As projects become more complex, customers expect solutions that are safer, more efficient and tailored to specific operational requirements, pushing manufacturers to rethink how they design, develop and deliver.
Asli Mechanical, Flexdur Technologies and Novaco Resources demonstrated how investment in engineering, research and development is helping traditional manufacturers respond to a more sophisticated market.
For Asli Mechanical, which has operated for more than 30 years, that evolution has led to the development of new fire-safety products, including calcium silicate fire dampers to meet growing demand from data centre projects.
“We developed two new products, and Asli is the only manufacturer in Malaysia with calcium silicate fire dampers,” said Ethan Lee, Chief Operating Officer of Asli Mechanical.
The company has also strengthened its product certifications, which Lee said are helping to build customer confidence and expand applications across commercial buildings and data centres.
Flexdur Technologies is similarly investing in product development and precision, moving from traditionally labour-intensive manufacturing towards greater use of machinery to improve consistency and accuracy.
“Previously in this industry, a lot depended on skill, handwork and labour. But now we are moving into machinery,” said Emily Chia, Manager, Business Development Division at Flexdur.
Product development is also being shaped by changing customer expectations, with Flexdur introducing solutions such as its curved grille range to combine performance with greater aesthetic flexibility.
For Novaco Resources, the differentiator is customisation. Rather than relying on a one-size-fits-all approach, the company uses its engineering and R&D capabilities to develop solutions around individual customer requirements.
“Our selling point is that we have a very large engineering R&D team,” said Casey Kwan, Operation Manager, Novaco Resources. “Whatever the clients request, they can always reach out to us.”
Novaco is also expanding its capabilities through partnerships, bringing together equipment, monitoring technology and energy management systems to provide more integrated solutions.