Thong Guan Industry and LH Plus are among the most prestige brands in Malaysia that moved into Industry 4.0 (i4.0) at the very early stage. Directors from the two companies – Mr. Callum Chen and Mr. Alvin Ang are on the stage to share their experiences in the process of adopting i4.0 at the In.Tech Conference in Kuala Lumpur.
The session is moderated by Heislyc Loh, the Founder of Devs Asia.
Mr. Callum Chen advises players to adopt i4.0 in stages while Mr. Alvin Ang asked the audiences to be rational about the investment. “Because i4.0 is a marathon that you might not see the result immediately. Adopt it at your own pace, but you have to start somewhere,” said one of the Kings.
LH Plus recently moved into the medical sector, which is well known for having a high requirement for the products. The company invested in cloud computing and precise measurement machinery that run 24/7 and send real-time data to the administrators.
Meanwhile, Thong Guan is using sensors to ensure the quality consistency in its stretch film, from the beginning to the end of the roll, in every roll. “We also receive a real-time report on the product performance even after it has been delivered to customer’s place,” Mr. Ang said.
When asked one of the biggest set back the two companies faced when implementing i4.0, both Kings agreed that labor knowledge remains the biggest issue here. “We invested heavily in training our technicians to handle new technology. I4.0 has a bigger chance of success when the employees are well trained,” Mr. Callum Chen added.
The Kings noted that the stability of the utility supply including electricity and water is the must before any company decides to go into i4.0. "There is no point to implement advanced machinery and robotic if your plant is not having a stable source of power supply," one of the Kings said.
The Kings plan to work closely with the Malaysian Education Ministry to introduce knowledge intensive programs in the technical and vocational training program to produce higher quality labor force.