The number five is lucky in China, standing for the five blessings of wealth, good fortune, longevity, happiness and abundance for which one should strive. In this spirit, the purchase of the 555th Allrounder from Arburg surely means three times the good fortune. Reason enough to mark the official machine handover with high-ranking representatives from long-standing partners Xiamen Hongfa Electroacoustic and Arburg.
Hongfa’s President Manjin Guo, Jinqing Yang, Vice President of Technical Center, Qihong Tang, Vice president , as well as Jiaqiang Chen and Wenwei Li, Managing Directors Europe, were among the high-calibre representatives attending the handover ceremony. The delegation that travelled from Arburg to Hongfa in Xiamen, China, included Guido Frohnhaus, Managing Director Technology & Engineering, and Markus Kilgus, Vice President Technical Administration. Also present were Zhao Tong, head of the Arburg organisations in China, as well as Hunt Xiao, Director of the Arburg Technology Center ATC Zhejiang and Fujian.
The official handover of the 555th Allrounder took place as part of the large-scale anniversary celebrations from 22 to 24 June 2024 marking 40 years of Hongfa. In addition to a certificate for the 555th machine and a painting showing a woman in typical Swabian dress, Guido Frohnhaus also had the opportunity to present a special gift to represent the "double" cooperation between Hongfa and Arburg as suppliers and manufacturers: a printed circuit board equipped with Hongfa relays from an Allrounder.
Quality: Foundation for the cooperation
In his speech, Jinqing Yang emphasised the many years of successful cooperation between Hongfa and Arburg: "Our cooperation now goes back over 28 years. We purchased the first eight Allrounders 320 and 420 M in 1996. Now we have more than 555. To this day, we are still as impressed by the quality of the machines as by the highly efficient solutions offered to us and by the excellent Arburg service. These are also the reasons why Hongfa can manufacture its products in the highest quality. Our Allrounders therefore provide the foundation for our sustained positive development as well as our ascent to become the most important relay manufacturer in the world."
When it came his turn to speak, Guido Frohnhaus stressed the following: "The connection between our companies goes far beyond just a customer/supplier relationship: Hongfa and Arburg are connected by a special kind of partnership, where both constantly challenge and encourage each other - and so always deliver the very best performance. To get straight to the point: the cooperation between Hongfa and Arburg is truly outstanding. And hopefully will continue well into the future also."
Milestones in a successful partnership
The successful development of the cooperation is marked by several significant milestones. After purchasing the first eight Allrounders in 1996, Hongfa quickly and continuously extended its machine fleet further. The hundredth machine was purchased in 2011, the 200th Allrounder at the start of 2016 and the 300 machine mark was quickly reached by mid-2017. Number 400 followed in 2021 in the form of an Allrounder 470 H. The 555th Arburg injection moulding machine that was installed in April 2024 and has now been officially handled over is of the same type. These hybrid machines are used for high-volume production of relay switches, a product for which Hongfa has been known since 2017 as the world's biggest manufacturer.
Broad product and machine range
Hongfa was established in 1984, and today is one of the market leaders in the global relay industry. The company has more than 30 subsidiaries as well as 15,000 employees worldwide, and has a presence in more than 120 countries and regions. As well as relays, its product range extends to high-, medium- and low-voltage equipment, capacitors, plug connectors, precision components and automation solutions. Hongfa has established three research and development as well as production locations in Western and Eastern China as well as in Xiamen in Central Fujian. Together with its production facilities in Indonesia, the company has gained a global lead along the entire value chain for relays and associated products. In 2023, Hongfa achieved turnover of 2.4 billion US dollars, representing an increase in its global share to 21.3 percent.
The product range includes 160 relay series with some 40,000 standard specifications that are used in the automotive, communication, safety and control technology, household appliance and aerospace industries. For its production, Hongfa uses almost the entire Arburg machine portfolio with hydraulic, hybrid and electric Allrounders covering a clamping force range from 400 to 3,200 kN.
