For the remainder of the year, Taiwan-based electrical discharge machining (EDM) company Excetek aims to distribute 95% of its global production into regions, such as Africa, Asia, Europe and the US.

The company believes that, despite its supplying the gas turbine, medical, communications and automotive industries with its products, there are more emerging industries that can use its EDM machinery in their manufacturing operations.

EDM is a manufacturing process whereby a desired shape is obtained using electrical dis- charges. Material is removed from the workpiece by a series of rapidly recurring discharges between two electrodes, separated by a dielectric liquid and subject to an electric voltage.

“As the company was established only in 2006, business has been good for us so far and we have seen how exporting our products has offered more return on investment than selling in Taiwan,” says Excetek sales and marketing manager Al Chen.

However, being in charge of sales in South Africa, he points out that insufficient information of emerging markets and industries in the country and travelling to South Africa being costly are some of the challenges the company faces.

Moreover, he indicates that the company is aiming into develop strategies that will foster a more aggressive approach in infiltrating the South African market.

In other regions, the success that has been achieved so far by the company in other regions, such as Russia, Thailand, India and China, is because of the company’s dedication to excellency regarding pricing and precision, Chen adds.

Moreover, Toolmaking Association of South Africa secretary Henk Snyman said at the South African Automotive Week, held in last year that, owing to Taiwan being the world’s fourth-largest exporter of machine tools, he hoped that South Africa could create interaction with Taiwan to share knowledge and equipment.

“Toolmakers form the foundation of all industry . . . [they] are critical to the future of South Africa’s manufacturing industry,” he said during the event.

Taiwan will become the world’s largest machine tools exporter, as its machine tool exports are expected to increase to $4.5-billion by the end of 2015 – hence, Snyman’s belief that the collaboration and sharing of knowledge could help South Africa develop a highly efficient manufacturing industry.

Excetek’s products range from wire-cut EDMs, die-sinking EDMs, hole-drilling EDMs and customised EDMs.