A group of 100 technicians and engineers from the Malaysian plastics industry have completed Malaysia’s first Industry 4.0 training course, under a 12-month pilot programme organised by the Malaysian Plastics Manufacturers Association (MPMA).
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A group of 100 technicians and engineers from the Malaysian plastics industry have completed Malaysia’s first Industry 4.0 training course, under a 12-month pilot programme organised by the Malaysian Plastics Manufacturers Association (MPMA).
This pioneer batch graduated from MPMA’s First Step to Injection Moulding 4.0 (FSIM4.0) programme that ran from September 2017 to November 2018. The graduation ceremony was held today at the Plenary Theatre of Monash University Malaysia.
Comprising of four different courses, MPMA’s FSIM 4.0 was supported by a RM2.9 million grant from Pembangunan Sumber Manusia Berhad (PSMB) under its InBase Scheme. The programme aims to upskill those working in Malaysia’s plastics industry, and help Malaysian plastics manufacturers stay competitive through achieving operational excellence.
The four courses offered in the FSIM4.0 programme are: Scientific Moulding; First Step to Smart Manufacturing; Smart Maintenance; as well as Lean and Robot Based Automation. Each course consists of five modules and each module requires five days of training.
Three participants underwent all four courses of which two clocked in outstanding achievement by successfully completing and achieving competency in all four courses.
The most important course was Scientific Moulding which saw participation from 45 candidates, out of which 22 successfully passed all five modules. Scientific Moulding is critical as it is the core activity of an injection moulder and equips candidates with the know-how to run efficient and stable processes, ultimately enhancing production efficiency and quality in plastics manufacturing.
“We congratulate this pioneer batch of FSIM 4.0 graduates, who are proof that Malaysia can produce top notch human capital and highly skilled workers,” said Datuk Lim Kok Boon, President of MPMA.
“We must continue supporting our people by equipping them with new, invaluable skills they will need to further their careers. This in turn will contribute to significant economic impact and high-value job creation in the medium to long term,” he added.
Malaysia is one of ASEAN’s top exporters of plastic products, with about 50 percent of production directly exported as finished products. The industry must be able to compete internationally with clients who demand high-quality products.
“MPMA's next step would be the launch of the Training Factory – a component of the Centre of Excellence. The objective of the Training Factory is to prepare a steady stream of trained workforce who is ready to enter and contribute to the industry,” said Datuk Lim.
The companies whose employees attended FSIM4.0 also applied for grants from the Malaysian Investment Development Authority’s (MIDA) Domestic Industry Strategic Fund (DISF) to obtain equipment. The four participating companies were LH Plus Sdn Bhd, Mah Sing Plastics Industries Sdn Bhd, Plasform Sdn Bhd and Triplus Industry Sdn Bhd.
MPMA has been leading the way in championing Industry 4.0, and supporting the Malaysian government’s initiative to raise the country’s technical capabilities in order to advance into automated and digitized manufacturing.
In 2012, the MPMA Talent Development Programme (TDP) kicked off with the support of a RM3 million grant from the Economic Planning Unit under the Prime Minister’s Department. The objective was to create a pool of knowledge-based technicians and engineers with the capabilities to drive the industry to the future.