SEYI CEO on metal forming and its future

International Metalworking News for Asia (IMNA) interviews Ms Claire Kuo, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Shieh Yih Machinery Industry (SEYI). Serving for more than 50 years, the company specialises in the manufacture of metal forming machines.

IMNA: How did you start your company?

Kuo: SEYI began as a small factory in 1962. Now, it evolved into a company with international operations. SEYI brand at present is listed among the top ten press machines in the world due to its quality and value.

IMNA: How has SEYI’s own technology impacted the metalworking industry in the Asia?

Kuo: SEYI built factories in both Taiwan and mainland China producing press machines ranging from 25 to 4000t. Within our Asian arrangement, we work hard on the further expansion projects in the ASEAN market and China market. Moreover, we will augment our production lines.

SEYI Taiwan adopts green initiative as our foundation. Our SD1 and SD2 series feature innovative designs for sheet metal forming processes that enable manufacturers to use other forming procedures. Although our competitors sell servo press machines, their machines use servo-motors designed for cutting machines. Even if those kinds of servo-motors work, it is not a perfect match. A genuine servo press machine per se shall be servo oriented at the very beginning, that is, there shall be a servo-motor designed for the specific pressing purposes. In SEYI, we have been developing the press servo-motors for a decade and have achieved great success in our press machines applications. Servo presses by SEYI can work more efficiently and our prices are much lower than foreign competitors for about 30% to 40%.

IMNA: Will you keep up the public exposure, attend local international shows and stay out front in the media?

Kuo: During 2013, SEYI participated in many international trade fairs in Taiwan, mainland China, Japan, South East Asia, Europe, America, and the Middle East. Winning the Taiwan Excellence Gold Award paved the way for us to be invited to ASEAN countries to join the “Taiwan Excellence Hall”, and also to join the “Taiwan Excellence Precision Machinery” in the mainland. Aside from the international exhibitions, we also participate in conferences and seminars, promoting our newest technology to our target customers. We have very good interactions with our clients in those occasions and we have been successful in promoting our company during those opportunities.

IMNA: What markets are you targeting?

Kuo: Our early applications are in the field of ordinary metal sheets and electronics, and now we are working on the automotive industry. Our SNS2/ SLS2 series have been used in the manufacture of small and medium components for years, ranging from 200 to 400t, and now we are promoting the new 500t product. The SAG series has two point and four point types and could be applied to make car pillars. This type of machine can even apply to extra-high tensile steel and outside auto body. Our SE series range from 400 to 2400t, adopting automation mechanism, suitable for forged auto body processing and decklid processing.

In mainland China, Honda, Toyota, Nissan, Shanghai Volkswagen, Soueast Motor, and Changan are our clients. Further, our products are also accepted by automotive companies in Europe and the U.S. Hence, we also established a subsidiary in Frankfurt, Germany to penetrate the high-end market since the automotive industry is the main target of SEYI and the country leads the industry.

In the ASEAN market, we see Thailand as a good opportunity for the future. Therefore, we formed a subsidiary there adopting our method in Germany.

IMNA: In what areas, or departments, will youAir Jordan