Hyosung TNC, the textile and trading unit of Hyosung Corp., is re-engineering its spandex factories into smart factories in preparation for Industry 4.0.
The Seoul, South Korea-based company said it has established smart factory systems in Creora spandex production facilities in the Chinese cities of Quzhou, Jiaxing, Guangdong and Zhuhai, and in Dong Nai, Vietnam. The systems put in place are for process monitoring, quality control and integration of Internet of Things technology.
Since Hyun Joon Cho became chairman of Hyosung Group last year, he has pushed innovation in both production and management. Cho said Hyosung could achieve flexible and optimized production by combining its proprietary technology with rapidly developing information and communication technology.
The advanced production environment implemented in the factories enables Hyosung TNC to monitor processes and control quality in real time to produce consistent quality products. The systems collect and analyze data throughout the entire manufacturing process, ranging from raw material import to production and shipment.
“Turning into a smart factory is an essential step to take for manufacturers facing a huge, irresistible flow of the fourth industrial revolution,” Cho said. “On the basis of the smart factories, we will improve the quality of products and develop new technologies to a super-excellent level and strengthen our presence as No. 1 spandex maker in the world.”
Hyosung also recently announced new capacity planned for India that’s expected to be on line by 2019. This would bring the number of plants to nine globally, with additional investment planned for total capacity of 390,000 tons by 2020. To support market-driven innovation and speed to market, Hyosung has invested in new global marketing teams in all regions and has created a new fabric development center at its headquarters in South Korea.
Since Hyosung established Hyosung Vietnam in the Nhon Trach industrial complex near Ho Chi Minh City in 2007, the company has invested roughly $1.5 billion, making it the largest investor among the South Korean companies in the industrial complex. It is producing its core products, such as Creora spandex, tire cords, steel cords and motors on the 13 million-square-foot site.
In China, Hyosung has invested $300 million to build and operate a factory producing spandex and other products in the Zhejiang Province city of Quzhou. In addition, the company has invested $39 million in Pinghu City, also in Zhejiang Province, for the extension of a factory set to begin operations producing PTMG, the raw material for spandex.