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The Manufacturing Outlook: Specials Magazine
Fauzi Baharin is recognized for his attention to detail and precision in the handling and manipulation of manufacturing processes. With a proven track record of expert communication, he has successfully collaborated with various teams, including Technical Service & Development, Commercial, Design, Engineering, Supply Chain, Quality Assurance, and Operations. He has established standards that have reduced costs, enhanced efficiency, improved production methods and simplified equipment and part needs. In his role, he provides strong support in cultivating an environment that encourages problem-solving and critical thinking, identifying solutions to complex problems Through this article, Fauzi shares his insights on the shift from traditional maintenance practices to the implementation of Autonomous Maintenance (AM) within manufacturing environments. Isn’t it normal for production operators or front-line workers to solely depend on maintenance or engineering technicians to resolve and rectify any equipment breakdown or minor repairs? That is not happening now as most manufacturing companies are moving towards Autonomous Maintenance (AM). Autonomous Maintenance (AM) is a concept within Total Productive Maintenance (TPM) which is a methodology focusing on maximizing the productivity of manufacturing equipment. Autonomous maintenance refers to the practice of empowering operators or front-line workers to take ownership of the maintenance and minor repairs of the equipment.
CNC Machining
WONTAE
Integrated Engineering Framework for Advanced Die Casting
Mr.Jinwon Ro, CEO & President of Wontae
How does WONTAE integrate mold design and casting parameters into a single system? WONTAE operates through a closed-loop engineering model that integrates mold design, die casting, post-processing and quality data within a single engineering system. Rather than functioning as separate stages, mold structure, gate and runner layout, cooling circuits, vacuum configuration and injection parameters are engineered together from the outset. Before production begins, CAE-based flow and solidification analysis validate both mold design and casting conditions. By engineering and verifying these elements together, WONTAE consistently achieves OEM tolerances at the ±0.05 to 0.1 mm level and shortens the mass production stabilization phase after SOP. “WONTAE approaches die casting not as a 'casting technology' but as system engineering,” says H.S. Yoon, VP-Head of Sales and Purchasing. Structured Control across Production How are process control and quality planning embedded early in die casting production? What differentiates WONTAE is how early it builds control into the process. During mold development, the team uses flow and solidification analysis to determine gate location, filling speed and injection rates before a single part is cast. This reduces porosity by 30 to 50 percent and consistently delivers process capability levels of Cpk 1.67 or higher. Once production begins, automated die-casting equipment continuously monitors injection speed, mold temperature and vacuum pressure in real time, minimizing lot-to-lot variations. The integration continues through Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP) based alignment of Design Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (DFMEA), Process Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (PFMEA) and Control Plans from the mold design stage. Mold trials, casting conditions and inspection data are managed in a single database. When abnormalities surface in mass production, engineers can adjust mold structure and process parameters within the same control system. This reduces rework, limits disruptive post-SOP changes and prevents minor deviations from escalating into systemic failures..
