From June 19th to 22nd, 2024, the Manufacturing Expo 2024, the largest manufacturing machinery and technology exhibition in ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations), was held in Bangkok, Thailand. We had just finished exhibiting at FOOMA JAPAN 2024, which was held at Tokyo Big Sight from June 4th to 7th, so we had no time to rest from overseas exhibitions, but the insulation jackets that we are focusing on were well received and we were able to bring back great results.
"Manufacturing Expo" is ASEAN's largest machinery and technology exhibition for the manufacturing industry.
The Manufacturing Expo is one of the largest exhibitions specializing in machinery and technology for the manufacturing industry in ASEAN, an economic bloc consisting of 10 Southeast Asian countries. It is held every year as a comprehensive exhibition on industrial equipment for food, automobiles, etc.
Reference: Manufacturing Expo official website
The venue was BITEC (Bangkok International Trade and Exhibition Center) in Bangkok, Thailand. Our company has exhibited at international exhibitions held at this venue twice in the past.
reference:
- Current status of plastic processing sites (3) Demand for insulation jackets in the Southeast Asian market
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First overseas exhibit at PROPAK ASIA 2022, aiming to establish a new base in Thailand
This was our first time exhibiting at the Manufacturing Expo. The three of us who took on the challenge were Matsumoto, the head of the sales division, Saito, who is in charge of overseas business, and Jasper, a Dutch exchange student working at our company as an intern.
This was our first time exhibiting at the Manufacturing Expo. The three of us who took on the challenge were Matsumoto, the head of the sales division, Saito, who is in charge of overseas business, and Jasper, a Dutch exchange student working at our company as an intern.
Exhibited in an adjacent area between the mold and injection molding zones, heat insulation jackets attract interest
The Manufacturing Expo was a comprehensive technology exhibition for the manufacturing industry, and the venue was divided into zones based on the industry. Our company had a booth in the Automotive Zone, which specializes in the automotive industry. Companies mainly involved in the manufacture of automotive parts were exhibiting in the same zone.
At this exhibition, we mainly exhibited the insulation jackets for injection molding machines that we have developed and started selling, container jacket heaters for IBCs, and piping heaters made from silicone rubber.
Our booth location was fortunate. The Automotive Zone was next to the Mold Zone and the Injection Molding Zone, which were lined up side by side. These three industrial sectors are closely related, so people who came for the Mold Zone also wanted to look at the Automotive Zone and the Injection Molding Zone, and people who came for the Injection Molding Zone also wanted to look at the Automotive Zone and the Mold Zone, so there was a constant stream of people coming from both zones. There were no companies dealing with heaters in the Automotive Zone, so people who were interested in heat-related products flocked to our booth.
The visitors were interested in the heat insulation jackets. Our heat insulation jackets are a product designed to reduce heat emission from the cylinder part of injection molding machines.
In addition to the auto parts companies, visitors to the adjacent injection molding booth were also interested in the jacket and listened to the explanation given through an interpreter. The magnetically attached temperature sensor used in conjunction with the insulation jacket also attracted attention.
Visitors unanimously commented that the heat insulating jackets are ideal for reducing electricity costs, as they are used to heat and melt the resin that is essential for injection molding machines. Electricity in Southeast Asia is more expensive than in Japan, suggesting that there is a high demand from parts manufacturing sites for the operation of injection molding machines with reduced electricity costs.
Visitors from the mold zone also seemed to be conscious of improving the work environment due to the heat generated during processing, and showed interest in the insulation jackets in hopes of gaining some hints for improvement.
There was also a lot of interest in pipe heaters and related products. The mold, injection molding, and automotive industries all make extensive use of industrial machinery that incorporates pipes. Therefore, heaters that can be attached to or wrapped around pipes were a source of great interest. Among these, the silicone spiral heater and silicone sponge were particularly popular, and many people were also interested in KINZO , a sponge product that can be used for metal detection.
We were also impressed by the IBC jacket heater. At FOOMA JAPAN 2024, we exhibited a flat-plate heater, but this time we exhibited a strip-shaped jacket heater.
**Jacket type IBC heater**
They seemed to find it interesting, perhaps because it is a product that is not often seen. IBCs are international standard containers for transporting liquids and are widely used in Southeast Asia. It was a good opportunity to show that the IBC jacket heater we exhibited is useful for transporting liquids while maintaining their liquid state.
Anyway, we were blessed with a favorable booth placement, so we were very busy serving visitors throughout the event.
Realizing that "Made in Japan" products are in demand in the automobile manufacturing sector in Southeast Asia
Upon returning home, I reflected on the results of the exhibition.
The first topic was the vitality of the automobile industry in Southeast Asia and the challenges it faces. Although the number of automobiles produced in Southeast Asia has been on a downward trend over the past six months, it has shown a stable trend.
From what I saw at the exhibition, I felt that unless local manufacturing sites start to manufacture products at lower costs, they will not be able to gain an advantage over other companies. The reason behind this is the high cost of electricity in Southeast Asia. Electricity prices are soaring in Thailand and Vietnam due to the year-round hot climate and increasing demand for electricity.
Reference: Energy situation in Southeast Asia (Agency for Natural Resources and Energy)
In this situation, being able to introduce the insulation jacket for injection molding machines as a product that helps reduce costs such as electricity bills was a major success for us at the exhibition.
When it came to plumbing heaters, I felt there was a demand for products made in Japan. There was growing dissatisfaction with cheap products made in other countries, such as initial defects and breakdowns, so there was a lot of interest in high-quality Japanese products.
Reference: Advice from a sales representative! Be careful about safety when buying imported heaters
There is a demand for heater products in manufacturing sites in Southeast Asia, and through this exhibition we have gained confidence and a positive response that we can meet that demand. We would like to focus on expanding our business in Southeast Asia by highlighting the high quality of our Made in Japan products.
