Multiplas focuses on vertical presses

Taoyuan, Taiwan — While most injection press machinery makers chase the massive horizontal market, Multiplas Enginery Co. Ltd. has taken on the niche vertical press market.

"In the total market, probably 90 percent of the machines sold are horizontal," David Wu, general manager of Multiplas, said at the company's headquarters in Taoyuan, Taiwan, in May. "For that 90 percent, it's very competitive. That's why we focus on vertical type [machines]. We want to focus and grow our ability in that market."

The company manufactures both vertical and horizontal injection presses, but 80 percent of its output are vertical machines. Vertical machines are mostly used for insert molding.

Multiplas produces several varieties of vertical machines with clamping force up to 3,200 tons.

The company supplies machines into a variety of markets including automotive, medical, electronics and the golf ball industry.

"We are dominate in the golf ball making market," Wu said. "About 80 percent of all golf balls are made on our machines."

It also supplies machines to Foxconn for work on iPhone products. Since the iPhone 4, Multiplas has been supplying machines to the manufacturer. Foxconn has 1,500 Multiplas presses, Eric Liang, area sales manager, said.

In one of its biggest orders ever, Foxconn ordered 500 machines at once for production of iPhone earbuds, he said.

Multiplas has a factory in Taiwan that serves the global market and one in China that serves the Chinese domestic market.

"In China, we sell mostly the general purpose machines to the Chinese market. In Taiwan, we have enhanced capability so we offer the customer integrated systems and total solutions," Wu said.

That includes Industry 4.0 systems, he said.

During a tour of the plant floor, Liang pointed out a vertical machine made for liquid silicone rubber processing.

"This market is very small," he said about LSR. "But it gets bigger every year."

Multiplas had sales of approximately US$70 million in 2018, and it has 150 employees in Taiwan and another 110 in China. In a typical year, they will make 500-1,000 machines in Taiwan depending on orders.

Liang, said it is often difficult to recruit younger people to work in the factory building machines.

"This environment, it can be tough," Liang said standing inside the factory on a warm, humid afternoon. "So for the young people, they likely won't stay for more than a year. Most young people want to be in the office, wear beautiful clothes and stay near the air conditioner. It's easier money."

Wu said in Taiwan, the company gets about 20 percent of its workforce from foreign countries, including Thailand, Vietnam and Indonesia. Those workers live in dormitories at the factory and are provided meals as well.

"It's hard work," Wu said. "The foreign workers come here to make a lot of money."

He said Taiwanese workers will usually work five days a week, maybe on Saturday if there are big orders. But the foreign workers will work seven days a week to make more money.