In Thailand, IBUKI INDUSTRIAL (THAILAND) is the distributing agent of KOMATSU's press machines such as servo presses, twisters, press brakes, and plasma processing machines, and sheet metal machines. At the KOMATSU INDUSTRIES (Thailand) showroom in Amata City, we asked Chairman Nobutaka Matsuda of the company and GM Yokomaku of IBUKI INDUSTRIAL to talk about the strengths of KOMATSU products.
▲ Chairman Matsuda (right) and GM Yokomaku (left)
— Please tell us about the history of IBUKI INDUSTRIAL as a distributing agent.
Matsuda：KOMATSU INDUSTRIES ' press machines were first sold more than 90 years ago. It was around 1972 that small and medium-sized press machines were launched. At that time, we introduced a distributing agency system to expand sales of press machines throughout Japan. Currently, there are just under 40 distributors in Japan and 12 distributors in Asia, and among them, IBUKI INDUSTRIAL is the oldest distributor. We have been doing business together for over 40 years, and the company has always been a top performer. Mr. Yokomaku and I have known each other for over 30 years. It has been more than 30 years since I joined KOMATSU INDUSTRIES, and Mr. Yokomaku is now a senior at the company.
Yokomaku：Mr. Matsuda was a press machines sales person in Osaka guiding customers to the showroom, and I was working as a sales engineer.
— Please tell us about the future outlook for KOMATSU INDUSTRIES, as the Thai economy is suffering a depression due to the impact of the new coronavirus.
Matsuda：Many companies are tightening down their capital investment due to the coronavirus pandemic. However, since October 2020, the automobile industry has recovered to 70-80%. The air-conditioning industry was less effected compared to the automobiles. Actually, it is very busy right now. Air conditioners are a promising market in Asia, growing by more than 5% over the past five years. We also are focusing on proposals and delivering a large number of sheet metal machines.
Yokomaku：I have worked on many automations of production plants in Japan. In Thailand as well, I would like to proceed with proposals for automation using KOMATSU equipment.
— Please introduce the AC servo press machine sold in Thailand.
Matsuda：There are two types of press machines: mechanical presses and servo presses. Mechanical presses are common machines that have been around for a long time, but servo presses appeared about 15 years ago. In Asian countries including Thailand, we are planning to propose the servo press machines that KOMATSU was the first to introduce to the world.
KOMATSU INDUSTRIES' new AC servo press machine, H1F-2 series
The features of the new servo press "H1F-2" are summarized in three "F"s.
① Free Motion
"Free motion" that can optimize the degree of freedom, accuracy, and speed
② FunctionICT
Optimal servo effect is brought out by the free motion optimization function that makes full use of ICT.
③ Future
We will continue to support our customers' production activities in the future by the servo effect and improving quality and safety.
Matsuda：Mechanical presses rotate only at a certain speed, but press machines that use servomotors can freely change the speed. We call it "free motion".
Yokomaku：Molding with a normal press must be pressed slowly, which reduces productivity. The servo press can be slow when pressing, but quick when returning back; the speed can be variable. In addition, there is less impact when the mold and the material collide, and accuracy increases.
The advantages of free motion are
① Increased productivity
② Improved accuracy
③ Increased durability of the mold
Matsuda：In Thailand, the market for servo press machines is growing by about 10% every year. We have been importing products such as press machines from Japan in the past, but we are considering local production in Asia in the future. By doing so, we would like to expand the proposal of servo machines throughout Asia.
