The MRO player’s strategic move marks a significant commitment to expansion in Asia for Kellstrom Aerospace Group, which includes Kellstrom Aerospace, Vortex Aviation, and The Aircraft Group. Combined with the strategic addition of new team members in the region, the company is in position to enhance its presence and capabilities in the region to support Airlines, Operators, Lessors and MROs.

Being located within Aerospace Park, home to numerous other aerospace firms, offers Kellstrom greater opportunity to establish partnerships, drive innovation, and enhance business development initiatives. The move aligns well with Kellstrom’s global presence as an important participant in the commercial aerospace industry and reinforces its commitment to the industry in conjunction with its other locations in Fort Lauderdale, Chicago, Dublin, and Shannon.

“We look forward to continuing our growth and innovation in Singapore, these efforts are critical to ensuring our customers’ long-term success, and we are committed to supporting their evolving needs in an increasingly dynamic industry,” said George Poh, Managing Director, Asia Pacific (APAC). “This is a tremendous opportunity to further enhance customer value through our comprehensive suite of aftermarket aviation solutions.”

This came after a report by Allied Market Research, “Southeast Asia Air Transport MRO Market by Aircraft Type, End-Use, Organization Type, and Service Type: Southeast Asia Opportunity Analysis and Industry Forecast, 2021–2032,” the Southeast Asian air transport MRO market was valued at US$5,259.1 million in 2021, and is projected to reach US$13,481.3 million by 2032, registering a CAGR of 7.8% from 2022 to 2032.

The Air Transport MRO (Maintenance, Repair, and Operations) sector plays a vital role in ensuring safe and efficient aircraft operation. It encompasses a range of services and activities necessary to maintain & repair aircraft, systems, and components throughout their operational lifespan.

MRO services cover various aspects, including routine inspections, scheduled maintenance, unscheduled repairs, component replacements, and overall management of aircraft maintenance programs. These services are conducted by specialised MRO companies, both in-house by airlines and outsourced to third-party providers, and adhere to strict regulatory standards and guidelines to ensure compliance with safety regulations.

What You Missed:

Charting The Flight Path: MRO Investments To Gravitate Towards Southeast Asia
SAIC Motor-CP Vice President To Helm Electric Vehicle Association of Thailand (EVAT)
Cathay Pacific Completes Repairs On Airbus A350 Fleet After 90 Flights Cancelled
Intel Will (Not) Halt Operations In Penang
Six Thailand Airlines Eye Fleet Expansion As Aviation Industry Rebounds
Toyota Vehicles Zooms Ahead In Thailand’s Automobile Market
VinFast Slows Down Thailand’s Market Expansion
VS Industry’s Orders From The Philippines Expected To Reap RM1.5 Billion From Consumer Electronics Products
Unveiling The Effect Of Industry 5.0 On The Semiconductor Ecosystem In Indonesia
From Vision To Reality: How India Can Emerge As An Electronics Manufacturing Leader

WANT MORE INSIDER NEWS? SUBSCRIBE TO OUR DIGITAL MAGAZINE NOW!

CONNECT WITH US:  LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter

Letter to the Editor
Do you have an opinion about this story? Do you have some thoughts you’d like to share with our readers? APMEN News would love to hear from you!

Email your letter to the Editorial Team at Christellee@epl.com.sg

The post Kellstrom Aerospace Relocates its Asia Office to Singapore’s Aerospace Park appeared first on Asia Pacific Metalworking Equipment News | Manufacturing | Automation | Quality Control.

Corporations such as Samsung, Nike, and Adidas have reportedly moved substantial portions of their production to countries like Vietnam and Indonesia. Samsung relocated its smartphone manufacturing to Vietnam, where it now contributes significantly to the country’s GDP.

Nike has shifted a considerable part of its footwear production to Vietnam as well, where over half of its shoes are now made. Meanwhile, Adidas has reduced its reliance on Chinese manufacturers, turning to alternatives in Southeast Asia. Even Apple is looking to Indonesia for its manufacturing facility.

Vietnam, Indonesia, and Thailand are among the key destinations attracting these relocations, offering lower labour costs, expanding manufacturing capabilities, and favourable trade agreements. Hyundai Motor Company will invest THB1 billion (US$28 million) to set up a facility to assemble electric vehicles (EVs) and batteries in Thailand, the country’s Board of Investment (BOI) said on 7 August 2024, according to Bangkok Post.

These moves are part of a broader shift as companies seek to mitigate risks associated with over-reliance on China and leverage the growing economic potential of Southeast Asia. Tensions over Taiwan pushing Hewlett-Packard to move a significant proportion of PC production from China, Nation Thailand quoted Nikkei Asia.

US-based IT giant Hewlett-Packard (HP) is looking to shift more than half of its PC (personal computer) production away from China to reduce potential geopolitical risks. HP also plans to set up a backup design hub in Singapore, the report said. 

Nikkei Asia cited multiple sources as saying that HP is in talks with suppliers about the move and aims to achieve its target in two to three years. The company has set an internal goal of eventually making up to 70% of its notebooks outside of China.

