Product Spotlight - Carbon Steel

1. Carbon steel is steel in which the main interstitial alloying constituent is carbon in the range of 0.12–2.0%.The term “carbon steel” may also be used in reference to steel which is not stainless steel; in this use carbon steel may include alloy steels.

Japan still leads in Southeast Asia infrastructure race, even as China ramps up belt and road investments

1. Japanese-backed projects in the region’s six largest economies – Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand and Vietnam – are valued at US$367 billion, compared with China’s US$255 billion.

Why China’s belt and road loans may not be the debt trap other countries fear

1. China is inclined to renegotiate or write off debts incurred by other countries for its belt and road infrastructure projects and only rarely seizes assets, a study by a New York consultancy has found.

2. The Rhodium Group’s research looked at 40 cases of external debt renegotiation between 2007 and this year and found there was only one confirmed case in Sri Lanka.

Benefits Of Distributed Manufacturing

1. The traditional electronics manufacturing process works well for large organizations that want to produce hundreds of thousands of products for the lowest price possible. 

2. But it is not as friendly to small businesses or newly developed products. 

3. The distributed approach to hardware manufacturing improves the process and makes it possible for more innovators to get products to market.

4. Distributed manufacturing, sometimes called distributed production, cloud based producing or localized manufacturing, is a form of decentralized manufacturing practiced by companies using a network of geographically dispersed facilities that are coordinated using information technology. It is

5. the manufacturing landscape of conversion from closed ended and restrictive to transparent and agile. It permits companies to access their supply chain locally with more flexibility, higher quality, faster service and lower costs.

6. Instead of relying on just a single headquarter location or third party overseas manufacturer; organizations that have evolved their business to a distributed manufacturing model are able to be more nimble in how they operate.

7. Distributed manufacturing is quickly reinventing the manufacturing industry from something monolithic and closed to something transparent and nimble. It allows builders to choose from a variety of machines, materials, and quantities, all located nearby, with unparalleled flexibility, quality, and speed.

8. By relying on a network of producers in a specific geographic area, rather than a single overseas manufacturer, distributed manufacturing can deliver superior results in three key ways: speed, quality, and cost-effectiveness.

The Industrial Lubricants Market is Evolving with Sustainable Driving Forces

1. The industrial lubricants industry, particularly in Asia, is reshaping its supply channels and marketing strategies. 

2. Over the past five years, greater internet penetration among the region’s populations has brought about a tremendous growth in online retail usage, wherein lubricant marketers are finding a viable retail platform.

Product Spotlight - Powder Coatings

1. No matter whether you’re using a single gun and small oven or a large fully automated line, the process is basically the same. 

2. A powder spray gun is used, which when triggered gives an electrostatic charge to the powder particles passing through it. 

3. As the parts to be coated are grounded, the powder is attracted towards the part via the electrostatic process.

4. Once the powder is applied the parts are cured in an oven, which melts and cross-links the powder over the surface of the part and creates a tough, scratch resistant and beautiful finish.

Product Spotlight - Metal Additive Manufacturing

1. There are 2 main families of additive manufacturing technologies

2. Powder bed technologies

- Selective Laser Melting (SLM) where the metal powder is melted by a laser beam

- Electron Beam Melting (EBM) where the metal powder is melted by an electron beam after a preheating step

- Precision inkjet printing where the metal powder is mixed with a binder: after the printing operation, the part is consolidated by sintering.

3.  Blown powder technologies, also known as Laser Metal Deposition or Laser cladding
In this process, the metal powder is blown coaxially to the laser beam which melts the particles on a base metal to form a metallurgical bond when cooled.

Product Spotlight - Silicon Wafers Cleaning - RCA Cleaning & Piranha Solution

1. The RCA clean is a standard set of wafer cleaning steps which need to be performed before high-temperature processing steps (oxidation, diffusion, CVD) of silicon wafers in semiconductor manufacturing.

2. It involves the following chemical processes performed in sequence:

- Removal of the organic contaminants (organic clean + particle clean)
- Removal of thin oxide layer (oxide strip, optional)
- Removal of ionic contamination (ionic clean)

Paint and Coatings Industry in Vietnam (Q1 2019 report)

1. With one of the fastest growing paint and coatings industries in the South East Asian region, Vietnam has attracted a number of regional and multinational paint and coatings producers to set up their manufacturing base in the country. 

