Taiwan Leads World in Producing Double-column Machining Centers

Taipei, Feb. 19, 2008 (CENS)--Thanks to consistent R&D work and the efforts to cut production costs, Taiwan supplanted Japan as the world's largest producing nation for double-column machining centers, according to statistics compiled by the Taiwan Association of Machinery Industry (TAMI).

TAMI said domestic manufacturers in this line are targeting such emerging markets as mainland China, India, Brazil and Russia.

The TAMI's tallies showed the average unit selling prices for domestically made double-column machining center was US$185,000 last year, reaching 57% of the world's average of US$326,000 and only 9% and 28% of those made in Germany and Japan, respectively. TAMI said the average selling price for domestically made double-column machining center is too low and domestic manufacturers in this line should strive to elevate the added value of their products.

At present, mainland China is the world's largest consumption market for double-column machining centers which are mainly used in the industries of mold-making, large-sized workpiece processing and automobile.

Over the past few years, domestic manufacturers of machine tools have been busy with developing the large-sized double-column machining centers. Major producers in this line are Awea Mechantronic Corp., Roundtop Machinery Industries Co., Kao Ming Machinery Industrial Co., She Hong Industrial Co., Dah Lih Machinery Industry Co., Asia Pacific Elite Co., Vision Wide Tech Co., Victor Taichung Machinery Works Co., and Yeong Chin Machinery Industries Co.

TAMI vice president C.C. Wang said domestic manufacturers of double-column machining centers have made big progress in developing five-face and five-axis models over the past several years.

The TAMI's tallies showed mainland China imported 558 units of double-column machining centers valued US$182 million, with average price reaching US$326,000, last year. Taiwan was the mainland's largest supplier by selling 417 units of the machines valued US$77.37 million, marking an average value of US$185,000, accounting for 42.5% of the mainland's total imports. Japan stood at the second place with 111 units valued US$74.71 million, marking an average value of US$673,000, accounting for 41%. The third place went to Germany, which shipped eight units of the machines valued US$17.1 million, marking an average price of US$2.138 million, accounting for 9.4%.