Growing Challenges: How Lubricant-Free Components Help Make Thailand’s Food and Beverage Industry More Resilient

Amid the ongoing energy crisis, igus, an industry leader for motion plastics, has recently conducted an in-house industry survey on food and beverage manufacturers in Thailand, and it has found that the local manufacturing segment is not spared from facing significant pressures led by the following factors:

1. Cost Surge: Escalating prices of raw materials and packaging have directly increased production overheads.

2. Supply Shortages: Disruptions in the global supply chain have led to critical shortages of essential materials, causing intermittent production halts.

3. Logistics Burden: Rising freight rates and shipping costs have further strained the industry’s overall cost management.

Manufacturers are mitigating the above risks by stockpiling essential materials and spare parts, diversifying suppliers, and optimizing logistics for full-container loads. Additionally, production schedules are being shifted to off-peak hours to manage energy costs, alongside modest price adjustments to reflect rising overheads.

AFBR has a wonderful opportunity to interview Mr Narakorn Narangsiya, Sales Director of igus Motion Plastics (Thailand) Co., Ltd to gather in-depth understanding of the major challenges within the F&B industry in Thailand and how igus fit in to help minimize the industry operating costs. The following are excerpts from the interview with him:

What do you foresee to be the major challenges faced by the local Thai food and beverage industry ?

Thailand’s F&B industry currently faces a ‘Triple Threat’ and these include:

1. Cost Management vs Purchasing Power: While production and logistics costs continue to rise, consumer purchasing power is decelerating. Manufacturers are struggling to maintain margins without losing customers.

2. Supply Chain Fragility: The reliance on single-source suppliers or international logistics makes the industry vulnerable. Managing “Lead Time” has become a top priority to prevent production downtime.

3. Energy Transition: With rising fuel and electricity costs, the challenge lies in how quickly factories can adapt to sustainable energy sources and energy-efficient machinery to stay competitive.

How can igus fit in to support the industry and overcome escalating costs during this major global turbulence ?

Industries across Thailand are navigating an increasingly complex set of demands: rising operational costs, tightening environmental regulations, growing pressure to automate, and the need to maintain productivity without compromising quality. At igus® Thailand, our philosophy is straightforward — motion plastics should solve these challenges simultaneously, not one at a time.

The most immediate value we deliver is the elimination of lubrication. Our self-lubricating polymer components require no oil or grease, which removes an entire layer of recurring cost — consumables, maintenance labour, and unplanned downtime caused by inadequate lubrication.

For industries such as food and beverage, where hygiene is non-negotiable, this is a significant advantage. One of our customers who is also a leading Thailand beverage producer, has adopted igus® polymer bearings precisely for this reason — reducing maintenance time, eliminating grease from food-grade production lines, and achieving longer, more predictable component service life.

The same principle extends to automation. We believe that modernizing a production line should not require prohibitive capital investment. Through our range of linear systems, low-cost robotics platforms, and motor control solutions, igus® gives Thai manufacturers a practical, scalable path into automation — one that delivers returns from day one.

Underpinning everything is reliability and speed. With over 234,000 parts available from stock, online service life calculation tools, and 24-hour delivery across Thailand, our customers can engineer with confidence, minimize inventory risk, and respond quickly to production demands.

At igus®, compliance, efficiency, and cost reduction are not competing priorities. They are the foundation of everything we build.

Please provide one case study of a successful F&B partnership with igus in Thailand

At igus Thailand, we act more like a strategic partner than just a component supplier. By working closely with industry players, particularly in the Food & Beverage (F&B) sector, we analyze root causes and implement motion plastic solutions that eliminate hidden costs and extend machinery service life.