A high-speed and precision 5-axis machinery center was placed at a prominent position in the exhibiting stand of Beijing Jingdiao Group Co. Ltd., with some visitors surrounding the machine tool and watching carefully.
This is the second time for the Beijing-based Chinese high-tech and innovative corporation to attend the International Manufacturing Technologies Show (IMTS) being held in Chicago during Sept. 10-15. The 5-axis machinery center on display represented the company's highest technical level.
Founded in 1994, Beijing Jingdiao focuses on research and production of high-speed and precision machining centers. Among its more than 5,000 employees, 800 are research and development (R&D) staff. It produces more than 12,000 high-speed machining centers of various specifications every year, with annual output value exceeding four billion yuan (about 584 million U.S. dollars).
The Chinese manufacturer mainly aimed at Southeast Asian markets when it kicked off exports in 2007. It opened a service center in the United States in July this year.
"We have lots of large customers in China, who have opened R&D centers here in the United States," David Fan, vice president of Beijing Jingdiao, told Xinhua. By opening this service center in the U.S. state of Illinois, Beijing Jingdiao can be close to them and assist them in the R&D of new products, he explained.
"We have just started on the U.S. market, and have only some sporadic customers," Fan said.
U.S. manufacturing technical level is another factor Beijing Jingdiao has taken a fancy to. Though there are only a few machine tool manufacturers in United States, the country still represents the world's highest manufacturing level.
"The biennial IMTS in Chicago is always putting on display the world's leading and the latest achievements of computer numerical control (CNC) manufacturing industry," Fan said, adding that "there are a lot of things we need to learn."
"Price-performance ratio is our competitive edge," Fan said.
Pratic, a Chinese CNC R&D and manufacturer based in Foshan, south China's Guangdong Province, displayed an extra-long CNC machine in its exhibit stand.
Established in 2008, the Chinese manufacturer is ready for the world market after 10 years of development. "We have already established distributors in Germany, in Japan, in Australia, in India, and now we're into North America," Pratic international business director Chan Mokseng told Xinhua. "We are taking the opportunity with the IMTS to introduce our extra-long travel machine."
Chan is confident that his products can help customers, operators and manufacturers in the North American market be competitive, reduce costs, improve efficiency and increase output.
"At the same time they can find that the operation is so easy; maintenance is easy; setting up is easy and the machines are very user-friendly with low loading table," Chan said.
"We are very sure that with the experience of our existing customers and users, customers in North America will have the same experience," Chan added.
What made Chan happier is that the company's first customer in North American has come to the exhibit stand, promising that if the machine on displace is not sold during the exhibition, they will buy it as their second machine from Pratic.
Pratic does not sell machines only. "We provide solutions very often. We have customers who send us drawings, and we would come up with solutions. We will match the machine type, the spinner power and all the other configurations to make sure that the customers actually come up with the products for their clients that are competitive," Chan said.
"We pride ourselves not to be a machine seller only," Chan said. "We help customers grow their business, and we grow. This is the center of achievement that we have in the past 10 years."
Chan admitted that "having more savings on production cost, in fact, is the reason why the very first customer wants a second machine now."
Gaoyou Yongfa Machinery Co., Ltd. from east China's Jiangsu Province mainly produces small machine tools. The company was launched for exporting purpose solely, and this is the second time for it to attend the IMTS.
"We are here to consolidate existing customers and develop new customers," Zhu Enquan, general manager of Gaoyou Yongfa, told Xinhua, with the latest products of his company on display behind. Annual sales of the company stand around 150 million yuan.
The ongoing IMTS 2018 features 2,400 exhibitors, including more than 20 from China. In addition, there are nine conferences and two emerging technology centers. The biennial event offers practical solutions, machine deals on the floor and a look at the future of advanced manufacturing.