A major destination for the move is Thailand, said the report, adding that at least five HP suppliers are building new manufacturing facilities or warehouse hubs in the kingdom, and two have been increasing capacity there since the beginning of the year at HP’s request.

Nikkei Asia quoted an executive-level source as saying:

“It is certain that HP is betting big on building a production hub in Thailand. We have other Southeast Asian facilities to support the client, but they said it is not efficient enough, so we are building a new factory in Thailand now, as requested.”

Other sources said that in internal talks, several HP executives have been emphasising the emerging business opportunities in Southeast Asia and the Middle East while flagging the geopolitical risks of keeping production centered in China, due to years of US-China tensions as well as disruptions from Covid.

What You Missed:

Hyundai To Invest US$28 million In Thailand For EV Assembly And Batteries
Industrial Automation Redefined: Insights From ARC Industry Leadership Forum
Malaysia Sets Its Eyes On Medical Devices Manufacturing Market
Singapore Prepares More Land To Woo Semiconductor Giants Looking To Ride AI Wave
Chinese Enterprises Also Eye Manufacturing Opportunities In The Philippines
More Factories Relocate From China To Malaysia Over Restrictions
LG-Hyundai Electric Car Battery Factory To Open On 3 July 2024
Chinese Automakers Double Down On Presence In Thailand
Hitachi Industrial Equipment Systems’ ML Predictive Diagnosis Service For Air Compressors
TSMC Sees Annual Sales Growth To Reach 10% In Semiconductor Industry

WANT MORE INSIDER NEWS? SUBSCRIBE TO OUR DIGITAL MAGAZINE NOW!

CONNECT WITH US:  LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter

Letter to the Editor
Do you have an opinion about this story? Do you have some thoughts you’d like to share with our readers? APMEN News would love to hear from you!

Email your letter to the Editorial Team at Christellee@epl.com.sg

The post HP Eyes Thailand In Plans To Shift Production From China appeared first on Asia Pacific Metalworking Equipment News | Manufacturing | Automation | Quality Control.

Foreign companies are moving their manufacturing facilities out of China to establish production hubs in other countries as trade tensions continue to brew between China and the US. Malaysia, the world’s sixth largest exporter of semiconductors in the world, has greatly benefited from this strategy known as China Plus One, where companies diversify their business outside of China.

Malaysia has a 50-year edge in the sector given that Intel established its first international manufacturing plant in the northern state of Penang. Intel is also building another factory in Penang that will be the US States chip giant firm’s overseas facility for advanced 3D chip packaging. Malaysia is on a particularly attractive spot given that many semiconductor and electric vehicle companies relocating to Southeast Asia to bypass trade restrictions and strengthen their supply chains.

The country has an existing ecosystem in Penang and the neighbouring Kulim in Kedah. This provides an option for technology companies seeking to date-risk amidst intense rivalries between the US and China over cutting-edge technologies.

Philippines — The Alternative Location

It seems Philippines is also attracting attention from Chinese enterprises, Manufacturing Asia noted. JLL, a global real estate company, states that companies are diversifying their manufacturing locations across India and Southeast Asia, including the Philippines, to offset supply chain disruptions in China.

China has dominated global manufacturing for decades. However, JLL noted that companies are “increasingly diversifying their operations elsewhere, adding manufacturing bases outside of China to hedge against supply chain disruptions.” Rising costs in China, the firm said, have pushed manufacturers to expand to other countries, with land prices in China being up to twice higher than in Southeast Asian countries and India.

Michael Ignatiadis, JLL Asia Pacific Head of Manufacturing Strategy stated that diversification within supply chains is a natural step for companies involved in manufacturing within the wider economic lifecycle of Southeast Asia and India. The Philippines, in particular, has caught the attention of the US with its inclusion in the CHIPS Act, which aims to expand and diversify the semiconductor supply chain such as integrated circuits, RF/microwave, and assembly and testing services.

JLL also noted the record-high of US$49.1 billion in electronics exports in 2022, including consumer and industrial electronics, as well as telecommunication equipment. The firm, added the manufacturing sector should make a careful evaluation of non-cost or qualitative factors when deciding to diversify.

Skilled labour, infrastructure, environmental regulations, proximity to suppliers and political stability are all crucial for long-term success and sustainability in manufacturing operations. Peter Guevarra JLL Asia Pacific Director and research consultancy said that each economy in Southeast Asia is at a different level of its manufacturing storey.

“But we can confidently say that policymakers are extremely keen to take advantage of diversification initiatives of supply chains,” he stressed.

Companies must also carefully evaluate various factors such as costs, market access, infrastructure, labour and governmental support before making investment decisions. 

What You Missed:

More Factories Relocate From China To Malaysia Over Restrictions
LG-Hyundai Electric Car Battery Factory To Open On 3 July 2024
Chinese Automakers Double Down On Presence In Thailand
Hitachi Industrial Equipment Systems’ ML Predictive Diagnosis Service For Air Compressors
TSMC Sees Annual Sales Growth To Reach 10% In Semiconductor Industry
Vietnam Versus Malaysia For Semiconductor Design Hub Crown
Vietnam Sluggish Auto Sales Hit Major Motorshow
Motional Flies Solo After Aptiv’s Curtain Call
Tesla Fired Its Supercharger Division – A Shocking Yet Brilliant Move
Tesla Profits Decline By More Than 50% In Q1 2024

WANT MORE INSIDER NEWS? SUBSCRIBE TO OUR DIGITAL MAGAZINE NOW!