Top Smart Factory Solution in Apac 2026
GST is a leading force in South Korea’s smart manufacturing landscape, transforming factory floors into intelligent ecosystems powered by real-time data, adaptability, and autonomy. Founded in 2008, the company has developed a platform that enables manufacturing sites to transition from automation to self-directed, data-driven operations. What role does GST play in enabling autonomous, data-driven manufacturing operations at scale? With more than 200 smart factory deployments across the semiconductor, chemical, shipbuilding, biotechnology, and precision manufacturing industries, GST has demonstrated repeatable success at scale. The company has played a central role in national smart factory initiatives, government-backed AI manufacturing projects, and consortium-led innovation programs, reinforcing its position as a long-term ecosystem partner rather than a single-use solution provider. “Our approach is based on the belief that modern factories must move beyond automation and toward true autonomous decision making,” says Juncheol Oh, CEO of GST. Which core principles define how GST’s platform drives real-time autonomy on factory floors? This vision translates into three core principles that guide GST’s platform. The foremost is real-time data intensity. GST collects high-frequency data from production equipment and environmental sensors with minimal latency, interprets it via edge computing and sensor fusion on-site and enables immediate, context-aware decisions instead of delayed, post-hoc analysis. The next is adaptive intelligence. Rather than relying on static rules, GST’s AI models continuously learn from operational data. Predictive maintenance, quality anomaly detection, and process optimization evolve in real time as conditions change, allowing factories to shift from reactive responses to proactive, self-optimizing control that improves overall equipment effectiveness. Then comes open modularity. GST designed its platform to integrate seamlessly with both legacy equipment and modern industrial systems. Delivered through API-based microservices, functions can be introduced incrementally, allowing manufacturers to modernize without large-scale system overhauls. How does GST’s PLUSWIN 6 platform unify manufacturing systems into a single operational environment? These principles are fully realized in PLUSWIN 6, Korea’s first integrated cloud-based smart manufacturing platform purpose-built for small and medium-sized manufacturers. PLUSWIN 6 unifies ERP, MES, APS, QMS, WMS, FEMS, AI analytics, edge computing, and manufacturing big data management into a single operational environment, enabling real-time visibility and coordinated decision-making across production, quality, logistics, and energy. What measurable performance improvements has GST delivered across real-world smart factory deployments? Proven Impact across Diverse Environments GST’s impact is clearest at the factory floor. In a large-scale injection molding operation producing high-precision electronic components, minor temperature and pressure fluctuations resulted in a defect rate of 4.5 percent, with response times exceeding 30 minutes. After deploying GST’s platform, the factory began collecting data from 48 sensors per machine and applying AI models at the edge. The system predicted defects up to five minutes in advance with 98 percent accuracy. Defect rates fell by 73 percent, response time dropped to two minutes, and throughput increased by approximately 15 percent.
Fine Ceramics Manufacturer
Electric vehicles, semiconductors, and next-generation manufacturing may seem like distinct sectors, but they share a critical foundation: the need for high-performance materials. Nippon Tungsten is at the heart of this convergence, a company that has been quietly transforming the material sciences landscape for nearly a century. As global competition intensifies, industries seek ways to enhance factory productivity and efficiency. To meet this demand, companies need durable, high-performing, and reliable materials customized for specific applications. Nippon Tungsten addresses these needs by leveraging its deep expertise in powder metallurgy, ensuring superior material performance across diverse industries. Founded on innovation in tungsten filament technology, Nippon Tungsten has continually expanded its capabilities— introducing ultra-conductive tungsten copper, high-strength tungsten carbide, and specialized ceramics now integral to mission-critical systems. Each new development reflects the company’s enduring commitment to pushing the boundaries of what advanced materials can achieve. “Our expertise goes beyond fine ceramics. Decades of research in powder metallurgy have allowed us to develop materials with exceptional durability and performance,” says Shinji Goto, President of Nippon Tungsten. A Key Player in Hard Disk Drive (HDD) Manufacturing When it comes to data storage, the performance of hard disk drives (HDDs) hinges on the quality of their components. Nippon Tungsten has been at the forefront of this domain, delivering advanced materials that enhance the durability and precision of HDDs. A standout innovation from Nippon Tungsten is its hard disk magnetic head substrate, crafted from a composite of alumina and titanium carbide (TiC). Initially developed for cutting tools, this material was later optimized for the HDD industry, offering exceptional wear resistance and stability. During the industry’s shift from bulk head to thin ceramic substrate in the 1970s—a transition paralleling semiconductor manufacturing techniques—Nippon Tungsten’s material was recognized for its superior properties, establishing the company as a key supplier.
