Pursuing the philosophy of “honesty & integrity” Taiwan based Chee Siang Corporation, the proud owners of “Golden Wheel” brand of sewing machines and related automations, is engaged in manufacturing and sales of more than 200 kinds of industrial sewing machines falling into five categories comprising of garments, luggage, shoes, caps and automobile seats combined with furniture.
Team StitchWorld recently visited the manufacturing facility of Golden Wheel in Shanghai, China and was impressed with the high level of automation and stringent quality standards that ensure the products which are comparable to the best in the world.
It is now an established fact that Taiwanese machines are comparable to any German or Japanese machine and with Golden Wheel being produced in China following Taiwanese quality standards it gives an additional edge in pricing to the machines. “We are now the OEM supplier of PFAFF, Germany and Merrow, USA for which we make basic and automated solutions at our factory in Shanghai, China, situated in the Jinquai Export Processing Zone,” shares Chen Man Chuing, President, Golden Wheel. The manufacturing tie-up is to the advantage of both companies. “Golden Wheel is a strategic partner, which will enable us to offer reasonably priced machines with fair quality to our worldwide dealers,” adds Joachim Richter, Owner of PFAFF Industrial, Germany.
Covering a total area of 80 acres with gross floor area of 66,000 square metres, the huge manufacturing facility in China has a workforce of 2,000 employees and the capacity to produce 15,000 sewing machines per month. However, even this capacity is falling short. “We are looking towards future business expansion and are already seeking a new site for an additional factory within China, followed by a new building inside the existing factory premises for a workforce expansion of 2,300 employees in the future,” informed Chen Man Chuing while taking the team around the premises.
A highly automated assembly system produces dye cast heads in a completely automated plant using CNC technology, followed by machining, tooling and painting. The parts are prepared in blanking and various automated machines and assembled in semi-automated lines. Each part is quality checked for its accuracy and durability. After the final assembly, each machine passes through stringent quality tests and test for sewing, lubrication, speed, etc.
Research & Development is the key to any company and its products, so is the case with Chee Siang. Established in 1986, the company has integrated research & development as the core of its organization, both at the Shanghai factory and at an exclusive R&D centre created in Japan to bring in newer versions of the sewing technologies. The sewing machine pioneer is presently working in 20 different categories, which comprises of embroidery sewing machine series, pin-point stitch sewing machine, mechanical/electronic pattern tacking machine series and the advanced 299 eyelet button holing machine series and many more. In the last decade, the company had registered three patents successively in the years 2000, 2001 and 2003, among which are the feeding mechanism for CS-8365 Single Needle High-postbed Sewing Machine with Unison Feed, the lower feeding mechanism for CS-8367, the Inclinable postbed mechanism for CS-8368 and the newly designed mechanism for the model CS-8369.
The product portfolio of Golden Wheel offers a wide variety of sewing machines that are all manufactured in the sewing machine facility in China. The major categories are lockstitch, chainstitch, overlock, interlock, coverstitch, double chainstitch multi-needle series, zigzag, feed-of-the-arm, button-holing, button sewing and bartacking. The brand also has high-end special functionality machines which are specifically for the purpose of value-addition to the sewn product via operations like wave-pushing sewing, crochet shell stitching, embroidery, pin-point stitch, picot stitch, shearing, smocking and ruffling, etc.
A further extension and specialization for Golden Wheel has been achieved under the brand Vari-O-Matic, also manufactured in the same facility. Under the Vari-O-Matic range, Golden Wheel offers pintucking, smocking, ruffling, elastic shirring, etc. Smocking can be done in thin knitted, fine georgette as well as denim using 12 to 25 needles. Pintucking and elastic shirring can also be done with 12-25 needles.
Golden Wheel is also known for their range of heavy duty machines meant for car seat cover, luggage and furnishings. The needle feed and unison feed with normal presser foot in flatbed range, Driven roller presser feet in cylinder bed and postbed range, and special purpose long arm and high postbed machines cater to car seat cover, luggage and furnishings manufacturers.
Since the past year, industrial sewing machine hooks under the 7-Fuku sewing machine brands have also been included in the manufacturing portfolio of the company, with a monthly production of 20,000 pieces. The factory possesses equipment capable of manufacturing titanium coated hooks and premium hooks with DLC (Diamond-like Coating). “We will promote exports of hooks and aim at manufacturing 1,00,000 hooks monthly. The “7-Fuku” brand industrial sewing machine hooks and metering devices manufactured in our factory are exported to various countries via Asahi (HK) International Co. Ltd. based in Hong Kong,” adds Chen Man Chuing. The company has recently also begun manufacturing elastic tape feeder and metering device for 7-Fuku sewing machines.
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