THS 2010 Shows Taiwan's Hardware Competitiveness to the World

The Taiwan Hardware Show (THS) has come a long way as the island's foremost trade fair for tools, building materials, and hardware over the past decade.

Organized by the Taiwan Kaigo Co. (the local representative of Messe Düsseldorf GmbH) together with the Taiwan Hand Tool Manufacturers' Association (THTMA), THS celebrated its 10th anniversary show from October 21 to 23, 2010 in Hall 1 of the Taipei World Trade Center (TWTC).

During its three-day run, THS 2010 drew 18,461 local and overseas visitors, 36% more than THS 2009, including professional buyers from 65 countries and representatives of hardware associations from China, the Dominican Republic, Thailand, Malaysia, and Iran. According to the show's organizers, the increasing number of visitors reflected the show's growing global significance along with Taiwan's strengthening influence in global supply chains.

The 250 exhibitors who occupied 400 booths showed off their most attractive products in eight categories—tools & accessories, locks & fittings, fasteners & fittings, builders & DIY supplies, garden tools & equipment, automotive supplies & accessories, machinery & plant equipment, and safety equipment—giving foreign buyers a comprehensive look at high-profile Taiwan-made products.

The organizers claimed that foreign visitors were generally pleased with the products on display and impressed by the generous hospitality of Taiwanese companies, which often organized factory tours for them. The exhibitors, for their part, were delighted by the jump in international visitors.

Hand Tool Manufacturers

Hand tools and accessories remained as the largest exhibition category at THS 2010. A large number of Taiwan's top manufactures in the line were there, including Allprofessional Mfg. (snip cutters), Casemate Plastics International (tool cases), Honiton Industries Inc. (sockets), Infar Industrial (wrenches), J & K International (jacks and hand-power pullers), K & W Tools (saws), King Tony Tools (branding), A-Kraft Tools Manufacturing (original equipment manufacturing), Lucky-Brand Industrial (hammers), Machan International (tool chests and roller cabinets), Re-Dai Precision Tools (ratchet handles), Savco Corp. (bit holders), Eclatorq Technology (digital torque tools), Yih Cheng Factory (screwdrivers), and Stand Tools Enterprise (digital torque wrenches).

Jack Lin, newly inaugurated chairman of THTMA and president of Yih Cheng, said that enhancing Taiwan's presence in the global hand tool market by taking part in well-known trade fairs of this kind is part of his blueprint for the future.

“We have decided to choose eight to 10 large international trade shows every year as venues for building a more impressive image of Taiwan's hand tool industry and its capabilities,” Lin stated. “Top-caliber shows such as the International Hardware Show Cologne, Automechanika Frankfurt, and China International Hardware Show in Shanghai are among our priorities. THS is also among our choices, for it has provided a gateway to Taiwan's hand tool industry for years.”

Allprofessional's president David Huang, who is also one of THTMA's supervisors, noted that the association has actively promoted the show over the past year and encouraged its members to participate as part of the effort to boost the industry's presence and attract buyers worldwide. “The association also helped its members to obtain financial resources from the government as an incentive to join the show,” Huang said. “The exhibitor and visitor turnouts prove that our efforts have paid off.”

Ivan Nai, a director of THTMA and owner of Ra Che Industrial, pointed out that Taiwan-made hand tools have been positioned as higher-profile products in the global market and have been increasingly acknowledged by professional users worldwide. “Drawing on THTMA's influence,” he said, “the show this year was a top attraction for foreign hand tool buyers.”

Must-see Exhibitors
Allprofessional is one of the largest and best-known snip cutter makers in Asia, supplying a wide variety of snip cutters all of which comply with ANSI standards and feature unbeatable quality. In addition to OEM, the company also supplies products under its own “Allpro” brand.

To enhance quality, the company joined hands with China Steel, Taiwan's largest steelmaker, and a local university to form a cross-sector R&D team for the joint development of high-hardness alloy steel. The resulting steel, which has been tested as comparable to steel meeting ASTM Grade 11 standards in hardness, is used in the Trieasy series snip cutters that Allprofessional showcased at THS 2010.

