Smart and Low-Carbon Trends Drive Transformation — Department of Industrial Development Assists Surf

Managing Technology newly purchased domestically made coating machine significantly reduces production electricity consumption and carbon emissions. (Photo courtesy of the Department of Industrial Development)

Managing Technology New Domestic Coating Machine Significantly Reduces Energy Consumption and Carbon Emissions

The surface treatment industry is traditionally a high-energy-consuming sector. To support domestic enterprises in their transition toward low-carbon and intelligent manufacturing, the Department of Industrial Development under the Ministry of Economic Affairs provides resources to assist companies with dual-axis transformation. A prime example is Managing Technology Co., Ltd., a professional surface treatment company based in Changhua. Specializing in P.V.D. vacuum coating technology, Managing Technology focuses on surface treatment for hardware and sanitary fittings. It is the only surface treatment supplier in Taiwan authorized to produce components for a renowned French luxury brand.

In response to the carbon reduction demands of the European luxury supply chain, Managing Technology needed to lower both energy use and carbon emissions. A carbon inventory analysis identified that the high energy consumption stemmed mainly from outdated in-house coating machines. Additionally, the company relied on manual paper-based data entry for on-site management, hindering real-time process optimization and limiting production efficiency improvements.

With support from the Department's lean management and digital operations guidance programs, Managing Technology first established a foundation for smart manufacturing. By applying lean techniques, the company not only improved its production flow but also formed an internal continuous improvement team. Through the implementation of visualized production data management, all manufacturing data is now digitally recorded and analyzed. On-site staff can scan QR codes to instantly view the status of production orders, reducing manual error rates from 5% to 1% and cutting production data analysis time by 96%—from 12 hours per month down to just 0.5 hours. This allows for faster and more accurate decision-making.

Last year (2023), Managing Technology participated in the Ministry of Economic Affairs’ "SME Manufacturing Industry Upgrading and Transformation Subsidy Program." With the support of low-carbon subsidies, the company improved its high-emission processes and purchased domestically made energy-saving coating machines to replace outdated equipment. It also optimized its Manufacturing Execution System (MES) and energy management system. By integrating energy data with the MES system and using anomaly alerts, the company can detect abnormal energy usage and machining issues in real-time. This has resulted in annual savings of approximately 200,000 kWh of electricity, over NT$770,000 in energy costs, and a 75% reduction in production-related carbon emissions—equivalent to about 99 metric tons of CO₂. These efforts help reduce the carbon footprint of product manufacturing for more than 900 domestic and international clients, further securing Managing Technology place in the global green supply chain.

In alignment with the Ministry's "Large Leading Small" initiative, Managing Technology has connected with the local Dingfanpo industrial cluster in Changhua. It has led sanitary hardware and surface treatment companies—including Tai Hong Metal, Di Yang, Han You, Guang Di, Yi Cai, Zhang Chuan, Feng Xin, Hong Lai, Ju Hao, Tong Rui Yi, Qing Han, Wen Sheng Fu, Du Wei, Dao Lin, Qing Lun Chang, and Cheng Yi—in cross-industry collaboration. By using standardized digital data formats and production order information, Managing Technology successfully created real-time supply chain integration. This has strengthened upstream and downstream collaboration, enabled information consistency and immediacy, established a common industry language, and significantly enhanced supply chain resilience and collective prosperity.

The Department of Industrial Development welcomes businesses interested in promoting carbon inventory value-added applications, green manufacturing management, low-carbon technology implementation, lean management field services, or digital operations management guidance to attend the upcoming guidance program briefing session this October (2024). The session will explain how to apply for and implement the initiatives mentioned above. For details, please contact Ms. Huang at ITRI.

Phone: (03)591-5392
Email: [email protected]

Source: Commercial Times