Hong Jitian, Chairman of Ruige, leads a small company of ten people to actively reduce carbon emissions. Photo by Huang Jinghui

 

Upstream manufacturers often ignore the demand for carbon reduction in the supply chain because they have little contact with end customers. Ruige Precision Machinery, which started out as a manufacturer of hobbing machines and reducers, started from itself and optimized the carbon reduction process equipment. It unexpectedly received a major Japanese manufacturer coming to discuss cooperation.

 

Reige Precision Machinery, which is hidden in Kamiokang, Taichung, started out by producing hobbing machines and reducers. Its technology is so good that it has been designated to cooperate with the largest Japanese gear manufacturing brand. Taiwan's transmission component manufacturer Shang Yin also sent people to learn from its experience. Regal has attracted much attention recently because of their success in reducing carbon emissions and cultivating net-zero competitiveness.

 

In fact, as early as 2021, Ruige began to conduct greenhouse gas inventories, using digital monitoring equipment to identify the company's carbon emission hot spots to avoid unnecessary energy consumption. The average annual power saving is as high as 12,000 kilowatt-hours. After precise calculation, the reduction 37 metric tons of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2e).

 

Perhaps compared with listed companies, such power saving and carbon reduction results are insignificant, but the rare thing about Ruige is that they are only a small business with ten people.

 

From unintentional insertion to obtaining patents in six countries

 

When you step into Ruige's factory, you will see pots of green plants. Walking further into the factory, you will be greeted by gusts of cool breeze.

 

"These were planted by the chairman!" Li Peiru, business manager of Ruige, went out to greet them, saying that the planting was the result of Chairman Hong Jitian's "green fingers". Then, she pointed to the digital dashboard in her office and talked about the ins and outs of the company's "green transformation."

 

“Actually, our energy saving and carbon reduction results are a bit unintentional!” Li Peiru said that originally, in response to the shortage of workers, we wanted to increase production efficiency, so we integrated the hobbing machine and reducer into a “multi-functional processing machine” , unexpectedly, it became the starting point for carbon reduction by Ruige.

 

She led the "Foresight" reporter to visit this world's first multi-functional processing machine, which integrates hobbing, chamfering, keyway milling and slotting grinding wheels. It is used for worm precision components in automobiles, elevators and food mixers. It can be produced in a one-stop manner with good precision and high efficiency. It has also obtained patents from six countries including the United States, Germany, Japan, South Korea, Taiwan and China.

 

Li Peiru said that Ruige is an upstream manufacturer and has little contact with end customers such as hardware stores and equipment manufacturers. It often ignores the carbon reduction needs of the supply chain, such as the recently popular EU Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM). The entire The supply chain must reduce carbon emissions together. "Customers will ask us to reduce carbon emissions sooner or later, so why not start doing it ourselves." Because of this, a small company with ten people must also work hard to reduce carbon emissions.

 

At the Machine Tool Exhibition in March this year, Ruige exhibited a variety of carbon reduction process equipment, paired with smart meters and automation systems, hoping to make other equipment manufacturers understand: If they don’t quickly follow the net-zero trend and adopt carbon reduction solutions, Customers will absolutely rip off their orders.

 

Product quality is the key to Ruige's breakthrough in carbon reduction, and this relies on Hong Jitian's decades of technical foundation.

 

Hong Jitian became an apprentice in a machinery factory at the age of 16. "The society at that time was to learn technology if you didn't like studying. It was commonly known as the 'black hand'. Because I was very interested in industry, I spent my whole life studying making gears and turbines." After retiring from the army, he successfully entered the factory to work.

 

At the age of 29, Hong Kitian ushered in a turning point in his career. He said that it was an era when "Taiwan's money was everywhere", and the quality of imported equipment was not as good as expected. His sponsors and friends took a fancy to his skill and approached him to start a business. "Reige Precision Machinery" was founded in 1992. come out.

 


Product quality is the key to Ruige’s carbon reduction results. Photo by Su Yijie

 

Join hands with major foreign manufacturers to expand business

 

As Hong Kitian continued to improve Regal's hobbing machines and reducers to become more precise, the largest brand of gear manufacturing in Japan, "Ohara Gear Industry" (KHK), actually mentioned his name to discuss cooperation. "We went to Japan to participate in an exhibition in 2018, and KHK said that they saw an advertisement for Regal in a golf magazine. But when KHK came to visit us, we were really confused because there was no advertisement at all!"

 

He later thought about it, and it was probably a manufacturer who was interested in consignment sales who did a little publicity, and unexpectedly attracted big names. As a result, KHK became Ruige's first customer to enter the Japanese market and truly solved the problems encountered by KHK's manufacturing process. Now, both parties have to face the issue of net-zero emissions together. Reiger also hopes that KHK will synchronize carbon inventories and provide carbon reduction data so that they can continue to work together to expand business.

 

In order to achieve the effect of carbon reduction, in addition to optimizing equipment, Ruige also improved the factory offices. The entire area is planned with double-layer roofs to divert hot air and allow natural wind to circulate, making it very comfortable without turning on the air conditioner.

 

This kind of architectural planning not only saves electricity and reduces carbon emissions, but also achieves unexpected results. "During the epidemic, if employees get infected, they are not in the factory because we no longer use central air conditioning." Li Peiru said with a smile.

 

" How much electricity is consumed and how much electricity is spent can be clearly displayed on the dashboard and mobile app."

 

Because there is no carbon reduction precedent for tooth rolling machines and reducers to follow, Netlink engineers also spent a lot of effort to find the carbon emission source of Ruige. However, after successfully breaking through, Ruige can directly provide customers with Carbon emission data and carbon footprint information can overcome tariff barriers and develop more orders.

 

Don't refuse to do big things just because the company is small. Ruige grasps the global carbon reduction trend early and starts to practice it. Hong Jitian's "green fingers" not only brought life to the flowers and plants around the Ruige factory, but also greened this ten-person small business.

 

Ruige Precision Machinery

 

Chairman:Hong Jitian
Capital:8 million
Number of employees:10
Carbon reduction plan:
1. Natural convection in the entire factory, no need for air conditioning
2. Independent research and development of multi-functional processing equipment that optimizes the process and reduces carbon emissions
3. Introduce an energy monitoring and management system to understand the energy flow of process equipment and monitor electricity consumption data
Carbon reduction results:
1. The average annual electricity consumption is reduced by about 12,000 kilowatt hours. Electricity
2. Average annual carbon emissions are reduced by approximately 37 metric tons of CO2e

 

 

Source: https://www.gvm.com.tw/article/115341