Generaltec China
Two times two lions
The BySun and BiJin laser cutting systems, and the Xcel pressbrake
are specifically tailored to the needs of the Chinese market; to the
needs of companies like Generaltec. In this article you will discover
how the electronics industry supplier benefits from these systems.
Text: Martin Engel, Photos: Daniel Leung
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Generaltec CHina
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Tingli Wang laughs when asked whether he Generaltec is based in the economic metropolis
is satisfied with the performance of the two grim- of Tianjin, which lies in the northeast of the Peolooking lions that guard the entrance to his com- ple’s Republic of China. The company premises
pany premises. “Absolutely,” the General Manager are located on the edge of Tianjin, in the urban
says, with continuing amusement. “They are doing district of Wuqin. With two highways close by, the
a fine job.” Tingli Wang had previously explained site can be reached in just 30 minutes from
how the lion not only stands for protection in the ­Tianjin airport; 50 minutes from Beijing airport.
Chinese symbolic language, but also for prosperity “Good transportation links were one of the main
and good fortune. And if a smoothly running busi- criteria for the company’s founders, when they
ness is the basis of this, then the investment in the were searching for a suitable location,” Tingly
two stone statues has paid off for Generaltec: The Wang points out.
company is doing well. The operating results again The typical service of an EMS provider is the mass
improved by 50 percent from 2010 through 2011, production of electronic circuit boards. This means
to become triple their level of 2008. Also this year, the soldering of electronic components onto elecGeneraltec will continue to grow and invest strong- trically insulating materials. Today, as a rule, this is
ly – among other things, with a new warehouse, done on SMT production lines. In plain English,
the shell of which is already reaching impressively SMT is the abbreviation for surface-mount techtoward the sky.
nology. This is an alternative to through-hole techGeneraltec provides what are known as electron- nology – a process that produces more robust, alics manufacturing services (EMS). These are sub- beit more expensive circuit boards that are also
contracting jobs, performed for the electronics
larger and therefore, unsuitable for many devices.
industry. The company was founded by Chinese Generaltec owns four SMT lines; the newest of
and US partners in 2005, and now employs ap- these was installed in spring 2012.
proximately 300 people.
Generaltec’s growth reaches toward the sky: Managing Director Tingli Wang in front of the shell of the new warehouse.
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Generaltec china
From development through TO
warranty
EMS providers have been around since the early
eighties, when the first home computers began
conquering home offices and playrooms. However,
as computers are not the only application – almost
every electrical appliance contains at least one circuit board – the market is huge. And there are
many EMS providers competing for the contracts
that come with it. This is especially true in East Asia,
where the majority of the world’s electronic appliances are manufactured. On the one hand, these
suppliers are the countless small and medium-sized
service providers that manufacture many different
products for a large number of customers; on the
other, they are those producing a narrow spectrum
of products in large volumes, often for only a few
customers. These companies – such as Foxconn,
which makes among other things iPhones and
iPads for Apple – are usually large and, in some
cases, even familiar to the general public.
Generaltec has a wide range of orders on its books,
and compared to the millions of iPhones Foxconn
manufactures, the volumes of the individual jobs
are small. “Over 20 customers entrust us with producing their electronic components,” Tingli Wang
explains. Approximately 90 percent of these wellknown companies have their headquarters in
North America or Europe. Nearly all of them maintain bases in China, and it is to these that Generaltec usually delivers the manufactured goods. The
deliveries are rarely just simple circuit boards, since,
in the past two decades, EMS suppliers have not
only expanded their businesses in size, but also in
depth: This means offering services across the entire value chain.
This is also true for Generaltec. “We offer our customers the complete spectrum of such work,” says
Tingli Wang. And this spectrum begins as early as
planning a product around a job specification.
“Very often it begins with no more than a customer’s idea; it is our job to turn this idea into a feasible product,” Tingli Wang adds. In this process,
Generaltec doesn’t only carry out concept development; it also designs, constructs and tests the prototype. Furthermore, it includes manufacturing a
preseries, organizing and carrying out mass production, as well as shipping the finished products
“We turn
a customer’s
idea into
a feasible
product.”
Tingli Wang,
Managing Director
Generaltec
The two lions guarding the entrance to the company premises symbolize protection, prosperity and good fortune.
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Generaltec China
worldwide. Generaltec even takes over warranty
and repair services. In addition, there are services
for integrating individual components into complex
assembly groups or finished end user products.
These include processes for built-to-order concepts;
whereby consumer goods are offered as basic
models with the option of adding further elements. According to this modular design principle,
the customer configures the product to his or
her requirements, and Generaltec subsequently
­produces it. “Whatever the customer wishes, we
take care of it,” Tingli Wang says, encapsulating
­Generaltec’s ethos.
Quality made in China
Above: Generaltec has tested and bought the BySun. Middle: The loading table
is standard on the ByJin. Bottom: The Xcel 50 bends small and thin parts.
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In order to live up to this label, Generaltec has
opened a second production area in a separate
hall. Here, metal sheets and other semifinished
metal products are processed using equipment
for chipless production and for machining. It is also
where subassembly manufacturing takes place:
components, such as frames for the giant LED
screens that can be seen in public places all over
the world. “One of the largest screens on Times
Square in New York was manufactured in this hall,”
Tingli Wang reveals. Building 2, as this area is known
internally, also contains a paint shop and a department for function testing. The briefest of glances
into Building 2 is enough to impress. The hall is extensive and every square meter is used. Numerous
stages of production are performed there on firstclass machine systems, such as the DMU 50: a
5-axis machining centre. As with the SMT lines in
Building 1, the machine systems in Building 2 are
manufactured exclusively by companies known for
producing top-class equipment.