2. With a current low per capita consumption of paint and coatings, Vietnam is expected to register a very steady growth of paint and coatings in coming years.

Product Spotlight - Steel Coil

1. Steel coil- a finished steel product such as sheet or strip which has been wound or coiled after rolling. Steel coils can be classified into  hot and cold- rolled types, or  stainless steel coil, carbon coil and Galvanized Steel according to current products and international standards.

Slight growth in Malaysia general insurance premiums (As at March 2019)

1. Motor continued to drive the local general insurance sector, which recorded a 1.5% growth, underpinned by the jump in car sales during the tax-free period from June to August.

BRI update 2019– Recalibration

Having already transformed large swathes of the developing world over the past five years, China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI) now looks set to make its mark on the more prosperous regions of Europe.

Underinsured Opportunities and Overpaid Premiums

US LIFE INSURERS MISSING OUT ON $70BN IN PREMIUMS
1. The average life insurance policyholder in the US is massively underinsured, new research has found, with firms potentially missing out on almost $70bn (£53bn) in annual premiums.

U.K. Pensions Survey and Report For 2018

DB PENSIONS TO PAY OUT 1/3 OF A TRILLION POUNDS BY 2021
1. Defined benefit (DB) pension schemes in the UK are set to pay out almost one-third of a trillion pounds over a three-year period for the first time ever, Mercer has predicted. 

2. The consultancy firm said the record figures between 2019 and 2021 will be due to a large number of active and deferred members transferring the value of their entitlement to another arrangement.

Product Spotlight - NBR - Part 2 - Natural Rubber Vs Nitrile Rubber for Gloves

1. The global rubber gloves industry owes its present boom to the spurt in demand for disposable gloves for hand protection generated by the worldwide spread of infectious diseases. While the disease outbreak was not good for human health, it was good for the glove business.

The demand for medical, industrial and household gloves grew as governments imposed new regulations to increase hygiene and healthcare standards and industries promoted clean room technology.

Traditionally, Natural Rubber (NR) latex glove has been the glove of choice for the medical industry due to its low chemical and puncture resistance. Moreover, it is highly biodegradable and can be easily disposed of by incineration.

Product Spotlight - NBR - Part 1 - Overview

GENERAL OVERVIEW
1. Traditionally, Natural Rubber (NR) latex glove has been the glove of choice for the medical industry due to its low chemical and puncture resistance. Moreover, it is highly biodegradable and can be easily disposed of by incineration.

Product Spotlight - Bio-Lubricants

1. Bio based chemicals have been used for niche applications such as personal care and food additives. However, various new applications of bio based chemicals such as bio-lubricants, biopolymers, and bio-surfactants are emerging as replacements of petroleum based products creating exciting growth opportunities.

2. Chemical companies focusing on lubricants, polymers, and surfactants can explore diversifying their product portfolio based on bio based products. 

Indonesia Jumps Rank in Logistic Performance Index (LPI) 2018 ; Disruption in the Logistic Industry

in 2018, Indonesia managed to rise sharply in the ranks of the World Bank's latest Logistics Performance Index (LPI). Indonesia ranked 46th, up from 63rd in the preceding edition (released in 2016).

Product Spotlight - Conductive Thermoplastic Compounds

1. Polymers are typical insulation materials due to their extremely low electrical conductivity. They charge very easily and even when grounded the plastic material stays charged with static electricity. Conductive plastic compounds, unlike normal plastics, have the ability to conduct electricity.

Scaling your Manufacturing Activities When Opportunities Arise

1. In today’s demanding market environment, those companies that are best prepared to react to sudden market openings will have the best chance for success. 

2. Imagine that a major competitor suddenly goes out of business. Are you really ready to grab its share of the market before someone else jumps in ahead of you? Or do you just hope that you are ready to pounce?

3. Whether your company’s expansion is opportunistic or has been under consideration for a while, to achieve your goal, you’ll need to have a plan that allows you to respond to sudden market changes. Your plan should map out how all the resources in your organization will work in a coordinated effort to win and expand your market share at the least expense to you.