Nikon sharpens its focus on metrology equipment
Nikon sharpens its focus on metrology equipment
While Japan’s Nikon Corporation is famous for its cameras, it has also made a name for itself in the metrology sector as a leading producer of scanners, telescopes, binoculars, ophthalmic equipment, microscopes, surveying equipment, and precision optical equipment. Director of Nikon Singapore Pte Ltd, Takao Shiihashi, spoke to VIR’s Phuong Thu about his firm’s strategy to maximise opportunities arising from free trade agreements within Vietnam’s market.
Metrology is the science and process of ensuring that a measurement meets specified degrees of accuracy and precision. What key products does Nikon present to its target customers in Vietnam?
As you know, today, Nikon is a world-renowned brand, firmly established as a market leader in optical instrumentation and the only microscope company to manufacture its own glass, ensuring the very finest quality assurance throughout production. With over 90 years’ expertise in the field, Nikon has always been at the forefront of optical and technological innovation, promoting creativity and trustworthiness as part of the company’s global mission statement.
With other major players in the semiconductors industry such as Samsung, Intel, and LG making billion-dollar investments over the past few years, Nikon predicts that semiconductors/electronics and the automotive industries will grow rapidly in Vietnam over the next two years. To support such emerging trends, Nikon Singapore Pte Ltd has a complete range of metrology solutions including co-ordinate measuring machines (CMMs), 3D laser scanners, X-ray and computed tomography, optical CNC measuring systems, laser radar, iGPS/iSpace systems, industrial and measuring microscopes, and metrology software for 3D scanning, 3D digitising, 3D inspection, and reverse engineering.
We will keep to our strategy with a focus on automotive and mechanical engineering as Nikon feels that over the next five years, Vietnam will witness robust growth in these sectors as it is still a developing country.
What are your company’s marketing strategies to enter the industrial metrology product market in the Southeast Asian region following the establishment of the ASEAN Economic Community (AEC) and the Trans-Pacific Partnership (TPP)?
With more manufacturing investment projects arriving in Vietnam, supporting industries and manufacturers need new machinery and technologies to upgrade their production lines, especially for the upcoming AEC and TPP. Our metrology solutions have enhanced our clients’ productivity and quality. In 2016, as part of our continual expansion within Vietnam’s market, we joined the Vietnam Manufacturing Expo where we introduced our new products and technologies, such as the Nikon Altera CMM, the Nikon premium portable metrology, and the Nikon LC15DX laser scanner. We always look forward to meeting and building working relationships with new partners.
Our equipment is used predominantly in the area of reverse engineering, inspection, and of course, quality assurance, which is becoming a priority issue here in Vietnam. It is also important to understand that our customers are not just looking for machines, but also solutions for their production and quality issues. In order to increase the brand awareness of Nikon Industrial Solutions in Vietnam, we will establish qualified leads, generate new sales and expand our distribution channel.
From the expansion of your business in the Vietnamese market over the years, what is your perspective concerning industrial production and trade in Vietnam for the future?
Vietnam represents an opportunity for the company to increase the industry-wide awareness of our services and solutions, as the country offers competitive human resource advantages compared to neighbouring countries such as China or Thailand. There are also many industrial estates being established here so the company believes it is the right time to connect with existing and potential customers in the area.