Instead of using trial-and-error methods, Huang said, his company has used computerized technologies, like X-ray diffractometry, to observe and analyze the metallographic structure and hardness of materials, and then improved these characteristics and related processing methodologies to achieve the best quality. These efforts have paid off; some of the company's professional-caliber snip cutters can even cut steel plates with a surface hardness rating of HRC 40, putting Allprofessional at the head of the industry in Asia.

iF Award Winner

Lucky-Brand exhibited its most outstanding product, “Dragon Hammer,” to attract the attention of visitors at the show. An iF Design Award winner, the Dragon Hammer was developed with an aesthetic, curving dragon-shaped body that can increase strike accuracy while decreasing the force needed to pull nails with the curved claw. The company said the hammer is a breakthrough over the traditional T-type hammer, partly because of its ergonomic, evolutionary exterior and partly because of the geometric design that enables the hammer to utilize optimal mechanical advantages for effortless operation and safety.

Established in 1972, Lucky-Brand is one of the highest-profile hammer makers in Taiwan. It now operates production lines in Taiwan and mainland China, turning out a wide range of hammers for both DIY and professional work. An innovative manufacturer, the company won the Taiwan Excellence Award, Good Design Product Award, and G-Mark Product Design Award 2008 for its E.G Hammer, a predecessor of the newly launched Dragon.

The digital torque tools displayed by Eclatorq and Stand Tools were also a big hit with visitors at THS 2010. Both of these manufacturers are known for dedication to their chosen product category.

With technological assistance from the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI), Eclatorq is the largest digital tool maker on the island, offering around 20,000 different kinds of digital tools including digital torque wrenches, digital screwdrivers, and digital pullers. The company now is capable of making digital tools with a maximum torque force of 850n/m, and it provides an online calibration platform and free software for downloading. Eclatorq is known around the world as a top-caliber supplier of digital tools under its own “Eclatorq” brand.

Not content to follow the footsteps of other developers, Stand Tools is noted for its development of digital tools integrating micro electro mechanical systems (MEMS). Single-mindedly insisting on the highest torque precision, the company builds MEMS chips into its digital torque wrenches to take advantage of the chips' more precise measuring capability compared with traditional strain gauges.

Right after introducing its MEMS torque wrench in 2008, the company decided to build up a world-class torque calibration laboratory. It went into cooperation with ITRI for two years and, in 2010, the Stand Tools Calibration Laboratory won certification for its torque wrenches and torque transducers from the Taiwan Accreditation Foundation (TAF). The lab has also been approved by the ILAC-MRA mark. Stand Tools is Taiwan's only digital tool maker to have such a world-caliber laboratory in-house.

T-Team Concept
The T-Team, a group of Taiwan's leading hand tool manufacturers working together to cooperatively develop a high-quality Made-in-Taiwan brand image, was also introduced to visitors at THS 2010.

The T-Team alliance was organized mainly at the instigation of King Tony's CEO, Mark Wu, and the Corporate Synergy Development Center. To bring the industry up to the status of a truly integrated supply chain, Wu planned for the alliance to integrate the various resources of Taiwanese hand tool makers, and to maximize the industry's image and its capabilities by utilizing its manufacturing and R&D advantages.

Inaugurated in 2008, the T-Team now consists of 16 hand tool makers, including three core companies (King Tony, A-Kraft Manufacturing, and Machan), 11 tool makers and subcontractors (Quan Tian Tools, Torque-tech Precision, Chang Loon Industrial, Shuter Enterprise, Tang Zhen Industry, Gong Maw Enterprise, Te Wei Industrial, William Tools, Toong Lih Enterprise, and Re-Dai Precision Tools); and two forging manufacturers.

A-Kraft's chairman Louis Chen said that the T-Team is going in the right direction, as “More and more peers have recognized that our teamwork effort has effectively boosted the industry's global presence by way of each member, based on its core competency, aiding all the others and willingly dedicating itself to providing the team with its manufacturing or marketing expertise.”

Locks Association of Taiwan
Lock makers were also a significant exhibitor group in THS 2010. Organized by the Locks Association of Taiwan (LAT), they attracted the attention of visitors with a common eye-catching LAT image on the top of each booth and with their cutting-edge products.

