In Thailand and other Southeast Asian countries, tool manufacturers are increasingly relying on HiPIMS coatings from the technology leader CemeCon to enhance the performance, service life, and process reliability of their cutting tools. CemeCon partner W.P.P. Engineering Co., Ltd. (WPP) supports this locally with coating services, consulting, and the integration of proprietary HiPIMS systems, thereby meeting the demands of a highly competitive market. WPP combines local market understanding with the technical expertise and quality standards of the international CemeCon locations and the German headquarters.
High Demands on Tools and Coatings
HiPIMS is considered a technological leap in PVD coating of cutting tools and is seen as a sensible investment decision in tool manufacturing even in Asia. The technology enables extremely dense, smooth, and adhesive layers with pronounced mechanical properties – even with complex tool geometries. Additionally, HiPIMS allows for an almost unlimited variety of coating materials in the largest range of coating thicknesses available on the market. In Southeast Asia, HiPIMS-coated precision tools are used by suppliers to the automotive industry, in classical mechanical engineering, in mold making, as well as in component manufacturing for consumer electronics and in the two-wheeler industry.
Wittaya Ponpet, Managing Director of WPP in Bangkok, has been supporting tool manufacturers in Thailand and Vietnam for many years. His company is supported by the international CemeCon network, including technical service and spare parts supply through the Indian branch. Ponpet emphasizes the importance of CemeCon coatings for tool performance: 'Tools are created with maximum performance, high service life, and highest process reliability. In particular, HiPIMS excels in machining demanding materials and meeting high expectations for surface quality.'
WPP offers a coating service in the region, including pre- and post-treatment as well as quality assurance based on the model of the CemeCon coating center in Würselen. This provides tool manufacturers with direct access to HiPIMS technology even for small series or samplings.
Local Presence as a Success Factor
In addition to coating services, WPP also offers in-house coating lines. According to Ponpet, this fundamentally changes the strategic direction of many tool manufacturers in Asia: 'An in-house HiPIMS coating system integrated into tool manufacturing is seen as a guarantee of success with the highest possible quality standard while maintaining very high flexibility. Our customers who invest here can rely one hundred percent on a lasting technological advantage 'made in Germany.'
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