CONNECT WITH US:  LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter

Letter to the Editor
Do you have an opinion about this story? Do you have some thoughts you’d like to share with our readers? APMEN News would love to hear from you!

Email your letter to the Editorial Team at Christellee@epl.com.sg

The post Chinese Enterprises Eye Manufacturing Opportunities In The Philippines appeared first on Asia Pacific Metalworking Equipment News | Manufacturing | Automation | Quality Control.

Source: Manufacturing Asia

More Asian countries have doubled down on their efforts to claw a top spot in the EV scoreboard. The usual suspects like China, Korea, India, Indonesia and Thailand are already in the marketplace vying for consumers’ attention in terms of charging stations availability and service accessibility. Adding insult to injury is Tesla’s losing its reign as world’s best-selling electric vehicle manufacturer.

Euromonitor International’s findings revealed China was 7th in 2023’s EV Readiness Index, rising 7 places from 2022, attributed to high investments into public charging infrastructure. The economic giant continues to be the largest EV market accounting for 61% of all the sales globally in 2023. It is also home to 1.8 million public charging stations, or about 65% of global supply. 

“China has seen a swift rise in fast charging stations, providing charging power of more than 22kW, which has helped fuel greater consumer confidence in buying an EV,” said Fransua Vytautas Razvadauskas, Insights Manager for Mobility at Euromonitor.

Following closely behind is South Korea which jumped 10 places to rank 8^th. The report also noted new growth opportunities for EV makers in emerging Southeast Asian nations, including Indonesia whose government recently rolled out incentives to boost domestic EV and battery production. Thailand has also stepped up with tax perks boosting EV sales, coupled with the influx of cheap cars from China. 

“Competition in emerging EV market economies is expected to increase, with the Asia Pacific region offering the most opportunities. Despite the infrastructure constraints, EVs will continue to gain market share, benefiting from government incentives, rising consumer incomes and expanding car ownership,” Euromonitor added.

The intelligence firm also highlighted India being one of the fastest growing EV markets in Asia as the country’s sales of electric cars is projected to skyrocket by 50% in 2023. Its government also rolled out a subsidy scheme to ramp up domestic EV manufacturing and attract investments in the sector.

What You Missed:

Tesla Dethroned By BYD As World’s Best Selling EV Maker
Quang Ninh Industrial Zones Face Electricity Shortage
Siemens And Intel To Collaborate On Advanced Semiconductor Manufacturing
Universal Robots Launches 30 Kg Cobot
Charlie Munger, The Man Who Saw BYD’s Potential Passes At 99
LG Energy Solutions And SK On Lay Off Workers As EV Battery Market Slows
Korea Loses Semiconductor Talent Pool To China
Slaughtering Undone, Sam Altman Resumes Chapter
OpenAI Slaughters Its Golden Goose — Sam Altman
Thailand Shaves Subsidies for EVs As Sales Boom

WANT MORE INSIDER NEWS? SUBSCRIBE TO OUR DIGITAL MAGAZINE NOW!

CONNECT WITH US:  LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter

Letter to the Editor
Do you have an opinion about this story? Do you have some thoughts you’d like to share with our readers? APMEN News would love to hear from you!

Email your letter to the Editorial Team at Christellee@epl.com.sg

The post Asia Has Officially Caught Up In The EV Race appeared first on Asia Pacific Metalworking Equipment News | Manufacturing | Automation | Quality Control.

Industrial robots are getting widely adopted these days as they operate at faster speeds than humans leading to increased production rates and throughput along with more accuracy and consistency. So, a significant spike is expected in the global industrial robots market, with overall market value estimates exceeding an astonishing US$220 billion by end of 2033. This significant increase might be propelled by a strong annual growth rate of 18.9% expected during the period between 2023 and 2033.

Automated robots for industries have reached a stage of programmable marvels that are capable of performing a wide range of tasks in manufacturing and other functional areas. Such industrial robots thrive in repetitive, high-volume jobs that are hard, or time-consuming by human employees or labourers.

Such self-performing robots have incredible strength, allowing them to effortlessly move and maneuver large items that guarantee high-quality results in repetitive processes. The major advantage of using industrial robots is their capacity to do dangerous activities reducing possible injury to human workers.

Gaining Momentum With Automation Wave

By the end of the previous fiscal, there were 39,000 cobot installations in total, highlighting the growing need for adaptable automation systems and a trend towards flexible, programmable machines. Cobots are a good example of how robotics are developing since they emphasise their compatibility and collaboration with human employees, and have quickly became prominent as a thriving trend with a stunning growth rate of over 50% in the last few years.

