Aluminum Minibus with Lightweight Materials and Modern Technology
Aluminum Minibus with Lightweight Materials and Modern Technology
The automotive industry of this era has changed a lot, thus, requiring various production processes in the production lines to continuously change. As of today, the EVs are considered to have been much interested in by a great number of consumers eventually resulting in many new carmakers to emerge and making Thailand being considered one of the important production bases of Southeast Asian region that most of them are manufacturing factories from multinational investors in big car companies to invest in, with very few automotive manufacturing factories being considered a 100% Thai-owned Company. With the globally marketing and the production change, Thai entrepreneurs of today have started to create the production innovations and products of their own. We would like to bring up Sakun. C Innovation Co., Ltd. a Company in Choknamchai Group and a 100% Thai-owned Company, as an example that has the objective in researching and developing the innovative products by using modern materials and technologies and continuing them for commercial purpose with the targeted product being the modern vehicles. In addition to raising the level of the industrial design, research and development, including the integrated production, it also promotes quality tourism and transport and raises the level of transportation safety in Thailand. Every vehicle that leaves Sakun. C, whether a boat or a bus, will be developed by placing the matter of safety to always be a mainstay (including other types of vehicles that the country needs to use in the future).
What allows the Company to produce innovative products to the markets is the experience transmitted from parent Company: namely; Choknamchai Group, in the productions of the molds and auto parts sent directly to leading Car Makers around the world. The Company’s high level abilities on engineering in CAD/CAM/CAE, complicated product design, knowledge of modern lightweight metal fabrications of all types and all sizes, the understanding of various production processes, including the automation systems and complete supply chain bases are also attributable to the innovative productions
Sakun. C Innovation Co., Ltd., is the first Thai company ever able to produce the 20-seater aluminum minibuses that has its own original production technology as follows:
Limitless Technology.
The designs and developments have been made in accordance with the international principles (CAD/CAM/CAE). 3D products are designed together with the functional analysis and comprehensive CFD engineering technical strength, finite element as well as the individual components with the Forming Simulation.
Aluminum Forming Technology. A sizable plate stamped with an advanced mold, a molding injection on the structure to improve the strength by reducing joints, a fastening and bending, are deployed.
Selection of Modern Materials. The aluminum with extra-strong specification: such as; 5083 H116 Marine Grade which is 4 times harder than the general aluminum is chosen; a new mixture stronger than steel is invented and tested; and special non-flammable foam is brought for use as a buoyancy aid to enhance safety in the production of the boats in combination with Super Steel & AHSS which is used in the modern structures.
Modern Assembly under International Standard and Quality Control System. Workpiece clamping to control part size position, welding and spot aluminum, including dissimilar joining, the use of standard industrial adhesives, controls and inspections on every step with modern system and tools: such as; Camera Scan, CMM Table, etc., have been deployed.
Supports and Stimulations to Become a Sustainable Industry.
Mr. Teerapun Pimtong, Chairman of Aluminum Industry Club, The Federation of Thai Industries said that our role and duty was to support the Federation of Thai Industries on the development of the aluminum industry to advance in order to continue the innovation, create added value in marketing as well as to drive the country’s economy and society to the international level from upstream to downstream. Currently, the group had members up to 29 and accounted for the sales of more than 100 thousand million Baht. At present, the group had focused primarily on the environmental conservation which people could see that there were many types of productions in which materials to protect the environment were used. There was a group member carrying out business with the product related to solar cell panel services where the integrated services on which: such as; installations, maintenances, spare parts and others, etc., were provided.
It was yet another business placing the emphasis on clean energy for the environment. In addition, the group’s products also were focused on the automotive parts because there was a confidence in the government that focally aimed to promote lightweight materials in the automotive industry as this could be seen from the increasing number of EVs, thus, making the aluminum materials being in greater demand, as well, because their lightweight properties would help reduce the weight of the vehicles. Moreover, the aluminum material sheets were found in the packaging segment: such as; cans where there was a rate of bringing them back for use according to their cycles and usability. This segment would have a lot of demands, as well. It could be seen that in every industry, there was a huge demand for aluminum. So, it was predicted that in the next 1 year to 3 years, the trend of aluminum material prices would be much higher. Another factor that should cause the price of aluminum materials to soar up would be the oil price which would drag the price of aluminum materials to soar up all along, as well. In the future, aluminum would play a significant role in the industries: such as; Smart City that would require to use aluminum materials to be involved in the residences, electrical and electronics equipment industry, food and pharmaceutical industry, shipyard industry or rail system that change the materials from woods to be materials of more global conservations, including the automotive industry: such as; EVs that required to use aluminum materials to help reduce weight, etc.