Vinda Malaysia triumphs at the 2023 Manufacturing Asia Awards with two outstanding accolades

Its double win underscores the company's groundbreaking initiatives in the improvement of automated inspection systems in the production of hygiene products.

Hygiene and personal care company Vinda Malaysia has once again proven its commitment to innovation, quality, and sustainability by winning two prestigious awards at the 2023 Manufacturing Asia Awards. It secured the titles of Malaysia Lean Manufacturing Initiative of the Year - Consumer Goods and Malaysia Manufacturing Innovation of the Year - Consumer Goods.

The award-winning entry, "Automation of manual packaging through the use of new, medium and high-speed, cost-effective auto-baggers," showcases Vinda Malaysia's dedication to enhancing the packaging processes for hygiene products, further elevating their quality and presentation.

The packaging industry has undergone a remarkable transformation, with technology playing a pivotal role in improving efficiency and sustainability. Prominent brands such as Optima Packaging, IMA Group, and Focke Packaging Solutions have paved the way with innovative auto bagging solutions tailored for feminine hygiene items. These automated systems offer precision, automation, and versatility, ensuring the careful handling and efficient packaging of essential products.

One of the industry's key challenges was packaging feminine hygiene products, which require the highest cycles per minute on baggers. The traditional solutions involved high-cost, high-speed baggers or the installation of multiple middle-speed baggers in parallel. Both options proved costly and impractical in markets with lower labour costs, such as Malaysia.

To address this issue, Vinda China initiated a collaboration with Optima to develop a cost-effective, high-speed packaging solution, and Vinda Malaysia continued this endeavour with Project "Klang." After over three years of development and fine-tuning, the new bagger achieved an impressive 120 cycles per minute, all whilst being 60% more cost-effective than premium high-speed machines available in the market.

Furthermore, Vinda Malaysia's commitment to sustainability shines through, as the 'Klang' bagger is designed to accommodate paper bags, reducing the environmental impact of traditional polyethylene bags.

The key achievements of Vinda Malaysia's lean manufacturing initiative are remarkable such as the reduction of intensive and repetitive manual packaging activities through tailor-made automation solutions, cost savings due to the high efficiency, low maintenance, and lower initial investment compared to manual labor, and improved business continuity, eliminating the risk of production line stoppages due to labor shortages.
The second award, "Malaysia Manufacturing Innovation of the Year - Consumer Goods," celebrates Vinda Malaysia's pioneering efforts in automated product inspection for hygiene products, including baby diapers, adult diapers, and feminine products.

AccuSentry, a leading figure in hygiene product inspection, employs advanced image analysis and machine learning algorithms to scrutinise diaper production, ensuring the highest quality standards are met. The system meticulously examines various elements, such as the core, tape, leg cuffs, elastic components, and the overall appearance of the product. It rapidly identifies any irregularities, including misalignment, staining, or defects in elastic components, ensuring product integrity and customer satisfaction.

This advanced system offers numerous advantages, including a reduction in the risk of producing substandard diapers, fewer product recalls, and increased production efficiency. With the ability to process over 1,500 pieces per minute, AccuSentry's real-time monitoring enables swift issue resolution, maintaining consistently high production standards.

Vinda Malaysia's collaboration with AccuSentry has led to remarkable innovations. One project focuses on inspecting the product core of diapers by integrating a special sensor with the AccuSentry camera. This project is in the final fine-tuning phase and is set to be fully operational by the first quarter of 2024.

Additionally, Vinda Malaysia's manufacturing innovation has yielded impressive results, including a significant enhancement in product quality achieved through the implementation of 100% product inspection, effectively replacing traditional sampling. 

Furthermore, the introduction of state-of-the-art automated inspection processes has resulted in a substantial reduction in labour-intensive and repetitive manual inspection tasks. This not only increases efficiency but also leads to a substantial reduction in waste, as immediate feedback on minor variations enables preventive measures to be taken before products deviate from specifications.

The Manufacturing Asia Awards is presented by Manufacturing Asia Magazine. To view the full list of winners, click here. If you want to join the 2024 awards programme and be acclaimed for your groundbreaking technologies, sustainable practices, and transformative contributions driving Asia's manufacturing prowess, please contact Jane Patiag at [email protected].