East Asia emerges as the forerunner in this dynamic terrain accounting for more than two-thirds of total sales of industrial arms and robots in the global market. We will explore the critical role that robots play in improving worker safety and operational efficiency across industries in several Asian countries and how a new market for such novel robots is developing in the region.

Read more here https://rb.gy/yragpc

Related Stories:

New Hyundai Motor Group Innovation Center Singapore Set To Transform Production, R&D And Customer Experience
Thailand Shaves Subsidies for EVs As Sales Boom
Embracing Change: Proactive Strategies For Success In The Rapidly Evolving Power Tool Industry
A*Star Launches EV Battery Testing And Disassembly Line
Micron Starts New Assembly And Test Facility In Malaysia
Asia Pacific Metalworking Equipment News At MTA Hanoi 2023
Renaissance Of 3D Metalworking And Its Role In Advancing Technological Frontiers
3D Printing In Construction And Its Impact On The Labour Market
Mastercam Announces New Add-On for Additive Manufacturing
3D Smart Solutions Largest 3D factory In Vietnam Commences Operation

WANT MORE INSIDER NEWS? SUBSCRIBE TO OUR DIGITAL MAGAZINE NOW!

CONNECT WITH US:  LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter

Letter to the Editor
Do you have an opinion about this story? Do you have some thoughts you’d like to share with our readers? APMEN News would love to hear from you!

Email your letter to the Editorial Team at Christellee@epl.com.sg

The post Asia’s Robotic Revolution: Emerging Trends Shaping The Industrial Landscape appeared first on Asia Pacific Metalworking Equipment News | Manufacturing | Automation | Quality Control.

By Gillian Tett, Financial Times

In recent decades, investors have operated on the basis that the global balance of power is shaped by the source — or “prize”, as the writer Daniel Yergin puts it — of oil. Now, however, a new tagline is percolating: computer chips are the 21st century strategic version of the fossil fuel. Or that, at least, is the message being promoted by Pat Gelsinger, Chief Executive Officer of Intel, America’s biggest chipmaker.

“[The location of] oil has defined geopolitics in the past five decades. But fabs [ie fabrication factories for chips] will shape the next five — this is the new geopolitics,” he recently told a conference in Aspen, lamenting that while America initially created the semiconductor industry, 80 percent of production currently sits in Asia. Or as Rob Portman, a Republican senator from Ohio echoed at the same event: “Thirty years ago 37 percent of semiconductors in the world were made in the US . . . today it’s 12 percent and is going the wrong way.”

Is this just special pleading? Certainly in part. Intel has lost ground to its Asian rivals in recent years and has been furiously lobbying Congress to provide US$52 billion of funding to back a bill passed last year to boost American-made chip production. And this week the lobbying paid off: a key Senate committee finally agreed to fund the US$52 billion plan. This will be signed by President Joe Biden “before the August recess”, Mark Warner, the Democrat senator who chairs the Senate intelligence committee said.

This is still only a “skinny chips” bill, as Warner says; in other words, it omits parts of the original legislation. But skinny or not, dollars will flow. Intel, for example, is about to build two US$10 billion fabs in Senator Portman’s district of Ohio, and expects to receive a US$3 billion subsidy for each. Hence why Gelsinger — and Portman — are promoting the chips-are-the-new-oil mantra.

But leaving aside the issues of obvious self-interest, the reality is that this new credo is grounded in fact. That is partly because chips are playing an increasingly crucial role in military hardware. One issue that has hobbled Russia’s ability to replenish its battlefield equipment in recent months, say, is that it has been cut off from chip supply chains by western sanctions. 

Moreover chips — like oil — are increasingly shaping inflation trends: in recent decades, western disinflation was supported by declines in the cost of Asian-produced chips and cheap manufacturing. But now that dynamic has gone into reverse due to supply chain disruptions. Then there is growth. Since almost every modern industrial sector needs a reliable supply of chips, the 2021 supply chain disruptions alone are calculated to have reduced American gross domestic product by US$240 billion that year, Portman says.

And John Cornyn, a Republican senator from Texas, reckons that if America ever lost access to supplies of advanced semiconductor chips in the future “GDP could shrink by 3.2 percent and we could lose 2.4 million jobs” in a single year.

“Over three years, more than US$2 trillion US GDP could be lost, with over 5mn people losing their jobs,” he adds. Hence the growing alarm in Congress — and America’s C-suite — about the fact that almost all advanced chip production is currently located in Taiwan, which is being threatened by a newly assertive China. Or as Warner says: “The vulnerability of Taiwan has been driven home by the invasion of Ukraine.”

This also explains Warner’s frustration that Europe is already racing ahead to subsidise chip production, essentially copying the bill that the US adopted (but did not fund) last year. Intel, for example, has already received commitments of €6.8billion in subsidies from Germany.

“When Brussels and Germany and France move faster than Americans we know we have got problems,” Warner says. Or as Gelsinger adds: “This complex 27-member socialist union . . . is now ahead of the US by a solid six months.”

So will the (belated) funding of the Chips Act become the computing equivalent of America’s shale industry — namely a trigger for more self-sufficiency? Not quickly or easily. It takes at least two years to start a fab. And America lacks the talent base and infrastructure that has enabled Taiwan to dominate.

