Transformation through technology upgrade

China Kunda Technology Holdings Ltd was founded in 1998 and is now a listed company of Singapore stock main board. Kunda is a national high-tech enterprise, an innovative SME and one of China’s large-scale precise plastic moulding companies. Kunda provides services in the areas of high-precision automobile moulds and in mould decoration (IMD) and in-mould labeling (IML) of products. In an interview with International Plastics News for Asia (IRNA), Mr. Jinbiao Yang, Vice President, talks about the transformation that China Kunda Technology Holdings Ltd went through and how this enabled the company move forward.

IRNA: Kunda has been established more than a decade. What are its major achievements?

Mr. Yang: Kunda was set up in 1988. At that time, our main services included electric appliances, furniture and electronic products processing. But now, Kunda has aimed at exporting to Europe, America and Japan, and branched out to serving mobile communications and IT sectors.

Technology plays a key role in our success. Kunda has earned lots of certifications and honours along the way, being the first batch to gain “China large-scale precise plastic moulding forms key Shareholding system” and setting up Postdoctoral Scientific Researching Base with South China University of Technology in 2006; “Postdoctoral Innovation and Practice Base” in 2011; “Academician Workstation of Batch Process Monitor and Fault Diagnose” in 2013.

The main achievements in scientific research included large-scale gas-assisted-injection moulding technique (which won American Plastic Industry Innovation Award in 2009); polymer nylon reaction moulding process and mould technology of rail transit train parts; mould design and manufacturing technology of plane interior, amongst others.

IRNA: How does Kunda continuously upgrade and transform?

Mr. Yang: Kunda’s transformation and upgrading goes through several stages. The first transformation occurred from 2003 to 2006 when we introduced and adopted international advanced technology, and employed talented people to carry out improvement in our products. The company’s development strategy is determined to transform from ordinary injection moulding to IMD products, plain mould to high-end products like automobile, airplane, amongst others. We also carried out enhancement in our management, standardisation, workflow and accountability.

The second transformation is self-innovation. We start production-study-research cooperation, and develop technical innovation. On the base of introducing and digesting international advanced technology, Kunda has production-study-research cooperation with Huazhong University of Science and Technology, South China University of Technology, The Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Zhejiang University, Tsinghua University and Northwestern Polytechnical University. We keep introducing and training people for technology innovation and make innovations in high-end equipment and new generation technology. Many of our patented products fill the blank of domestic technology.

The third stage is during the financial crisis. We turn the crisis into an opportunity by further exploring the international market. Under the circumstances of global financial crisis, Kunda takes technology innovation and quality service as its mission, taking part in the international market. We are recognised and favoured by domestic and foreign customers that our export has grown by 31%. Meanwhile, we continue to establish a strategic alliance with our European and American customers, which help Kunda to be rated as AAA enterprise of integrity by Shenzhen Customs. We were successfully listed in Singapore on 9 October 2008, which means our international development strategy moves to a new level.

IRNA: Kunda is launching a project named, “The Research and Production of Polymer Moulding Equipment Upgrades Core Technology”. Please give details.

Mr. Yang: This project is also the New Generation Intelligent Moulding Control System Research and Application Project. It develops an “intelligent control system for high-precision injection moulding machine” and “online quality perception system in mould”, of which both are in accordance with the policy of transformation and upgrade of equipment manufacturing industry, developing advanced equipment manufacturing industry and intelligent control system with high efficiency mentioned in The 12th Five-year Plan. The technology of this project is recognised as internationally pioneering. It won a Natural Science Award in 2012 because of its innovations.

This project is the first to create a two-dimensional time control method, directly using the low-cost proportional valve to efficiently conduct precise close-loop control of pressure, speed and many key parameters during injection moulding. It also proposes to adopt time optimal control and model predictive control, which helps precisely control temperature of injection moulding. In addition, it increases the rate of qualified products by precisely controlling key parameters.

In terms of benefits, the project aims to produce 26,000 sets of intelligent control systems in five year. The output value is 460 million CNY.

IRNA: Could you tell us about your IMD products and what are the challenges that Kunda is facing now?

Mr. Yang: IMD is a new technology which uses film to decorate plastic exterior surface in injection mould. It has advantages like bright and clean appearance, permanent clear printing, and other features. It is mainly used in plastic shell ornaments which require durability, environment protection and exquisite decorative surface, include cell phone case, digital product shell, medical device case, etc.

I think one major challenge is that the cost of production is increasing, which indirectly causes professional shortage. Also, there are problems that we should pay attention to such as dependence on imported high-end special polymer materials; relatively backward moulding equipment; lack of professionals due to limitations in the educational system. These problems must be addressed to remove the impediments to growth and enable the plastics industry to achieve positive transformation.