International Metalworking News for Asia

New years are traditionally a time for resolutions, but I am not sure specific resolutions are the way to go. Many companies resolved to travel, attend tradeshows, conferences, visit customers and conduct meetings. Not all of us could have imagined just how impossible those seemingly simple resolutions would be to keep. We certainly had no inkling of how dramatically our world would change in 2020.

As we roll International Metalworking News for Asia’s first issue for 2021, we offer interview profiles and technical articles that can help manufacturing companies who have been forced to rethink their approach to pretty much every aspect of the industry, from marketing to demand to supply chain to delivery. Of course, globalisation is not only about manufacturing and global supply chains – it is increasingly about moving ideas and information around the world.

As countries in South East Asia reopen their economies, how manufacturers can recover and plan for the long-term has been the subject of much focus. Alex Teo Managing Director and VP of Siemens Digital Industries Software for South East Asia discussed how digital industries software helped manufacturers overcome the unforeseen challenges arising from the global health crisis, and Siemens equipped its customers with the tools necessary to be 2021 ready. He also mentioned key technologies powering growth in 2021: digital twins, Big data and IoT, Analytics, Machine Learning and Artificial Intelligence, Smart Automation, Additive Manufacturing and Human-Centered Innovation.

Tommy Yu, Marketing Director (Asia) of Hypertherm shared lessons we can learn from post-coronavirus world, what the company is offering, and the future of manufacturing in South East Asia. By adopting new solutions and technologies, businesses can better utilise this unique season to boost production efficiencies, automate processes, and prepare themselves to meet pent-up demand when the market resumes normalcy. Manufacturers in South East Asia will need to become more digitally savvy and innovate in order to achieve growth and future-proof their businesses in today’s fast-changing business environment. In addition, they may also need to optimise their processes in order to stay competitive, even as their needs continue to evolve.

Metal cutting is an exact science, which requires subtle variations in process to achieve the best results with each material. But, we are living in far from exact times, and analysts predict that industry must prepare for market unpredictability or a “new normal” created by the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Here, Rolf Olofsson, product manager at Sandvik Coromant, explains how the turning process should differ according to the material, and how this can help manufacturers’ fully-embrace the uncertain times ahead.

Beyond the three stories mentioned, nearly every piece of content in this issue is about finding new ways forward. Despite the challenges we are facing, 2021 is a fresh start and acts as a reminder that we must keep moving forward.