Taiwan's leading machine-tool makers are speeding expansion plans to get ready for H2 of this year, which they forecast to be brisker than in H1 due to recovering global economy and increasing demand for automation systems.
Chairman of the Taiwan Machine Tool & Accessory Builders' Association, Eric Chuo, says that the island's machine tool makers have so far received ample orders, particularly those capable of making high-performance, combination, and turnkey equipment.
He feels the island's machine-tool industry will likely see stronger sales in H2 of this year than in H1 as well as year-on-year.
Chuo's company, Hiwin Technologies Co., the world's No.2 maker of ball screws, will start expansion by the end of this year at the Taichung City Precision Machinery Innovation Technology Park and the Chiayi Dapumei Intelligent Industrial Park. Also, it has completed the expansion of its Chinese plant in Suzhou and is applying for construction permit. The company has invested around NT$7 billion (US$233.3 million) in expansions in the last three years.
Goodway Machine Corp. Chairman D.H. Yang says that his company will begin constructing a factory at the Chiayi Dapumei Intelligent Industrial Park in Q3 this year to build high-end five-axis machining centers and heavy-duty double-column machining centers, with initial spending of around NT$600 million (US$20 million). Its Chinese factory in Wujian, Jiangsu Province is scheduled for volume production in October 2014.
The company still has NT$2.3 billion (US$76.6 million) of unfilled orders and orders fully booked throughout Q2, with order visibility extended to Q4.
Industry executives predict the company's consolidated revenue at NT$7.5-8 billion (US$250-266 million) for this year and NT$10 billion (US$333 million) for 2015.
Kao Fong Machinery Co., Ltd. began building a factory at the third-phase development site of the Central Taiwan Science Park early this year to make heavy-duty double-column machining centers, five-face machining centers and five-axis machining centers, with volume production slated for February 2015.
Kao Fong has restarted marketing in the Americas with high-end machines for production lines. The company has signed on a new dealer in the United States, which has ordered 15 vertical, horizontal and double-column machine tools priced at over NT$60 million (US$2 million). (KL)