Digital Manufacturing Solutions
The manufacturing landscape is evolving at an unprecedented pace, fueled by innovation, intelligence and integration. Leading this new wave of smart manufacturing is ViTrox Corporation, whose V-ONE Manufacturing Intelligence Solutions are helping industries move confidently toward the connected, intelligent future of Industry 5.0. Integrating IoT, digitalization, data analytics, AI, manufacturing execution system (MES) and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) within a single, cohesive ecosystem, it enables manufacturers to monitor, analyze and optimize every process. V-ONE’s brand-agnostic connectivity allows clients to consolidate data, track job statuses and measure cycle times across machines from any equipment brand. ViTrox’s subject matter expertise and operational credibility underpin it all. As an experienced manufacturer in discrete sectors like back-end semiconductor and SMT PCB assembly, the company applies deep operational expertise to solve real-world problems using AI and image analytics. “Clients often call ViTrox their ‘most strategic partner in growth,’ not just for what the platform delivers, but for the effortless precision with which it executes,” says Wee Kah Khim, CEO of ViTrox’s Board Inspection and Embedded System. At the core of V-ONE lies the ProAct layer, a convergence of real-time AI intelligence and automated defect management that transforms raw machine data into actionable insight. Complementing this is the platform’s ONE View and intelligent Control Tower, which consolidates inspection data from multiple stages like SPI, AOI and AXI, giving manufacturers a complete, 360-degree perspective of their operations. Process Insight takes this a step further, enabling one-click tracking across machines, automatic alerts and even self-healing workflows. The result is faster identification and resolution of defects, an 83 percent reduction in root-cause analysis time and significant improvements in yield and throughput.
Industrial Lasers
Lean Manufacturing and Automation in Footwear Industry
Ari Wibowo, Lean and Advanced Manufacturing Senior Manager, New Balance
Industrial Services
Accelerating Solution Development
Erik Looi, Chief Digital Officer (CDO), Alliance Contract Manufacturing Sdn Bhd
CNC Machining
Digitalization is the Key to Sustainable Manufacturing
Dr. Demet Karaali, Director / Head of IT - Product Development & Production, Daimler Trucks Asia
Contract Manufacturing
AI at the Core of Sustainability
Daniel Kebriti, ANZ Manufacturing Director/APAC Strategy Lead, LUSH Fresh Handmade Cosmetics Australia and New Zealand
CNC Machining
The Mindsets That Drive Effective Brand Advocacy
Liu Shu, Senior Human Resources Business Partner, Jaguar Land Rover China
IN MY OPINION
CNC Machining
Surviving the AI Rat Race
Andreas Kurz, Global Head of Digital Transformation, ALFAGOMMA Group
LAST WORD
CNC Machining
Redefining Market Research in the AI Era
Dewi Fitriyati, Head of Business Development, PT. KATOLEC INDONESIA
IN FOCUS
Sustainable Value Creation in APAC Die-Casting Manufacturing Ecosystems
APAC die-casting production solutions are maturing through integration, resilience, and disciplined innovation, enabling sustainable value creation across regional manufacturing ecosystems.
EDITORIAL
Redefining Manufacturing Excellence in the APAC Region
Manufacturing across the APAC region continues to evolve in a landscape where operational precision, digitalization, and sustainability are central to long-term competitiveness. In this edition of Manufacturing Outlook APAC, we examine how manufacturers are strengthening production systems, integrating digital technologies and refining engineering processes to improve reliability, efficiency and environmental performance.
WONTAE is recognized as the Top Die-Casting Production Solution in APAC 2026 for its integrated engineering approach to die-casting manufacturing. The company operates through a closed-loop framework that connects mold design, casting operations, post-processing and quality data within a single engineering system, enabling design parameters and production conditions to be engineered simultaneously rather than sequentially. By addressing defects at the system level rather than at final inspection, WONTAE has positioned engineering discipline as a decisive factor in maintaining long-term manufacturing stability.
Industry leaders in this issue highlight how digital transformation is redefining manufacturing performance. Dr. Demet Karaali, Director / Head of IT - Product Development & Production at Daimler Trucks Asia, discusses how technologies such as IoT, AI, blockchain and digital twins are enabling manufacturers to reduce waste, optimize resources and strengthen sustainability across operations.
Complementing this perspective, Daniel Kebriti, ANZ Manufacturing Director and APAC Strategy Lead at LUSH Fresh Handmade Cosmetics Australia and New Zealand, explains how AI-driven analytics, predictive maintenance and data-based energy management are enabling manufacturers to shift sustainability initiatives from compliance-driven reporting toward proactive operational improvement.
As the manufacturing sector evolves, success will increasingly depend on companies that combine engineering rigor, digital capability and operational accountability. We invite our readers to explore this edition and engage with the leaders shaping the next phase of manufacturing transformation across APAC.
