IFHTSE Global 21: heat treatment and surface engineering in twenty-first century Part 17 – Heat treatment and surface engineering in the metals industry in Thailand

Abstract

Manufacturing and the metallurgical industries in Thailand have developed rapidly over the past 30–40 years. For example, the Thai automotive industry has a production capacity of two million vehicles and is now the thirteenth largest in the world. Nearly all large manufacturing plants in the auto- and electronics sectors are joint ventures with multinational companies; the levels of equipment, tooling and technology in these plants, established on purpose built industrial estates, are world class. However, the engineering and parts manufacturing sector in general consists mainly of smaller companies which cannot afford the same levels of investment. In striving to meet increasing competition, these smaller companies encounter problems in productivity, quality, cost reduction, energy efficiency and environmental performance. Against this background the status and future development of heat treatment and surface engineering (HTSE) processes across manufacturing industry in Thailand is reviewed. The increased contributions to improvements in HTSE practice and understanding required from education and training, R&D and technical bodies such as The National Metal and Materials Technology Centre and IFHTSE are considered. It is concluded that, as for other Thai industrial sectors, there should be a ‘master plan’ for HTSE in Thailand.