High-speed, ultra-high-precision machine tools were spotlighted at the 2003 Taipei International Machine Tool Show (TIMTOS), which wound up on March 23 at the Taipei World Trade Center (TWTC). President Chen Shui-bian spoke at the show on the current state of, and development prospects for, the machine-tool industry in Taiwan.

The biennial show is organized by the semi-official China External Trade Development Council (CETRA), Taiwan Association of Machinery Industry (TAMI), and Taiwan Machine Tool Foundation (TMTF).

In the face the global economic slowdown, some local manufacturers appealed to President Chen for government help in pulling the industry out of its current difficulties. They specifically asked for increased government spending on domestically made precision machine tools to sustain the long-term development of the industry.

President Chen promised domestic manufacturers that the government will accelerate efforts to develop a special industrial zone for precision-machinery manufacturers in Taichung.


Climbing


Taiwan was the world's sixth-largest producer of machine tools and fifth-largest exporter of machine tools last year, according to Gardner Publications, which follows the global machine-tool industry. Taiwan produced US$1.75 billion worth of machine tools last year to rise one spot on the global rankings compared with 2001.

According to statistics compiled by the TMTF, Taiwan exported US$1.05 billion and US$390 million worth of metal-cutting and metal-forming machine tools last year, up 3% and 17%, respectively, from the previous year.

Exports of stamping, pressing and shearing machines surged by 20% last year, while overseas shipments of other kinds of metal-forming machines grew by 8%.



Exports of electric-discharge machines and machining centers declined by 5% and 1%, respectively, last year, while modest gains were posted in other metal-cutter categories.

Taiwan imported US$704 million worth of machine tools last year, down 17% from the previous year. TMTF managing director C.C. Wang attributes the decline to the sluggish demand for sophisticated foreign-made machine tools used in the local semiconductor and high-tech industries.

Taiwan imported US$476 million worth of non-conventional machine tools last year, down 15% from the previous year. However, such machines still accounted for 86% of the island's overall imports of machine tools.

Wang says that imports of some conventional metal-cutting machines, including milling machines, grinding machines and gear-making machines, suffered sharp declines last year, while imports of stamping, pressing and shearing machines slipped by 3%. Imports of other kinds of metal-forming machine declined by 42%, he reports.

The robust development of the domestic machine-tool industry owes much to the fast growth of the electronic and information-technology industries. The industry's growth has also helped the local automobile and motorcycle, mold and die, and 3C (computer, consumer electronics, and communications) industries elevate their product quality.



In addition to developing large-sized machining centers, some domestic manufacturers have also made significant headway in designing computerized numerically controlled (CNC) lathes and drilling machines to process metal parts for automobiles and motorcycles.


Faster and Better


At the six-day TIMTOS, many Taiwanese manufacturers debuted cutting-edge technologies and innovative products, including high-speed machine tools with spindle speeds of over 12,000 rpm and transmission speeds of 36 to 48 meters per minute, ultra-high-precision machine tools, machine tools for complex cutting and milling jobs, and sophisticated software for high-speed and high-precision mold processing.

One of the world's three largest machine-tool shows, TIMTOS this year attracted 535 exhibitors, including 95 from abroad, mainly from Western Europe, the U.S. and Japan. They occupied 2,020 booths sprawled over more than 33,000 square meters at the two main halls of the TWTC.

The major exhibit themes were CNC lathes, machining centers, CNC milling machines, CNC grinding machines, CNC electric-discharge machines, laser equipment, flexible manufacturing cells, CNC controllers, fully automated stamping and pressing machines, key components for precision machines, and testing and inspection equipment. The show attracted over 50,000 visitors, 4,000 of whom came from abroad.

The U.S., Germany, Britain, Japan and Switzerland all sent exhibitors to the show. Switzerland organized a national pavilion composed of 58 booths highlighting the products of 40 Swiss firms.



To encourage the development of precision-machinery technology, the organizers of TIMTOS held an "Outstanding Machine Tool Award" competition for local enterprises. This year's first prize went to Awea Mechantronic Co. for its LG-series gantry-type five-axis double-column machining center. Other prize winners were Yeong Chin Machinery Industries Co., She Hong Industrial Co., Quaser Machine Tools Inc., Victor Taichung Machinery Works Co., Far East Machinery Co., and Goodway Machinery Corp.


Roll Call of Top Performers


The ISO9001- and ISO14001-certified Awea says its award-winning machine has a table-loading capacity of 2,500 kilograms per square meter and features twin ball screws and double servomotors to drive the moving gantry travel. Two sets of THK heavy-duty linear guideways support the X-axis to guarantee high accuracy for long-term operations. The machine is equipped with a Selca S4045D CNC controller and a protected 20-tool drum-type changer located in the rear of the working table.

Awea vice president Luke Wang says his company obtained five orders for the machine from domestic buyers and is still negotiating several deals with foreign customers.

The company plans to spend US$1.7 million to build a factory, warehouse, and service center in mainland China. "One of the most promising markets in the sector in the next few years is mainland China cannot," Wang says. "In addition to developing more sophisticated machines in Taiwan, we also plan to open a production facility in mainland to help us lower costs and elevate our international competitiveness."

She Hong also displayed a five-axis machining center at the show. The Taiwanese company has sold machines to leading aerospace companies, including Boeing and Airbus.

