Page 41 - Taiwan Transportation Equipment Guide (TTG) - 2019-09 Edition - CENS.com

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which usually produce spare parts manually with little The Highlights This Year With the social structure changing, many traditional
of machinery involved, predicable delivery date, quality cultures and folk customs were gradually lost under
consistency and good order fulfi llment. Tradition Collides with Contemporary Crafts to the impact of modern civilization. These valuable
The problem of local workshops is that they Spark New Inspiration heritages left by ancestors should be well preserved
heavily rely on technicians to perform operation that by its descendants. Through painted, fierce faces
can be done better and more efficient by machine. As LC Fuel Tank gained a reputation around of the Guan Jiang Shou, the troupes and distinctive
For instance, the welding process will be much more the world, aside from continuing to innovate and choreographed performances, LC Fuel Tank hopes
effi cient if use welding machine to do the work. improving product quality, the firm now combines both they can demonstrate the traditional culture in Taiwan.
This drags them down, making them unable to fulfi ll its branding and Taiwanese traditional arts together
order with effi ciency, and the quality of operation won’t for greater exposure to the world. This year, the
be consistent since it’s performed manually. Quality firm chose to paint their fuel tanks with imagery
of work varies with technicians. LC Fuel Tank is able from traditional Taiwanese craftmanship called
to offer faster delivery time thanks to automation and “Guan Jiang Shou,” or literally translated as “Lead
machinery. Generals.” Guan Jiang Shou is a traditional folk-
religion culture originating from Taiwan, considered
Chan said the quantity can be an issue. The the best example of Taiwan’s combination of religious
European companies are willing to purchase less ceremonies, traditional drama and musical theatre
quantity at higher price. That’s very different from USA The painted fuel tanks are expected to receive the arts, martial arts, traditional instruments, and arts.
limelight at shows, attracting attention from foreign buyers
customers, who are willing to order more quantity in and promote Taiwan’s traditional culture worldwide.
order to negotiate a better price. As manufacture, the (photo courtesy of LC Fuel Tank) China is famous for its distinctive cheongsam
economies of scale arise from greater the quantity while Taiwan’s northern neighbor Japan has its iconic
of output produced. ‘‘Lower quantity and variety of geisha tradition. However, Taiwan lacks concrete
products offering’’ is key for them to secure more The Challenges This Year and exclusive cultural images that allow foreigners
business in Europe. to associate with Taiwan instantly, Chan said.
When mentioning the presumably positive effects
Attending more European classic car shows is brought on by the China-U.S. trade tensions, Chan
currently LC Fuel Tank’s main strategy to expand their remains pessimistic. Even though it is a definite fact
market share in the region. Having done their research that a number of American clients have shifted some
and attending two prestigious shows last year, they will of its imports from China to Taiwan, Chan believes
be returning to Essen this April. that it was only a short-term effect, and it may not be
the best correlation between orders and profi t. Clients
forced to switch to import from Taiwan would possibly This is the exterior of LC Fuel Tank’s new plant which are
already have that intention in mind, compared to being constructed in Xiluo Township. (photo courtesy of LC
buying at the cost level of China, yet getting the Made Fuel Tank)
in Taiwan quality. Over in the long term, customer will
turn to who can provide the lowest prices.

Taiwanese manufactures do great jobs on the
spades, Chan says, but the increasing cost of labor
lowers their competition compared with countries with 41
less stringent labor laws. This is the difficulty many
developed countries are facing.

Also, the increase labor cost is harmful to
production volume, Chan states. To address the
issue, LC is building a new facility. The new plant will
equip its production lines with 6-Axisrobot arms and
integrate with the labor workforce, to not only eliminate
possible human errors, but also double production
capacity at least. He expects that the new building will
be completed by the end this year.

Despite the unfavorable challenges, the general
manager is optimistic and expect
this year to be fruitful. ‘‘We look forward to
increasing presence in European classic cars markets,
LC Fuel Tank Manufacture Co. aims for European classic and make a name for our company as the best fuel
car market with its quality auto parts. (Photo Courtesy of tank manufacture for classic cars.’’
LC Fuel) Traditional culture,Guan Jiang Shou, collides with modern fuel tank technology. (photo courtesy of LC Fuel Tank)