As a result, Morris Chang, Founder of Taiwan’s dominant TSMC group, says that production in its US TSMC factories costs 50 percent more than in Taiwan. Moreover, while US$52 billion sounds a big number, China is estimated to be giving three times that — or more — in support to its own sector. And the Chips Act caps subsidies at US$3 billion per plant (which typically cost around $10bn), but other countries provide up to 50 percent in help, Gelsinger says. This leaves Warner fretting about a looming “race to the bottom on chip subsidies” between Europe and America — or Asia. Yet, even if it will be tough to shift the supply chain pattern, nobody should doubt that the pendulum is swinging.

Gelsinger is now promoting a target whereby America produces around 30 percent of all chips in the future and Europe some 20 percent (compared, he says, with the current 12 and 8 percent levels, respectively). Under this vision, which is backed by key senators, Asia would account for just 50 percent of all chip production. This bold reform may not be achievable; or not anytime soon. But the message for investors is clear: the geopolitical chip wars could soon turn even more interesting. And they should count themselves lucky that western companies do not depend on Russia for chips.

What You Missed:

Saccade Vision Uses Mems-Based Cameras To Improve Measuring And Quality Control
Order Cancellations Strike, 8-Inch Fab Capacity Utilisation Rate Declines Most In 2H22, Says TrendForce
Struggling Industries’ Bid To Hire Young Talent To Fill Jobs With $80k Salaries
Harvard Scientists Develop A Method To Restore Damaged Tendons And Muscles
Bosch Ready To Spend US$3 Billion To Help Solve Chip Demand
Malaysia’s Manufacturing, Construction, Service Sectors May Recruit Workers From 15 Countries
U.S. Senate Votes To Move Ahead On Chip Bill To Compete With China
3D Printed Bone Grafts To Be Approved For Patients In Europe
Solid State EV Batteries Could Cut Emissions By Up To 39 Percent
GM, Ford Seek U.S. OK To Deploy Self-Driving Vehicles Without Steering Wheels

WANT MORE INSIDER NEWS? SUBSCRIBE TO OUR DIGITAL MAGAZINE NOW!

CONNECT WITH US:  LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter

Letter to the Editor
Do you have an opinion about this story? Do you have some thoughts you’d like to share with our readers? APMEN News would love to hear from you!

Email your letter to the Editorial Team at Christellee@epl.com.sg

The post The Semiconductor Chip Pendulum Is Slowly Swinging West appeared first on Asia Pacific Metalworking Equipment News | Manufacturing | Automation | Quality Control.

While inflation remains a serious economic challenge in Asia, the measures have in many countries helped shield the public from some of the price rises and meant most central banks in the region have not had to raise interest rates as quickly as they have elsewhere.

The various efforts have also shifted some of the cost burdens away from consumers and small businesses largely to government balance sheets.

“We have not seen any weakening in purchasing power,” said Baskoro Santoso, investor relations officer at Indonesian snack maker Mayora Indah (MYOR.JK).

The company has adjusted prices since the second half of last year but has not seen a material hit to business, especially during the Ramadan festive period, he said.

Indonesia, a country with a history of financial volatility and price swings, last week hiked energy subsidies by $24 billion to contain energy costs, having only just lifted a controversial export ban on palm oil. read more

Although many retailers in Southeast Asia’s largest economy have still had to pass on price hikes, household demand remains strong and inflation is within the central bank’s 2-4% target band.

In South Korea, government caps on electricity bills provide a competitive edge for global manufacturers like Samsung Electronics (005930.KS) and Hyundai Motor (005380.KS) and help cushion the hit to households’ disposable incomes.

The caps instead have squeezed state-run power utility Korea Electric Power Corp (015760.KS), which reported a record quarterly loss on sharply higher fuel import costs, increasing the chance of a government capital infusion.

India this month banned wheat exports as a scorching heat wave curtailed output and domestic prices hit record highs. read more

And this week, Malaysia said it would stop exports of 3.6 million chickens monthly from June until prices stabilised. It also runs mechanisms to subsidise fuel and cooking oil. Gareth Leather, senior Asia economist at Capital Economics, said Malaysia’s heavy fuel and transport subsidies have likely knocked about 1.5 percentage points off the country’s inflation, which was just 2.3% in April.

Such intervention in domestic supply is not new for many Asian governments, which are sensitive to public backlash from price hikes, although economic reforms and a stronger focus on fiscal discipline over the past decade have given greater room for market forces.

SHOOTING UPSTREAM

In contrast, Western governments have been reluctant to intervene in production lines to bring down prices of key items such as food and fuel. U.S. and UK inflation has now surged to decade-highs, crimping retailers’ profit and shoppers’ spending power.