One of the exhibitors was the Sun Castle Global Precision Technology Co., which introduced its ST8 Fingerprint Lock. This high-tech device makes use of fingerprint identification and features utility along with a fashionable appearance. The stand-alone, wireless lock has a double locking mechanism operated by a turn key on the inside of the door and has no need for connection to complementary devices or computers.

Sun Castle, founded in 1981, is a well-known high-tech lock maker that makes use of its accumulated surface treatment and locking mechanism experience. It has developed a couple of digital keyless door locks for residential and commercial use and has established a presence in East Asia, the U.S., and Europe over the past two decades.

REAL Locks & Security Co., established in 1974 by LAT chairman Ho I-hui, was also on hand at THS 2010. REAL Locks & Security is a leading Taiwanese lock maker that promotes its own brands in the global market and is known for the cutting-edge lock-cylinder design widely used in its locks.

“Although this is our first time,” said Lyvia Chen, LAT's executive secretary, “LAT has successfully established its image at this year's trade fair. Taiwanese lock exhibitors are very upbeat with the association's efforts to enhance the industry's capabilities over the past year.”

Chen further stated that LAT, since its founding in 2009 with the assistance of Taiwan's Metal Industries Research & Development Centre, has effectively combined the resources of Taiwanese lock makers and locksmiths, and has built links with other professional organizations like the Japan Lock Security Association. “This effort will continue,” she went on, “and bring brighter prospects to Taiwan's lock industry.”

Wider Welcome for Chinese Participants
This year's show continued to build upon a new tradition of enhanced dialogue and cooperation across the Taiwan Straits. While there were visitors and exhibitors from mainland China in 2009, the 2010 event sported historic meetings between the Taiwan Hand Tool Manufacturers Association and the China National Hardware Association and Guangdong Hardware Electrical Chamber of Commerce.

With the implementation of the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA), a preferential trade agreement between mainland China and Taiwan that reduces tariffs and commercial barriers, the two sides are becoming ever more economically interconnected. In addition to the cross-Straits networking meetings, Taiwanese hand tool manufacturers also discussed their shared future in a forum designed to address ECFA's implications for Taiwan's hand tool industry.

Supporting Seminars
The show also provided educational opportunities by hosting several professional seminars where industry insiders and visitors could learn about state-of-the-art technologies and gain market knowledge.

Huang Chin-chuan, deputy director of MIRDC's Metal Process R&D Department, spoke on “Material Sense and Performance Control by the New Metal Design of Texture and Color,” shedding light on MIRDC's achievements in the development of new metal materials and related applications for enhanced added-value, while Leon Hou, manager of the Centre's Industrial Upgrading Service Department, gave a lecture on lock product standards and market trends.

Also, DIY International's managing editor Rainer Strnad was invited by the show's organizers to introduce “The Current Trends and Prospect of European DIY Retailer Market.” In his talk, Strnad noted that ecological products have become increasingly popular among European consumers, citing a survey done by his publication showing that over 60% of consumers polled in German DIY stores expressed a willingness to pay more for eco-friendly products.

Strnad also mentioned that senior citizens are now the mainstream consumers in Europe's DIY and garden industries, for they have money and are more focused on leisure and quality of life. He said that according to statistics compiled by DIY International, consumers aged 50 and older in Germany contributed 51.6% to the continent's total housekeeping sales of euro61.6 billion in 2009, compared with 46.5% in 2006.

CENS, one of Taiwan's most experienced export-oriented media, was available at THS 2010, circulating its informative publications, including the Guidebook to Taiwan Hand Tools and CENS Hardware. With an outstanding reputation built up over more than 36 years among domestic and international readers, CENS's publications were highly popular with visitors at the show.

The next THS, slated for October 20 to 22, 2011, in Hall 1 of the Taipei World Trade Center, will seek to build on the success of THS 2010 and a reinvigorated global hardware industry. Taiwan continually adjusts to market forces and makes the most of its position as a leading manufacturer of high-quality hardware products offered at competitive prices.