"The advance of technology is based on making it fit in so that you don't really even notice it, so it's part of everyday life."

The month was January 2009. It is the beginning of DesignersHive. DesignersHive is the R&D arm of Meiban International Pte Ltd. Although this journey may be written as started in January 2009, the preparation of this journey has been in process since 2005.

The awareness and need for innovation in a manufacturing company has evolved quite naturally and gradually. Started in 1987 and public listed in 1994, Meiban Group Ltd, a 500 million revenue company whose business mainly thrived from contract manufacturing, has been successful in carving herself out to be a boutique manufacturer. Her clients are MNCs who also believed in technology, developing innovative products for the consumer electronics, medical, business equipment, automotive and military industry. These relationships with such clients have endowed Meiban to have an innovative culture.

It was necessary to set up a R&D arm to cater for the needs of the internal clientele base as well as external potential clients. As the demands call, it was getting apparent that competition can no longer rely on costs alone but for Meiban's business to remain sustainable, it has to count on technology and new innovative manufacturing processes to help their clients save more.

Hence the journey started with the objective to ensure that our clients can save more with us. This begins with the setting up of the IMT program. IMT stands for Innovative Manufacturing Technology. IMT was meant to bring innovative processes and methods to the manufacturing industry, such that it fits so naturally on the factory floor that it becomes a part of everyday life in manufacturing, as per Bill Gates from Microsoft would say.

IMT consists of Sequential Mold Technology, Thermal controller technology, Multi-Level Technology and future technology. Each technology comes with its range of products and services.

MAESTRO, in the Italian language means someone who is an expert in the field of music and who conducts or directs the music. MAESTRO, the machine can now hook up to a standard injection molding machine and communicates with the tool which enables it to run sequentially. It, like the name implies, knows its function well and directs the whole sequential mold processes. MAESTRO runs on any make, model of injection molding machine. This design allows the molder to keep his standard old machines, and also at the same time, instead of using two machines to do the job, now one machine can do the job of two machines! This turns out to be a green solution, giving a lower carbon footprint with lower energy consumption. All these savings are then translated to the client. This is indeed good news for molders.

Sequential Mold technology also has its specially created safety latch, named ALLEGRO. Another music related term, ALLEGRO means a music temp for quick, fast and lively. As the name suggests, the latch moves rhythmatically securing the two layers of the sequential mold in a quick and lively way, almost with a quick and consistent tempo. ALLEGRO is easy to install onto the sequential Mold and has a safety feature to ensure that the two layers are securely attached and open when they are called for.

Sequential Mold Technology, with MAESTRO, ALLEGRO and its sequential Mold will bring clients more cost savings and gives them a better business solution long term.

To know more about IMT and its other technology, please go to www.imt.com.sg

This article was written by Honey creator of DesignersHive.