Hardware, hand tools industries accelerate modernized factories

Many traditional manufacturing sectors are experiencing the squeeze as the global industry accelerates towards a smarter, digitalized production process. This includes the hand tools and plumbing sectors, both as traditional as industries can be. In Taiwan, companies in these industries tend to be small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), maintaining a smaller budget than their bigger counterparts, which also meant that they were more conservative in introducing costly, more expensive overhauls of their entire production equipment.

As a result, companies in these industries must contend with strategic upgrades. For many, this included technological upgrades, while for others, product development was their main focus.

The Taiwanese government launched an initiative with machinery maker Hiwin Technology and Taiwan Automation Intelligence and Robotics Association (TAIROA), helping four local SMEs in the hand tools and plumbing industries implement smart manufacturing capabilities.

The Economic Ministry's Industrial Development Bureau, heading the initiative, told the media that with smart manufacturing becoming the most prominent trend, suppliers must consider how the global supply chain was upended in the light of the coronavirus outbreak, and to respond accordingly. The supply disruption prompted urgency in the industry, as more and more suppliers saw the need to adjust to small-volume, high-mix capabilities, it meant that fully automated production was in hot demand.

The initiative, dubbed as the "Sailor's Project," aimed to help four companies implement MES control equipment for on-time data, manufacturing data, and production scheduling. Also, equipment upgrades, including smart robots handling material loading and off-loading, grinding, and polishing work, were added as it helped improve production flexibility.

Examples of strategic upgrades consisting of product R&D, are Chang Pu Enterprise and Steel Mark Enterprise. Read on to learn more about Chang Pu Enterprise and Steel Mark Enterprise