Insight

Malaysian-based Well-Union has established itself as a manufacturer of stainless steel bolts and screws – with a production capacity of 180 tonnes per month and exports to partners in more than 50 countries, including in the USA, Europe, Asia and the Middle East.

An associate company of LINKWELL Industry Co Ltd, Well-Union Metal Sdn Bhd was founded in 2005 and, through its factory in Johor Bahru, is able to produce a variety of products according to DIN, ISO, and JIS, including stainless steel (A2/ A4/ SS305/ SS410/ SS430) screws and bolts, machine screws, tapping screws, chipboard screws, woodscrews, deck screws and screws according to customer drawings – from 2.2mm to 12mm in diameter and 4.5mm to 150mm in length. 

“We have many years of professional experience in the production of stainless steel screws and thanks to our skilled management system, advanced technology, good reputation, and the latest production equipment from Germany, Taiwan and Japan, we have established ourselves as a key supplier within the fastener market,” states Well-Union. 

The company also puts it success down to its commitment to the principle: ‘Quality and the customer always come first’. “Our quality is underlined by our certification to the Japanese Industrial Standard (JIS) B1111 and JIS B1122,” mentions Well-Union. “In addition, we have obtained a Certificate of Conformity for Factory Production Control, which fulfils the evaluation and verification of performance stability as described in a European Technical Assessment (ETA). To ensure production efficiency and product quality, we also continuously introduce advanced inspection instruments and computerised operations, which are able to control quality and meet international requirements.”

The company adds: “Another important factor is that we look to introduce high value-added products and continuously work on product improvements, which enables us to meet customers’ needs and create more competitive niche markets for us as a business.”

Well-Union points out that being based in Malaysia is also a great benefit to the business, as it helps it to differentiate itself from the traditional fastener manufacturing hubs of China and Taiwan. “Malaysia has two major ports in southeast Asia, Port Klang and the Port of Tanjung Pelepas, and it is also close to the Port of Singapore. This provides Malaysian companies with great advantages in import and export,” explains
Well-Union. “Malaysia also has a well developed infrastructure, with it only taking 1 to 3 hours to reach the three ports by road. This can ensure high-quality supplier networks and allows for efficient and cost-effective manufacturing and transportation of goods.”

Another key advantage related to the fastener industry is that Malaysia has the MTFTA (Malaysia-Turkey Free Trade Agreement) with Turkey, which gives Well-Union the opportunity to attract more business partners from within the Turkish market. 

“As a Malaysian manufacturer we are always looking to stay at the forefront of the industry, which is why we are continuously upgrading our machines and looking to introduce advanced automated machines with sensors – to collect data, identify problems and send signals for corrective action, as well as help improve our production efficiency,” explains Well-Union. “Another vital part of being a leading manufacturer within the industry is to ensure you are consistently producing high-quality and reliable products. That is why we regularly cooperate with external trainers to provide training courses for employees, in order to improve their skills and ensure they can keep up with the latest developments and processes.” 

Another area in which Well-Union is looking to stay up to date is with its ERP system, which it is currently updating and will be completed by the end of 2023. “Our goal is to move towards a more systematic and automated standard operating procedure,” states Well-Union. “Going forward we will continue to focus on data traceability and data analysis for continuous improvement, which is why we are upgrading our ERP system now – so that we are prepared for the future.”