TAICHUNG, Taiwan—Kuen Yuh Machinery Company Ltd (KYMC), which celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2018, is one of Asia’s most respected manufacturers of roll-to-roll technology for the printing and converting markets. With a product portfolio that spans rotogravure, inline, central impression (CI) and stack flexo presses, as well as slitting/rewinding, plate mounting, and coating and laminating lines, the company boasts a portfolio of international printing and packaging giants that include Amcor, ProAmpac, International Paper, Novolex and Detmold.
KYMC is based on four strict principles: innovative customization; affordability; total solution; and human driven. The first three are largely self-explanatory and have been the backbone of the company’s product program over the years, but it is the human element that KYMC says is the key to its successful growth and expansion into new markets. Marketing Deputy Manager Daywey Chen explained: “We believe that the key to success is building relationships and this begins well before a customer places an order with us and continues well after we install the machine. Only by fully understanding our customer’s specific requirements can we advise them on technology—and then continue to work with them after installation to make sure it provides the solution they need.”
One of the recent developments has seen KYMC move into the market for flexible electronics—the printed transparent conductive film used for touchscreens on, for example, smartphones. To work with such a precision substrate demands absolute control of the production process, and KYMC turned to Danish pioneers Vetaphone for surface treatment technology after investigating the major players in the market. According to Technical Director Eric Pan: “There was an immediate synergy between the two companies both in terms of technical competence but also the personal approach to service and support—this is just as important because our customers see us as partners in their business.”
Finn Hinze, Vetaphone’s sales manager for Asia, highlighted one area in which Vetaphone technicians were able to solve an ongoing problem: “One of KYMC’s customers was encountering severe problems with humidity that was adversely affecting the quality of corona treatment on the press. The solution, which required a degree of customization from our technical department, proved completely successful and illustrated the common approach the two companies have to supporting customers in the field.”
He went on to explain the need for ongoing support: “In our line of business, where customers invest large amounts of capital on equipment there is a responsibility to prevent expensive periods of downtime. Both KYMC and Vetaphone follow a strict rule that no business partner is left alone until we are absolutely certain that our technology will perform as required, and should there be a subsequent issue, that we will be there to support them.”
With demand for gravure technology in the Asian market declining, because of environmental pressure and cost reasons, KYMC developed a range of flexo presses to cater for the increased demands of converters and brand owners alike. The company’s flagship CI press is the Euroflex, which features full automation and is aimed at the top-level converters. To celebrate its 50th anniversary, the company launched the Phoenix line, which is a high-spec medium-priced CI press. There are two other CI models in the range, Flexojet and Eco, a stack press, the SFX, and four inline flexo machines from the Megaflex to the Hybrid.