Walmart (WMT.N), Target (TGT.N) and Kohl’s (KSS.N) were among major U.S. retailers that reported earnings this month that missed Wall Street expectations by the widest margin in at least five years due to surging inflation. read more

The burden to contain prices in Europe and the United States has mostly been carried by monetary policy, with the U.S., UK and Canadian central banks now engaged in aggressive interest rate hike cycles. read more

That contrasts with a markedly more benign policy outlook in Southeast Asia, where most central banks have only recently commenced a very cautious shift away from extremely low interest rates, with tightening expected to be more gradual than in the West. read more

In Thailand, headline inflation has only just breached the central bank’s target range of 1-3% and the bank’s chief has pledged continued monetary support for the economic recovery. read more

But while that outlook remains broadly supportive for business, many retailers in Thailand still feel the squeeze as customers refuse to accept price increases, a sign policy alone won’t be able to help all sectors.

“It’s the peak of the durian season that you normally make big profits,” said Radavadee Ratanachaiuchukorn, president of fresh fruit exporter Chotakkarasup Co. Ltd, referring to the tropical fruit.

“But because of higher costs, we hardly get a profit margin. This really hurts us… For new orders, we will have to increase the prices or we can’t survive.”

What You Missed:
India Doubles Down On Coal As Heatwave Worsens Power Crisis
A Fully Digital 3D Printed Prosthetic Eye?
ESPRIT Is The Only CAM System You Will Ever Need
Google Cloud Launches New Solutions To Help Manufacturers Unify Their Data And Address Industry-Specific Use Cases
Growth In Usage Of Ethanol Fuel in Automotive Industry Presents Opportunities
From Guiding To Self-Driving
5 Sustainability Concepts Driving The Data Center of the Future In Equinix
Latest Product Launches From BOGE To Hexagon
Lowering Machine Downtime Costs With Mix Reality Technology
The Evolution Of EV Batteries
Schaeffler x NTU Singapore To Expand Research Focusing On Robotics, Mobility, And Industry 4.0

WANT MORE INSIDER NEWS? SUBSCRIBE TO OUR DIGITAL MAGAZINE NOW!

The post Asia’s War On Inflation Targets Supply, Not Consumers appeared first on Asia Pacific Metalworking Equipment News | Manufacturing | Automation | Quality Control.

This investment is fully aligned with the Group’s strategy to develop its Coating Solutions segment with high value-added solutions and reinforce its downstream acrylics activities in Asia. It will enable Arkema to grow its high-performance and solvent-free solutions portfolio for UV curing, marketed under the flagship brand Sartomer®.

This new expansion is scheduled to come on stream in the second half of 2023 and will provide best-in class regional supply to customers in Asia.

In addition to this new production capacity, which will leverage the most recent process and manufacturing standards, the plant aims at carbon-neutral growth thanks to an energy efficiency program, green electricity purchasing and the installation of solar panels.

“We are committed to continuously develop innovative materials and sustainable technologies to meet the robust demand driven by megatrends such as new technologies, clean mobility and urbanization” explains Laurent Peyronneau, Vice-President of Arkema’s Coating Solutions. “This new capacity will enable us to provide our latest innovative photocure resin solutions and tailored services to our customers and partners in Asia.”

WANT MORE INSIDER NEWS? SUBSCRIBE TO OUR DIGITAL MAGAZINE NOW!

The post Arkema To Double Its SARTOMER® Photocure Resins Capacity In Asia appeared first on Asia Pacific Metalworking Equipment News | Manufacturing | Automation | Quality Control.

By Ashwini Balan, Eastern Trade Media

Ms. Serene Sia is the managing director for ASEAN at Autodesk. With over 25 years of experience in sales and leadership in the IT industry, Serene has undertaken multiple key roles in the world’s largest business software companies, including SAP, Salesforce, and now, Autodesk. In 2020, Serene was selected as one of Singapore’s Top 100 Women in Technology, an award that recognises women who have made significant contributions to the tech industry. Serene has a strong track record of delivering outstanding results and building strong teams and as a female leader in the sector, is regularly invited to speak and champion for women in the industry.

The questions that did not make it to print, we are sharing with you exclusively here:

1. What are some of the key benefits of Building Information Modelling (BIM) engineering?

Some of the key benefits of BIM:

• Better collaboration – Research has found that BIM facilitates better communication and reduces conflicts and errors by enabling seamless data exchange between project stakeholders. When COVID-19 hit, BIM helped construction companies to overcome the traditional approaches of exchanging designs drawn on paper between multiple stakeholders during lockdown, helping to minimise project delays and improve efficiency.
• Better outcomes – BIM gives designers a real-time digital picture of our cities and environments and lets us plan, deploy and track success or failure in simulations. BIM can be used to monitor existing city facilities in real time, respond to local conditions, the movement of traffic and residents, essential services, and even environmental data to figure out how to do things better.
• Improved sustainability – BIM can help minimise material wastage, saving costs and optimising resources. It can ensure that all plans and sections, quantities and other related documentation are accessible in live views so that the sustainability metrics of these assets are instantly clear to all. Architects and planners can then work together to ensure that design alternatives can be assessed to identify a greener design. BIM can also factor in elements such as schedules of building material quantities to determine percentages of material reuse, recycling, or salvage, heating and cooling vis-à-vis sunlight and natural air flows, people density and corresponding carbon footprint.

