BPGMEA expects 20pc yearly growth in domestic sales

X-onics Ltd, a UK-Bangladesh joint venture company, organised a free workshop for engineers and technicians on digital manufacturing and digital reverse engineering for mold, dice and spare parts in Gazipur on Saturday.
X-onics, which started its operations in August 2021 with a technical collaboration with Mitsubishi Materials Corporation Hard Metal, India, is the first company in Bangladesh that provides digital manufacturing, reverse engineering and computerised simulation support in precision engineering and fast solution for spare parts, mold and pattern reproduction using sophisticated 3D scanning, printing, and CNC technologies.
Currently, the company is working on mold/dice manufacturing for plastic, plastic toys, shoes, printing, or food pattern, measuring cup, pharmaceuticals product, spare parts from various industries, said a press release.
While virtually addressing the inaugural session of the workshop, technical consultant of the company Dr Mahbubunnabi Tamal said that plastic goods worth more than Tk 28,000 crore are sold in the local market of Bangladesh every year.
To produce this amount of plastic goods, around Tk 10,000 core of injection mold is required and only 30-40 per cent of these are facilitated by local entrepreneurs, explained Dr Tamal, also an associate professor at Dammam University, KSA, and former researcher at The University of Manchester, UK.
"Capacity building in digital manufacturing with sophisticated computerised simulation can increase skill, productivity and reduce material consumption compared to traditional trial and error-based methods. Overall, it can help reduce not only the dependency on foreign suppliers but also the carbon footprint in manufacturing industries," he opined.
Dr Tamal further said Bangladesh Plastic Goods Manufacturers & Exporters Association (BPGMEA) expects a 20 per cent yearly growth in domestic sales; the trade body estimates that per capita consumption of plastic goods in the country will reach 35 kg by 2030, which currently stands at 9 kg.
If Bangladesh can capture 1.0 per cent of the world market, it is possible to export products worth more than Tk 6,000 crore every year, added Dr Tamal.
A total of 25 technicians from different companies, including people nominated by Bangladesh Engineering Industry Owners Association, participated in the daylong workshop that was held at a restaurant in Mouchak, Gazipur.
The organiser hoped to arrange such workshops soon in collaboration with different trade organisations, including BPGMEA.