THS 2008's Rising Exhibitor Number Shows Resilience Amid Global Downturn
Two IF Design Award Winner
2009/03/12 | By Steve ChuangThe Taiwan Hardware Show (THS), held annually in Taipei, is a major trade platform for souring hand tools, fasteners and garden tools for global buyers, and is seen as the most influential trade fair of its kind in the Asia-Pacific, as the show effectively offers wide-ranging goods to foreign buyers at one location.
The most recent and the 8th THS, organized by Kaigo Co., Ltd., was held Oct. 23 to 25, 2008 at the TWTC's (Taipei World Trade Center) Hall 1, staged for the first time alongside the 1st Home & Lifestyle Fair (HLF). As if the global economic fallout has spared Taiwan, the show registered a growth of 35% in exhibitor number, totaling 246 this year, from 182 last year, as well as drawing some 13,778 buyers from different countries during the three-day span.
At the opening ceremony, Taiwan Hand Tool Manufacturers' Association (THTMA) chairman M.C. Cheng said local hand tool makers had contributed about US$2.71 billion in exports to Taiwan's GDP last year. Simply, "Small and medium enterprises, like hand tool manufacturers, have been significant part of the economic bedrock of Taiwan over the past decades," he said.
Cheng added that as the global economic outlook is uncertain, the survival of Taiwan-based hand tool makers hinges on not only their determination to upgrade into OBMs (original brand manufacturer), but also lobby to acquire official assistance.
Following up with another upbeat view, C.P. Huang, Director General of Bureau of Foreign Trade under Ministry of Economic Affairs (MOEA), said that the current success of Taiwan-based hardware and related industries in the global market has definitely not happened by chance: "The most impressive feature of local suppliers for foreign buyers in Taiwan is the gung-ho spirit-that there are always entrepreneurs everywhere, anytime willing to do business and deliver products to satisfy customers."
"Taiwan has earned its reputation as the 'Kingdom of Screws and Nuts' and the 'Kingdom of Hand Tools,' " said Huang, giving credit to local makers' years of dedication to product quality, production flexibility and innovation. Putting money where his mouth is, Huang said that the MOEA has budgeted NT$2 billion as import and export financing, helping local entrepreneurs to ride out the aftershock of the sub-prime-mortgage tsunami.
The Director of the Brazil Business Center, Mr. Abi-sad, was at the THS for the second time, saying that he looks forward to seeing more business opportunities and closer ties between Taiwan and Brazilian companies, with the director's presence likely reflecting the growing competitiveness of Taiwan's hardware and related suppliers.
Enormous Product Range
The product range at THS this year obviously showed Taiwanese makers' incredible flexibility and capacity, having displayed practically everything under the sun, including hand tools, power tools, pneumatic tools, machinery tools, auto repair tools, garden tools, safety accessories, tool kits, carts & ladders, building materials, interior decoration materials, fasteners, sanitary ware and related accessories.
The 1st HLF also showed considerable range, including household ornaments, bathroom accessories, kitchenware, outdoor and leisure supplies, household appliances, knockdown furniture and DIY fittings. The visitors also found the layout of the fair user-friendly, allowing easier product searches than before.
Innovative Hand Tools
Typical would not be an appropriate word for some of the displays at the THS: the Hexagonal Wrench Taichi from Lucky-Brand and FasWrench by Proxene Tools Co., Ltd. are both IF Product Design Award 2008 winners, which underline Taiwanese hand tool makers' globally-proven R&D, innovative capability.
Another cutting-edge hand tool was the MEMS (Micro-electro Mechanical System -integrated digital torque wrench, officially unveiled by Stand Tools, a veteran ratchet screwdriver and magnetic tool maker, that sets a new standard in precision torque wrench with the world's first integrated MEMS sensor, which successfully captured ample attention among buyers.
"Water Hardware"
The Mechanical and Systems Research Laboratories (MSRL) of the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) has been partnering with the Changhua WATER WARE Association to develop high-end, eco-friendly sanitary ware and related technologies, together making headlines at the THS 2008 by officially debuting the "Water Hardware Pavilion."
Other exhibitors who showcased innovative bathroom ware included leading Taiwanese suppliers as Wu Feng Enterprise Co., Ltd., Chuan Wei Metal Co., Ltd., Chang Yi Shin Co., Ltd., Sheng Tai Brassware Corp., Torng Jng Guan Enterprise and Sanitary Equipment Co., Ltd., with the displays including self-cleaning faucets, energy-saving IR faucets and trivalent-chromium electroplated faucets.
Mr. Ku, an analyst at the ITRI in charge of the Water Ware project, also introduced a power-efficient generation solution designed with a water-recycling system and installed with a high-performance capacitors instead of lithium batteries to generate electricity, power automatic faucets. "Compared with lithium-battery-based power supplies, this solution is totally eco-friendly and lasts as long as faucets," Ku said. "The ITRI plans to start promoting the product at the end of 2010."
In addition, the trivalent chromium electroplating was a technical breakthrough in terms of being green, enabling Taiwanese makers to export faucets that fully meet EU standards on hazardous substances.
Shen Jong-chin, director of the Central Taiwan Office of the MOEA, mentioned that Taiwan produces some NT$60 billion a year in sanitary ware yearly, 80% of which comes from Taiwan' central county of Changhua, with such achievement and clustering attracting official attention and backing.
The official backing was realized by the MOEA's invitation of local sanitary ware makers in Changhua to join the Water Ware project in 2007, which would assist the suppliers to further sharpen manufacturing technologies, specifically in mold development, surface treatment and production of electric-induction products, according to Shen.
A desirable side-effect evolved from the Water Ware project: the sanitary ware makers decided to form Taiwan's first trade association, Changhua WATER WARE Association, which would help to integrate industry resources to engage in global marketing, said the ITRI analyst.
Upgrading Expertise
To enhance the depth and practicability of THS 2008, the show management also arranged several seminars for industry insiders. Chen Shun-hong and Yao Chi-yuan of Taiwan's Electronics Testing Center gave presentations on "Safety and Testing Methods for Power Tools," discussing power tool safety testing and EMC electromagnetic compatibility accreditation.
Also, Huang Chin-chuan, the deputy director of the Metal Process R&D Department of the Metal Industries R&D Center, presented the topic "An overview and development of high value-added metal products," sharing the center's experience in production upgrades and new material applications for high value-added metal products.
Dr. Chen Wei-long and Ho Ju-liang from the ITRI lectured on "Designing bathroom products with CAD" and "PVD technology for bathroom equipment and hardware," focusing on eco-friendly casting and surface treatment technologies. Such concepts and technologies have become increasingly important for hardware and related industry insiders in recent years due mainly to growing eco-awareness.
The 2009 THS is slated for October 22 to 25, 2009, and is expected to again set up a popular platform for global buyers trading in Taiwan-made, high and mid-end hardware, hand tools, fasteners and sanitary ware.