2. Is BIM engineering rather new in Asia?

In Asia, while the AEC industry has been aware of BIM and its benefits for years, the actual usage of the tool varies greatly across countries. For instance, in Indonesia, BIM adoption has been slow, when compared to other countries in the region. This includes Malaysia, where BIM innovation was initiated since 2007 by the Malaysian Public Work Department. In 2011, the Construction Industry Development Board was given the mandate to lead BIM uptake in Malaysia. Similarly, Vietnam has seen strong adoption of BIM, with the government implementing roadmaps and frameworks to drive its use since 2015. In Singapore, the Building and Construction Authority implemented the BIM Roadmap in 2010, with the aim that 80% of the construction industry will use BIM by 2015. This is part of the government’s plan to improve the construction industry’s productivity by 25% over the next decade.

The benefits of BIM are so compelling that many governments have mandated the use of BIM for infrastructure projects within their respective countries. Furthermore, the pandemic has accelerated the adoption of digital tools across the AEC industry. During this period, collaboration between remote employees has become critical and achievable, thanks to digital solutions such as BIM. From the Autodesk perspective, we see a positive outlook in the further adoption of BIM and other digital capabilities in Asia.

3. Was the design and construction process delayed due to covid? How did Autodesk handle the challenges?

While the pandemic did pose some challenges, digitalising the entire building lifecycle allowed the team to continue working on the project. Collaboration tools and information management platforms such as BIM, Autodesk Forge, and Autodesk Construction Cloud enabled relevant stakeholders to collaborate remotely, providing valuable flexibility during the lockdown period. For example, digital construction tools saved TÜV SÜD travel and freewheel process costs in the six-digit range. This was especially helpful to the project team as almost 50% of the TÜV SÜD’s project experts were based in Germany. The ability to operate remotely and efficiently meant that they could save on colocation costs. In the long run, these tools can help to reduce longstanding industry challenges, such as over-reliance on manual labour, and help stakeholders to adapt to new ways of working.

4. Why is it so important to incorporate sustainable practices in architecture, engineering and construction?

Sustainable development is one of the most pressing issues facing our economy. Today, the imperative for the AEC industry to become more sustainable is more telling than ever. From buildings, skyscrapers, to infrastructures – almost everything around us has been developed by organisations within the AEC sector, and as a result, a lot of waste is generated by the sector. In fact, the construction industry alone generates nearly a third of global waste, with volume expected to double by 2025. Additionally, more than half of all extracted raw materials are consumed by the construction industry alone.

In addition to waste, with rapid urbanisation and as more people move to cities, the environment and city infrastructures are getting strained to a breaking point. As our natural resources continue to deplete, the demand for better, smarter, and more sustainable infrastructures and buildings, among others, has to be met more efficiently than ever – but with fewer resources. It is therefore crucial for innovators within the AEC sector to embed sustainable practices, in the path forward to a more resilient and sustainable world. 

For organisations within the sector, achieving sustainability is within reach thanks to the wealth of advanced technologies available today. Tapping into technologies such as BIM, digital twin, and generative design can empower innovators to shape the future of sustainable design. BIM can minimise material wastage, save costs and optimise resources, while digital twin technology can boost predictive capabilities, improve building efficiency, and spur innovation. Generative design, which is a design exploration process, can produce designs that reduce materials used and waste produced. 

For example, we are working with Airbus to help advance its vision of sustainable air travel by applying generative design and 3D printing. The collaboration resulted in a lighter aircraft with an airplane partition design that can save up to 3,180kg of fuel per year per partition. In an industry where less weight equals less fuel consumption, using this approach presents a huge opportunity to reduce the adverse effects of air travel on the environment. The same technologies can be applied across a range of AEC use cases, too. 

With nearly 10 billion people soon to be living on the planet and finite resources that can only stretch so far, designing with a sustainable future is the only way forward. Innovators within the AEC sector have a powerful role to play in this journey. 

5. What makes a good architect in today’s age?

Today’s digital landscape is constantly evolving, and it is important for architects to be able to keep up with the most in-demand skills of the market. The ability to harness the power of digital design visualisation and analysis tools will provide professionals in the architecture industry with the ability to stay ahead of what’s next in the industry. To that end, we are determined to help professionals in the AEC industry adapt, prepare, and keep up with the future of work. Autodesk offers education tools, certifications, and credentialling platforms to enable those in the AEC industry to: 

• Gain the knowledge and skills to create high-quality building and infrastructure designs
• Optimise projects with integrated analysis, visualisation, and simulation tools
• Improve predictability by maximising constructability and project coordination

6. Do you think Asia is keeping up with Autodesk’s revolutionary digital tools and solutions or is very much far behind? 

The adoption of digital tools and solutions varies widely across the region. For instance, in Indonesia, less than half of firms have embarked on a digital transformation journey. In particular, the nation’s construction sector has been slow to adopt technology. Conversely, Singapore was found to be among one of the countries in APAC most prepared for the automation era. Singapore’s construction sector has been embracing technology such as BIM to strengthen its digital competency for years. This is part of the government’s Integrated Digital Delivery (IDD) plan, which aims to improve work processes and stakeholder collaboration with digital technologies.