The company says the aerospace industry has a particular need for five-axis machining centers. "Many aerospace parts are rounded and have to be processed with machine heads that are able to rotate and reach difficult positions. This is impossible with other types of equipment," says Daniel Lu, a She Hong sales representative.

She Hong has more than 400 employees and has been in the machine-making business for over 37 years.

Sun Firm Machinery Ind. Co. displayed a series of CNC lathes with X- and Y-axes supported by precision ballscrews and mounted on 60-degree high-precision bearings. The company's CNC lathes feature a one-piece box-type machine base made of Meehanite castings, hardened and ground bedways delivering sturdy and durable performance, and induction hardened cross slideways coated with turcite-B.

After merging with San Shing Industrial Co., one of Taiwan's oldest and most reputable manufacturers of machine tools, Sun Firm has become a leading manufacturer of heavy-duty CNC lathes and high-speed lathes. It is the only manufacturer in Taiwan that offers made-to-order services for large CNC lathes to meet the diverse demands of customers around the world.


Drilling Machines Also Draw Crowds


Drilling machines also attracted the attention of foreign buyers at the show. The major types of drilling machines made in Taiwan are vertical and horizontal drilling machines, bench-type drilling machines, radial-drilling machines, multi-spindle drilling machines, complex drilling/milling machines, complex drilling/tapping machines, and turret center drilling machines.

A domestic manufacturer of turret center drilling machines boasts his company has recently developed a high-speed machine featuring a lightning fast 0.2-second tool-change speed.


PC Powered


Several CNC manufacturers touted drilling machine with price-competitive operating systems based on the Windows CE and Linux operating systems. One such manufacturer, Shang Nong Industry Co., has developed a Windows-based OS for its drilling and tapping machines. The company displayed the unit at this year's TIMTOS, attracting broad attention from foreign buyers.

"Taiwan's machine-tool manufacturers have relied heavily on Japanese CNC-system brands, such as Fanuc and Mitsubishi," comments Peter Y.H. Wang, managing director of Shang Nong. "Our efforts to develop localized PC-based control systems will help us meet the demand of our U.S. customers for easy operation."

Wang says Taiwan has the strong computer and information-technology industries needed to support the development of PC-based CNC control devices. "Thanks to the efforts of both our government and private sectors over the past several years, the time is ripe to develop home-made CNC control systems," he states.

Though Shang Nong has sold its products under the "Shang Nong" brand for four decades, it rolled out the "Snico" brand at the beginning of last year to strengthen its position in the high-end automated-machinery market.

Among Shang Nong's export markets are the U.S., mainland China, Japan, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, and India. Wang believes India, the world's top producer of motorcycles, is a very promising market for metal-cutting machine tools such as CNC lathes and CNC drilling/tapping machines.

In May last year, Shang Nong delivered five CNC drilling/tapping machines to India, to be used in the assembly of "Hero-Honda" motorcycles. Wang says India's three most important manufacturing centers--New Delhi, Bombay, and Bangalore--are the most promising markets for Taiwan-produced CNC machine tools.



Most of the machines exported by Shang Nong to the U.S. are made on an original design manufacturer (ODM) basis, while those destined for Japan are mostly produced on an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) basis.

The company is now working with Taiwan's semi-official Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI) and National Chung Cheng University on the development of a hybrid CNC drilling/tapping machine, for which a prototype is expected sometime in the second quarter of this year.

Shang Nong is currently seeking business partners to invest in mainland China. "We are also seeking cooperation ventures with mainland control-system software specialists to help us develop automated drilling machines suited to the needs of the market there," Wang says.

The company will soon apply for ISO9002 certification.


More PC Power


Tong Tai Machine & Tool Co. has also adopted a PC-based control system on its high-speed drilling machines for the 3C industry.

Tong Tai uses domestically made servomotors and drive systems on its CNC machines. The servomotor was developed by Taiwan's Teco Electric & Machinery Co. with Japanese technological support, and the drive system was co-developed by the island's Micro Trend Automation and Pou Yuen Technology Corp.


Pressing Ahead


Founded four decades ago, Shieh Yih Machinery Industry Co. displayed link-driven high-speed straight-side presses at the showground. These machines were developed about four years ago under a project sponsored by Taiwan's Ministry of Economic Affairs.

A winner of the prestigious local Symbol of Excellence award, Shieh Yih's link-driven high-speed straight-side presses are designed to meet the special needs of manufacturers of metal products used in 3C industries.

The company's SM2 series of link-driven high-speed straight-side presses feature high precision and rigid structures, low forming speed, and a unique dynamic-balance system.

Conventional C-type presses account for over 80% of the company's total output, with the remainder made up of straight-side presses and hydraulic machines, machine parts, and machinery repair and maintenance services.

The high precision, rigid structure, and dynamic-balance system used in the company's link-driven high-speed straight-side presses reduce vibration and noise. Their touch-screen panels automatically monitor and display possible breakdown conditions.

"These machines require only minimal regular maintenance," says Andy Tsai, spokesman of the company. "They feature a programmable-logic control system to ensure longer mold and die life."

Priced from US$200,000 to US$235,000 each, the presses are targeted at 3C spare-parts makers. The company has positioned itself as a manufacturer of top-quality machinery, and rolls out two or three units per month.