Taiwan's Mechanical Parts Makers See Sizable Turnaround

One supplier builds higher precision via partnering with academia

Driven by steadily recovering global economy, Taiwan's manufacturers of machinery parts and accessories, mainly medium and small enterprises, achieved substantial growth in sales in the first three quarters of 2010. With a history of over 50 years, many manufacturers in this line have penetrated industrialized markets with high-tier products by employing high-quality, imported raw materials.

Besides investing to develop unique technologies, Taiwan's manufacturers of machinery parts and accessories keep ample inventories to achieve short lead times; while many operators have installed advanced production equipment and state-of-the-art inspection instruments, including CNC (computerized numerically controlled) production equipment, to enhance quality. Some larger firms have even acquired overseas plants in industrialized nations to boost market shares internationally.

The Taiwan Association of Machinery Industry (TAMI) statistics show that Taiwan exported US$627.321 million of machine-tool parts and components in the first 10 months of 2010, surging 97.9% from US$316.975 million a year earlier. TAMI president C.C. Wang attributes the sharp export growth to strong recovery of the machine-tool industry worldwide, adding that Taiwan-made machinery parts and accessories have high quality-to-price ratios and hence are popular globally.

Lighting for Industries
Founded in 1986, Eminent Main Industrial Co., Ltd. supplies a variety of halogen, LED, magnifier, tower, and fluorescent lamps for industrial and work applications.

This maker is known for supplying lighting for harsh work conditions in machine shops, offering lamps that are waterproof, resistant to lubricants and coolants, as well as efficiently cooled.

For many years, Eminent Main has not only supplied high-tier lighting for local clients but also marketed products globally, building solid reputation worldwide. In addition, the company develops high-performance products by integrating fiber optic illuminator.

Starting in 1993, the company has received orders from European and American buyers, including big clients as WEST of Italy, S.E.I of Spain, OKK and DNE of Japan, with FKB of Germany also contracting Eminent Main to supply ODM (original design manufacturer) products later on.

In 2007, the company introduced LED micro high-illumination waterproof work lights, with the aluminum alloy body being corrosion-resistant, extra strong and adjustable with a metallic neck. The company continues to develop green products, believing LEDs to become mainstream lighting in the foreseeable future.

Adhering to the motto of staff-friendly operation, this supplier implements R&D, personnel training, professional knowledge transfer, computerization, and a user-friendly work environment.

Large-sized Chucks
Another domestic manufacturer focusing on production of precision machine tool components is Autogrip Machinery Co., Ltd., formerly Chia Her Machinery Co., Ltd. and a specialist maker of power chucks and rotary cylinders. Since its inception in 1989, the company has been concentrating on production of high-precision products to distinguish itself from peers.

Headquartered in the suburb of Puhsin township, Changhua County, central Taiwan, Autogrip has a factory 43,200 square feet, where it develops innovative products backed by an in-house R&D department.

With products certified by SLG ISO9001 and CE safety standards, the company promotes a line of items under the Autogrip brand, which is known for excellent rigidity and flawless precision; while the company pledges to continue improving product quality and after-sale services.

With a line generally including six categories—power chucks, rotary cylinders, synchronous clamps, facing heads, rotary valves/rotary joints, and standard jaws—the maker has, over the past several years, extended its product line to include 18-inch- and-under series.

To roll out high-quality products, the company employs precision production equipment, including CNC lathes, grinding machines, machining centers, rotary cylinder testing instruments, and pressure testing machines.

High Rigidity
Autogrip's three-jaw through-hole power chuck features high-rigidity construction and high clamping accuracy; while its rotary cylinder is equipped with a built-in check valve to prevent internal pressure from sudden decline.

In mid-2010, the company introduced a new product line—the hollow rotary hydraulic cylinder featuring 165 and 205mm diameter, and has been working hard to develop an extra-large chuck series slated introduction soon.