However, the arrival of COVID-19 has propelled digital transformation and we have seen more countries across the region embracing digital tools. Governments are realising that digital transformation is the key to not only survive the pandemic, but to come out of it ready for the next normal. Indonesia, for example, has developed roadmaps towards becoming a Connected Indonesia and Smart City, which is strongly rooted in digitalisation. The development of infrastructures play a crucial role in these plans, and Autodesk has been collaborating with Waskita Karya, one of the largest state-owned enterprises, in driving the adoption of digital solutions and accelerating several national infrastructure projects to completion. Overall, we have seen tremendous progress in Asia’s digital transformation journey, and we are determined to continue supporting our customers to adapt to new ways of working in an increasingly technology-driven world. 

7. What do you think is holding Asia behind? [Follow-Up Question]

For many countries in Asia, their primary concern with technology adoption or automation is how they will disrupt current roles. Some roles may be made redundant, but studies have shown that technology and automation actually create more jobs and opportunities. In fact, the pandemic has cast automation in a new light – an opportunity for workers to up-level their skills, work alongside automation, and subsequently take on high value-adding tasks. This is particularly the case for sectors like construction, manufacturing, and logistics, which rely on manual labour and were significantly disrupted by the pandemic. 

Some countries in the region recognise the opportunities that lie in automation and digitalisation, and are hence, better prepared for the future of work. This is the case for Singapore, where the government recognises that technology disruption is here to stay and will be the key driver for productivity growth. Singapore is one of the top countries in APAC that is the most well prepared to embrace automation. This is due, in part, to the nation’s capacity to invest in education and support workers’ transition to new roles and industries. 

readiness for automation and support disadvantaged workers, such as those with lower education levels. Having the right infrastructure and skills will enable countries to create new roles, and transition workers into these roles with the adaptability and resilience required. Autodesk aims to continue helping the workforce thrive in this new era of automation. We constantly improve our credentialling and certification programs to give workers the skills they need to succeed. 

FULL ARTICLE AVAILABLE >> https://bit.ly/3DOQPcw

The post Driving Sustainable Progress With Autodesk appeared first on Asia Pacific Metalworking Equipment News | Manufacturing | Automation | Quality Control.

Survey results from initial EV pilot in Singapore found that high costs, lack of charging locations and long waiting times for charging are top barriers hindering Grab driver-partners from adopting EVs. Hence, the enhanced partnership will focus on addressing some of these barriers by piloting new EV business models such as leasing EVs with a battery-as-a-service model or car-as-a-service model, and EV financing. Both parties will also develop a joint EV roadmap to accelerate adoption in Southeast Asia. The pilot programs will start in 2021, beginning in Singapore, and expand to Indonesia and Vietnam.

As part of the roadmap development, the two parties will also conduct an EV feasibility study. The intent is to gain a deeper understanding into the gaps and barriers to wider EV ownership and adoption, then translating the findings from the study into practical ways to further develop the EV ecosystem. These insights will provide governments and ecosystem partners with ideas and best practices on how EV policies can be shaped to better address the day-to-day operational routines of ride-hailing drivers and delivery-partners. This comes at a critical time as last-mile logistics and deliveries continue to experience unprecedented growth, and EVs can play a huge role in reducing carbon emissions from vehicles.

In addition, in line with Hyundai Motor Group’s latest future strategy, both parties will explore collaboration in new business opportunities and technologies such as smart city solutions.

“Hyundai Motor Group and Grab were able to discover the possibility of EV businesses in Southeast Asia through our cooperation from 2018,” said Minsung Kim, Vice President of the Innovation Division at Hyundai Motor Group. “With Grab having the largest driver network in the region and Hyundai’s comprehensive mobility solutions, we are confident that together we can help to increase the adoption of EVs and ultimately reduce carbon emissions throughout the region. Beyond its on-going projects, the Group expects additional cooperation with Grab to be a key driver to lead the mobility market of the future in Southeast Asia.”

Russell Cohen, Group Managing Director of Operations, Grab, said: “While EVs are relatively nascent in Southeast Asia, Grab plans to play a vital role in working with partners and governments to accelerate EV adoption. As government EV policies and incentives are implemented and essential infrastructure like charging stations continue to be built, this partnership will provide insights and best practices on the usage of EVs as part of the day-to-day operations of driver and delivery-partners. For example, we’ve piloted ways to reduce driver-partners’ downtime by enabling them to swap their e-moped batteries at GrabKitchen while they wait to collect food orders. Successful EV adoption is a multi-stakeholder effort, particularly in Southeast Asia, and we’ll continue to leverage our technology and operational leadership to build a fleet for the future.”

For other exclusive articles, visit www.equipment-news.com.

WANT MORE INSIDER NEWS? SUBSCRIBE TO OUR DIGITAL MAGAZINE NOW!

The post Hyundai Motor Group Partners Grab To Accelerate EV Adoption In Southeast Asia appeared first on Asia Pacific Metalworking Equipment News | Manufacturing | Automation | Quality Control.