Kim Eng Seng Machinery Pte Ltd is a local SME that designs, manufactures, repairs, leases and sells ISO container transport trailers. As part of their drive towards improving productivity, the management of the company decided to explore the use of technology to improve their workflow and raise its productivity.
With support from IPI in analysing its capability gaps and identifying a suitable technology partner, Kim Eng Seng successfully collaborated with the Marine & Offshore Technology Centre of Innovation (COI-MOT)@Ngee Ann Polytechnic to design mechanical jigs that reduced the need for manual lifting of heavy steel chassis during the production of its trailers.
This collaboration was supported with a $5,000 Innovation & Capability Voucher (ICV) from SPRING, to encourage SMEs to take their first step towards capability development. SPRING further supported Kim Eng Seng with a Capability Development Grant (CDG) to build the prototype jigs for the manufacturing of flat-bed trailers.
The company envisages that their productivity would improve substantially upon successful completion of the CDG project and deployment of the jigs. Using the jigs, the company can optimise their workflow and process and this puts them in a better position to compete in a very competitive market.
“We believe that innovation is the way for Kim Eng Seng to improve our productivity and increase our competitiveness,” said Randi Ng, Managing Director of Kim Eng Seng. “We look forward to future engagements with IPI to achieve our vision as a modern manufacturing company.”
Kim Eng Seng Machinery faced the challenge of maintaining competitiveness in the demanding market of ISO container transport trailers. The company’s production process involved significant manual lifting of heavy steel chassis, which not only posed safety risks but also limited operational efficiency and productivity. Recognising the need to modernise its workflow, the management sought to explore innovative solutions that could streamline manufacturing, reduce reliance on manual labour, and ultimately enhance its productivity. However, identifying the right technology and partners to address these capability gaps was a significant hurdle for the SME, which required external expertise and support to move forward.
IPI Singapore supported Kim Eng Seng Machinery by analysing its capability gaps and identifying a suitable technology partner to address its productivity challenges. IPI facilitated a collaboration between Kim Eng Seng and the Marine & Offshore Technology Centre of Innovation (COI-MOT) at Ngee Ann Polytechnic, enabling the co-design of mechanical jigs tailored to the company’s production needs. Through this partnership, mechanical jigs were developed to reduce the need for manual lifting of heavy steel chassis during trailer production. The collaboration was further supported by a $5,000 Innovation & Capability Voucher (ICV) from SPRING, encouraging the SME to embark on capability development. SPRING also provided a Capability Development Grant (CDG) to build prototype jigs for manufacturing flat-bed trailers, paving the way for substantial productivity improvements.
"We believe that innovation is the way for Kim Eng Seng to improve our productivity and increase our competitiveness."
Kim Eng Seng Machinery Pte Ltd is a local SME that designs, manufactures, repairs, leases and sells ISO container transport trailers. The company has a longstanding presence in the industry and is committed to improving its workflow and productivity through technological advancement.