“To us, anything else is simply out of the question,” Tingli Wang explains, adding: “An OEM that
transfers broad segments of its value chain to an
external partner, such as Generaltec, demonstrates
great trust in that partner.” After all, these OEMs
have their own good reputations to think of. “No
doubt you could cite any number of examples,
which demonstrate just how quickly a good reputation can be damaged,” Tingli Wang notes. Quality
is everything in the EMS industry, and it is perhaps
no surprise that Generaltec fulfills all ISO 9001,
ISO/TS 16949 and ISO 14001 quality standards,
and chooses its machine suppliers very carefully.
Despite this, competition between EMS providers is
intense, making competitive pricing essential. “Quality on the one hand and good prices on the other
require a balancing act, which we have to master,”
Tingli Wang explains one of the greatest challenges for Generaltec.
This is why, for the last two years, the company
has been working together with Bystronic on its
laser cutting and bending processes. Previously,
laser cutting orders were outsourced to a partner
company. “Bystronic produces very good systems
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and offers them at fair prices,” Tingli Wang says.
“This is augmented by an unbeatable service.” And
what does this mean in reality? “Bystronic offers
a hotline with extremely capable employees; as a
rule, parts and service technicians are here within
a day.” Naturally, it is also a benefit that Bystronic’s
Chinese development and manufacturing center
is also located in Tianjin. However, Tingli Wang
adds, “Before purchasing the systems, we made
enquiries with other Bystronic users further afield:
The customer service was always praised.”
Tested and purchased
A total of five Bystronic machines are in operation
at Generaltec. The most recent investment included
an Xcel 250 pressbrake and a BySun 3015 laser
cutting system. Both machines are specially tailored
to the requirements of customers in China. After
purchasing two Xcel 50 machines in 2010, the
Xcel 250 was the third pressbrake that Generaltec
bought from the range. What is perhaps remarkable is that the company previously relied on pressbrakes from another well-known supplier. But, according to Tingli Wang’s experiences, the Xcel
bends with greater precision and, furthermore, is
easier to operate.
As part of its field testing, the BySun laser cutting
system underwent a six-month trial operation at
Generaltec, before finally being purchased in the
spring of this year. Tingli Wang is still impressed by
how easily the machine was integrated into production and how reliably it operated subsequently.
“From day one, we were able to produce for twelve
hours with the BySun. For the entire duration of
the test, we only had minor problems that could
be solved quickly,” Tingli Wang recalls. Compared
to the ByJin 3015 laser cutting system that was installed together with the two Xcel pressbrakes, the
BySun has even lower maintenance costs and its
design is even more ergonomic. “The costs for cutting gas on the BySun are approximately one third
lower than on the ByJin,” Tingli Wang explains.
This is mainly attributed to the BySun’s use of premix laser gas; in contrast to the ByJin, which
doesn’t. In addition, the Swiss-made ByLaser 3300
laser source, with its 3.3 kilowatts of laser output,
is very efficient. This means that the machine consumes very little electricity. Furthermore, the laser
source’s wear-free semiconductor excitation and
the magnetic bearings of its blower are not subject
to wear and tear – resulting in low maintenance
costs.
The BySun’s ergonomics are primarily demonstrated by the machine’s workspace: It is freely accessible throughout its entire length, allowing barrierfree access to every point on the cutting table. In
this way, Bystronic ensures that customers who
purchase their BySun without the optional loading
table can still easily load and unload the machine.
In such cases, the machine operator rolls the metal
sheet over steel balls embedded in the machine
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A glance into Building 2: Manufacturing electronic components demands the gentlest
of touches; furthermore, they cannot be contaminated with dirt.
frame, and into the workspace of the machine. “It
really is very convenient,” Tingli Wang says. “Although we rarely make use of this feature, as our
BySun is equipped with a loading table,” he adds.
When asked what else he likes about the BySun,
Tingli Wang replies, “It is even more compact and
therefore requires even less floor space than the
ByJin. In addition, my machine operators tell me
that the BySun is very easy to use.” And the precision with which the BySun operates? “It is in no
way inferior to the ByJin,” Tingli Wang replies. The
resonator, for example, supports Bystronic’s proprietary CPP piercing process – ensuring fast and reliable piercing. This allows cutting orders to be processed even faster. In addition, thanks to CPP, the
piercing hole is minute, with the result that even
fine contours are cut with ultimate precision.
Tingli Wang’s conclusion on the field test was entirely positive. “We would repeat such a test at any
time,” he explains. He is pleased to have both the
BySun and the ByJin on his production line. “Both
systems support us in ensuring customer satisfaction,” he says, in summary of his impressions. And
so, Generaltec is in an extremely comfortable position: Two lions flank the gate to the company’s
premises and a further two guarantee efficient laser production. All four ensure good fortune and
prosperity. “These are the very best of prerequisites,” Tingli Wang says with a laugh, “for looking
ahead to the future.”
“Bystronic
gives
unbeatable
service.”
Tingli Wang
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