Kawan Lama Solution offers Indonesian manufacturing a high-tech and more convenient future

The company is aiming to capture a 30% market share in the industrial equipment sector in Indonesia.

To live the idea of being a leading manufacturer in the future, one must prioritise convenience in operations, especially for its workforce.

According to Vincent Mintarja, product director of Kawan Lama Solution, this future trend is why the two business entities within the Kawan Lama Group  continually introduce innovative and high-tech solutions such as automation for raw material handling and packaging.

“In the future, there will be more convenience, and industries will no longer rely on conventional systems, such as manually moving flour. This convenience is not intended to eliminate jobs for operators but to reduce human errors,” Vincent told Manufacturing Asia.

Established this year, Kawan Lama Solution is a merger of two business units under the Kawan Lama Group: PT Kawan Lama Sejahtera, which sells principal products like those from Mitutoyo and Nilfisk; and PT Krisbow Indonesia, which offers house brand products, such as imported household equipment labeled as Krisbow.

The two have automatically integrated their entire product lines and at present, Kawan Lama Solution represents a total of 100 principal brands.

What makes perfect sense in this merger is that these two business entities complement each other.

“If customers require affordable products, we can offer Krisbow products,” said Vincent. “On the other hand, when they have a higher budget, we also provide products from principal brands.”

New technology solutions

Aiming to be a primary provider of equipment for both the engineering and commercial industries, Kawan Lama Solution has worked out its strategies to make innovation and convenience its distinct edge.

“To generate demand, what we do is create something new. For instance, we conduct research on which systems in factories are still manual, and from there, we offer technology to support them, transforming conventional processes into modern ones, making the factories interested,” said Vincent.

One of the new technologies introduced by Kawan Lama Solution is Material Transfer from Nilfisk, a manufacturing company from Denmark. Nilfisk offers an innovative solution for the automatic transfer of dry materials from one location to another. This reduces human contact in the pouring process, ensuring the cleanliness of processed products compared to manual pouring.

Additionally, this equipment reduces the potential for significant waste. For example, in the production of pharmaceutical tablets, raw material granules that are usually wasted can be reprocessed using the filters in this equipment, allowing the material to be reused. This equipment is not limited to the pharmaceutical industry but is also commonly used in the F&B sector.

Furthermore, Kawan Lama Solution offers a unique packaging solution from Youngsun that enhances efficiency. “Kawan Lama Solution consistently brings products that are well-tested in the market and are  premium and number one in their home country, such as Youngsun from China,” said Vincent.

The stretch feature in Youngsun’s wrapping machines claims to save up to 200%–300% in plastic wrapping usage. The automatic feature in the wrapping process also eliminates the potential for employee injuries during work. Youngsun’s wrapping machines operate at a speed of 80 packs per minute and are suitable for industries ranging from F&B to automotive.

Additionally, there is measurement equipment from Imada, which ensures precise measurements in the production process. This equipment can measure aspects like colour to ensure it matches the brand’s specifications. These days, the slightest difference in colours raises suspicion of being counterfeit products.

Moreover, there is a food texture measurement tool that can measure the thickness of items like bread to ensure it matches the desired specifications and maintains consistency between different product batches.

Precise measurements using this technology can reduce rework processes caused by inaccuracies in manual measurements. This measurement equipment is not only common in the F&B sector but is also used in other industries, such as shoe production.

Market target

Kawan Lama Solution is targeting a 30% market share in the industrial equipment sector in Indonesia.

“Of course, this target will be achieved gradually. It can be said that we are among the market leaders in Indonesia,” said Vincent, adding that some major brands in Indonesia have already adopted Kawan Lama Solution innovations.

The good thing about the company is that while it is known to answer the demands of large-scale industries, Kawan Lama Solution also targets small-scale industries and even micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

In fact, one of its customers is an MSME in the F&B sector, which has utilised equipment from Kawan Lama Solution to reduce the significant waste generated during the processing of flour into finished food products.

In marketing their products, Kawan Lama Solution also collaborates with other companies under the Kawan Lama Group. For example, they offer household equipment products under the Krisbow brand at Ace Hardware outlets.

Their market reach extends beyond Indonesia, as Kawan Lama Solution has ventured into international sales. Currently, the company has made its debut in exports to Myanmar through the Krisbow brand.

“This will be followed by other Southeast Asian countries such as Malaysia, the Philippines, and Vietnam. Additionally, the company is targeting other international markets like Africa and Latin America. We have also recently held an exhibition in China,” Vincent said.

With their new technology solutions and the strength of the two merged business entities, Kawan Lama Solution aims to target both the Indonesian and international markets.