The supply chain of the processing and manufacturing industry is made up of different types of industries. Among them, tool manufacturing is a relatively small but indispensable component. Due to its wide range of applications and unique expertise, the sector can be considered the driving force behind the entire processing and manufacturing industry.
Dr. Ming-shong Lan, Chairman of Taiwan Asahi Diamond Industrial Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as “Taiwan Asahi Diamond”), stated that in terms of the role of the tool manufacturing industry, it can be viewed as a service industry. The tools we provide to customers ensure that the products they process and manufacture meet or exceed the required quality and precision at a competitive cost. Therefore, tools are essentially “carriers” for delivering services. When customers need to process new materials, improve processing efficiency, enhance precision, or even achieve eco-saving and environmental protection goals, we can make concrete contributions in those areas.
Taiwan Asahi Diamond specializes in a wide variety of processing tools, including cutting, grinding, drilling, and polishing, for hard and brittle materials. We primarily focus on diamond and cBN (cubic boron nitride) products, which are harder than traditional abrasives. Ranging from basic industrial hard and brittle materials to electronic semiconductor materials, and from traditional stone to silicon wafers, solar panels, electronic materials, and more, all fall within the scope of tools manufactured by Taiwan Asahi Diamond.
As a company that has been in business for half a century, why has Taiwan Asahi Diamond become a key supplier to semiconductor majors? Dr. Ming-shong Lan believes that when dealing with clients such as those in the semiconductor industry, expertise is paramount. A professional team is necessary to provide outstanding services, profoundly understand products, and be familiar with customer process applications. The key is to fully comprehend the customers’ needs technically and assist them in problem-solving. Therefore, Taiwan Asahi Diamond has established an office near the Hsinchu Science Park to ensure the delivery of agile and professional services, aiming to establish solid and long-lasting partnerships with clients.
Innovation is also essential for the sustainable operation of the tool manufacturing industry. Dr. Lan emphasizes that innovation in a company encompasses two aspects: product technology and production technology. Whether it comes to automation or digitization, lean management is always the first step to take. A major tenet of lean management is about reducing waste, whether it’s minimizing waste within the production process itself or reducing waiting time between different processes. To enhance efficiency, it’s important to rationalize the manufacturing process first. Lean management also includes visualization, which essentially means employing digitization to make the manufacturing process transparent. Every step of the manufacturing process becomes visible, allowing for real-time feedback on the current situation, which enables immediate improvements to address existing issues and optimize the overall workflow.
Taiwan Asahi Diamond has long been promoting lean management, aiming to optimize its organizational structure, enhance resilience, and move towards digitalization goals. In the future, in tandem with emerging technologies such as third-generation semiconductors, EVs, and 5G, Taiwan Asahi Diamond also plans to develop corresponding tools to empower customers in achieving the best performance and precision of their products, presenting a compelling opportunity and challenge to advance their technological capabilities.