Autogrip mainly exports its products to China, Europe, and the U.S., having also received orders from Eastern Europe and India. To provide quick after-sale services, the company has established five service outlets in major cities in China, including Beijing, Shanghai, Ningbo of Zhejiang province, Nanton of Jiangsu province, and Guangzhou of Guangdong province.

Precision Locknuts
Yinsh Precision Industrial Co., Ltd. is a specialized manufacturer of precision parts and components for the national defense, diagnostics, and aerospace industries in Taiwan, offering locknuts for bearings used in a variety of machine tools. To ensure high product quality, the company adopts stringent internal management system.

After over two decades of dedication to developing high-speed and high-precision products, the company aims to become a globally-leading brand. Meanwhile to elevate design, R&D and inspection capacities, Yinsh has partnered with the National Chin-Yi University of Technology to set up a precision locknut R&D and Inspection Laboratory, the first of its kind in Taiwan.

Data from the laboratory provides data for development of innovative precision locknuts and reference for design, analysis, processing and manufacturing of machine tools and special-purpose machines. Yinsh says the lab will help achieve R&D and inspection milestones to accelerate its production efficiency and development of innovative products, adding that the quality of precision locknuts decides the working efficiency of spindles, a key part of machine tools.

Besides running a lab that wins strong support and recognition from Taiwan's National Science Council and the Ministry of Education, Yinsh also offers scholarships and research fund to cultivate and train college students from partner schools.

In-house R&D Team
The maker has an in-house R&D team with many qualified technicians who are trained by the government-backed vocational training center in Taichung City, central Taiwan.

Certainly precision-oriented, the maker incorporates cutting-edge, high-tech thread grinding technology in design to meet the rising need for precision thread specifications, as well as computerizing raw material procurement, design, production and delivery. The company claims that its precision thread applications for the photoelectric and plastic mold industries meet stringent international standards.

Since its establishment over a decade ago, Yinsh has remained loyal to sustainable operations while sincerely serving customers globally; while its efforts to elevate product quality and working conditions via a reliable occupational safety system have garnered certifications as the ISO9001, ISO14001 and OHSAS18001.

The maker's R&D team enables the development of innovative products to meet special requirements. The current line includes three categories: YS-series precision locknuts, SBL-series superfine balanced locknuts and SGL-series superfine grinding locknuts, as well as a recently-introduced innovative YSPL series. These four series of products meet the requirements of manufacturers of industrial machines and machine tools for high-speed, high-precision machining, says the maker.

Its precision locknuts help customers overcome problems in mounting ballscrew bearings and thrust bearings, says Yinsh. Differing from conventional locknuts, Yinsh's specially designed precision locknuts feature inner-hole threads that are ground in one process.

The company's precision flank locking unit has a 30-degree thread angle, with the threads of copper able to mesh with the counter threads to enable a lock that won't loosen. Its 30-degree thread design also reduces the torque effect from tightening.

Yinsh has exported to over 20 nations, mainly Japan, Germany, Italy, Spain, the U.S., Chin, and Southeast Asia, with major clients including Okuma Corp. of Japan and DMG Group of Germany. Besides self-developed products, the company also accepts OEM (original equipment manufacturer) orders.

Hydro-pneumatic Components
Deter Enterprise Co., Ltd., established in 1988, specializes in import of pneumatic parts, focusing on developing specialized machinery components to help customers boost production efficiency.

With a modern factory in Taiping, Taichung City, central Taiwan equipped with state-of-the-art production equipment and inspection devices to ensure high quality, the company markets items under its own brand of DETER and Fluid-Technik, also helping customers develop modular hydro-pneumatic components to shorten production procedures.

Deter president Chen Tien-cheng says his company always helps customers with product segmentation to elevate competitiveness and profitability, adding that Deter's products raise added value of machinery and automated production equipment.

Deter's major product lines are power-unit cylinder, booster, unclamping cylinder, low-friction cylinder, weight system, hydraulic pressure boost pump, LED (light emitting diode), digital pressure switch, pressure pump, speed control cylinder, air-hydro converter, high-pressure gas booster, high-pressure solenoid, special valves and cylinders.