It is well known that Thailand is one of the major links in the global supply chains. Moreover, since the government has a policy to support ten major industries, all of which rely on molds, President of Thai Tool and Die Industry Association (TDIA) Mr. Boonlert Chodchoi has provided a visionary insight on the opportunities for Thai mold & die manufacturers.

"Whether it's the modern automotive industry that requires high-performance materials, or the up-and-coming medical equipment industry, all of them need molds especially the rubber injection. Nowadays, rubber has become increasingly important in the medical field since the breakout of COVID-19 pandemic. Thus, it is an opening for the Thai entrepreneurs to enter and grow in the market.”

"Rubber production doesn’t require manufacturers to replace their existing machines. However, they need to learn the nature of rubber, such as shrinkage percentages, hotrunners, or gateways, all of which are the knowhow familiar to manufacturers in other countries. Therefore, manufacturers in Thailand need to be educated, especially those who may not have been in the mold industry before, so that they are prepared to transform their businesses in case of the unforeseen situations where their industries decline. That way, they can switch to the mold industry which is more stable without much disruption."

"Making higher precision mold is a way to add value, thereby increasing the price and demand in the market. It certainly requires mold makers to transform their way of thinking as well as how they run their business. Currently, TDIA is a member of the Education Council Subcommittee to assist in laying out a training guideline for those outside the mold industry to be able to get a certification to advance their careers, which will consist of eight tiers based on ASEAN standards. We are also coordinating with software companies and universities to provide expert training at Samut Songkhram Technical College and Thai-German Institute to professors from 18 universities, so they can pass on the practical knowledge to their students and produce quality human resource who can keep up with the evolution of modern mold & die. We can't deny that only entrepreneurs who can adapt to their customers' needs and current trends will continue to grow." 

"Today’s mold & die industry is different from ten years ago, because it has changed from using human knowledge and expertise to technology from machines and software, so mold makers need to figure out which software is suitable and can be used to enhance their businesses. The COVID-19 pandemic has prevented industrialists from visiting exhibitions overseas, so InterMold Thailand is a very important event with actual machinery and software demonstrations. I highly recommend everyone to visit the show to find out various options to empower their business, and there will be a seminar on rubber injection that TDIA will co-organize as well.”