr. Norbert Seo, Bystronic

ANS: One of our customers in Thailand who manufacture electrical cabinets works on a robot to operate our press brake.  This removes manual operation in the equation and bending with Bystronic press brake machine resulted in precise bending of even complex 3D parts.  This streamlines the whole production process and increases the company’s output and productivity. Labor cost is getting higher and the industry is looking towards increasing the level of automation.  Bystronic offers solution with our automation systems that optimize material flow, improve machine use and increase work and process reliability while systematically reducing costs.

Mr. Taveesak Srisuntisuk, Hexagon Metrology

ANS:  In China, we have many industrial projects which are successful and have gained approval. At HexagonMI, we have created model factories to demonstrate the intelligent manufacturing system based on the principles of Industry 4.0 as well as the whole lineup of the manufacturing process in Brazil and China. In Thailand, we are planning to set up a system which is likely to take place in the near future.

Mr. Naoki Mori, Sodick

ANS: At the moment, our customers in many sectors including light-manufacturing, mobile phones, hard disks and other industrial sectors have paid attention to increased efficiency by storing data on I-Cloud system during the manufacturing process in order to analyze the data for further developments. Although it is not obvious at the moment, we have found that the development in the manufacturing procedure of our customers is getting closer towards Industry 4.0. Sodick is ready to supervise and support our customers to grow together.
 

Mr. Nobuhito Todama, Toyoda Machinery

ANS:  As stated above, Industry 4.0 is a kind of connection of the whole manufacturing line as well as access to all manufacturing data, also known as Total Product Management. In Thailand with automotive industries as the main industry in the country, our customers are looking for a way to get the data to check the quality of the manufacturing process and we are developing as well as learning new technologies to find the right direction for each factory.

Q 3: Many entrepreneurs are worried that global brands mean a large amount of investment which exceeded their budget, is there any way to clarify any misunderstanding?

Mr. Norbert Seo, Bystronic

ANS:  First and foremost, a global brand offers many benefits to customers. Bystronic as a global partner opens up financial possibilities for the quick entry into new technologies. For example with flexible financing solutions: leasing, lease-purchase, credit models. With this our customers can bridge a start-up phase with low rates, take advantage of development funds, or factor in seasonal sales fluctuations. And another important aspect: As a reliable partner, we support our customers with a comprehensive range of services. Even the best technologies are of no use to our customer without the corresponding know-how of our technology experts, well-trained service technicians, and a well-networked infrastructure.

Mr. Taveesak Srisuntisuk, Hexagon Metrology

ANS:  Nowadays Thailand still needs time for the development towards Industry 4.0 in the future. However, we are interested in hearing from manufacturers who want to develop their factories to be part of Industry 4.0 so that they become the model for other manufacturing lines, especially in the area of Smart Manufacturing Cells as well as those manufacturers who are interested in Additive Manufacturing so that they become part of the development towards better technology. We understand our customer groups very well and therefore the development of each part before the development of the whole line in the future is more likely and feasible among our customers. HexagonMI is ready to provide supervision and advice along the way of such development.

Mr. Naoki Mori, Sodick

ANS:  Each time a company develops a new technology and an innovation, we can be sure that such innovation will increase the efficiency and add values to entrepreneurs. The reputation which Sodick has maintained for a long time is how to make our technology support and add the most values to our customers. Besides, our service coverage goes to all our allies including medium and small-sized resellers. Therefore, both direct service and service through our resellers is the same. We are the same family and we support each other always.

Mr. Nobuhito Todama, Toyoda Machinery

ANS:  I believe that at the moment our customers better understand the real cost of investment than in the past, especially the investment in a machine from the world’s big brand, because what they gain is the long-term value in every aspect of the manufacturing such as a longer lifetime of the machine, a better performance, and reliable as well as faster aftersales services, not to mention the rest. When a new investment is compared to a low-budget machine, it is clear that there are no longer many small problems with the new investment. Therefore, TOYODA is ready to move forward with the entrepreneurs to provide the best manufacturing solutions for sustainable success in the future.