South Korea’s full-service carrier Asiana Airlines Inc. will confidently confront the multiple challenges from domestic budget carriers and cheaper airlines from China and Middle East. This comes on top of higher oil prices and volatile foreign exchange rates, which has led to the enhancement of Asiana’s fleet with fuel-efficient aircraft and cost-saving efforts, according to its chief executive officer.

“This year will be a turning point for us to go offensive from defensive,” said Kim Soo-cheon during an interview with Maeil Business Newspaper recently.

The airliner is ready to adopt an aggressive posture and invest, having streamlined through restructuring over the past three years. Its first weaponry is the deployment of the A350-900, the latest product of French maker Airbus boasting lightness with its frame made 53% out of carbon composite material and in aerodynamic design to offer 20 percent to 25 percent better fuel efficiency than others in the same class. Industry experts estimate the average operating expense per seat could be reduced by 10 percent when fuel efficiency is improved by 20 percent.

The second largest air carrier in Korea would bring in the first four this year to run a fleet of 30 and deploy them on the longer-haul routes. At the same time the company would be refurbishing the business-class section of the flagship B777 aircraft tor differentiated look and service, according to the CEO.

Thanks to restructuring through sales of unprofitable assets and rationalization of routes, the company registered an operating profit of 257.0 billion won ($224.8 million) last year, the highest in five years on a consolidated basis. Net profit reached 54.3 billion won for for the whole of 2016. The company will focus on long-haul routes while short destinations are covered by its budget carriers Air Seoul and Air Busan, explained Kim. The company’s operating profit was boosted by 6.4 billion won by scrapping money-losing money-losing short-distance routes.

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Ssangyong Motor Co., South Korean unit of India’s Mahindra & Mahindra Ltd., is venturing into the Middle East by granting a local fi rm a license to assemble and ship its vehicles in Saudi Arabia from 2020.

Ssangyong Motor said recently that it signed a product licensing agreement with Saudi National Automobile Manufacturing Co. (SNAM) in February to allow the Saudi fi rm to manufacture its new premium pickup truck codenamed Q200 in the country starting 2020. SNAM plans to boost the annual capacity to 25,000 units later. Ssangyong Motor expects the latest deal would benefi t its Korean suppliers as the deal would involve an auto cluster for tier 1 auto part suppliers in Jubail, an industrial city in Saudi Arabia.

Ssangyong Motor previously posted record revenue of 3.63 trillion won ($3.2 billion) last year with a dramatic turnaround for the fi rst time in nine years, mainly driven by upbeat sales of its fl agship compact sport utility vehicle (SUV) Tivoli in Korea. The automaker, however, suff ers from a setback overseas due to a lack of demand in emerging markets such as Russia and tough competition from Chinese rivals.

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Hyundai Heavy Industries (HHI) has manufactured its 5,000th ship propeller after 31 years and six months since its fi rst production in August 1985.

HHI held a ceremony to mark the production of its 5,000th propeller measuring 10.6 meters in diameter and weighing 77 tons at its Ulsan headquarters on February 3. HHI explained that it took only 31 and a half years to manufacture 5,000 ship propellers, faster than its competitors in Germany and Japan that hav e been operating their businesses for 90 to 150 y ears.

HHI is the world’s top propeller manufacturer with a market share of 31% and produces over 200 propellers annually. It currently supplies its propellers to 34 shipyards worldwide.

HHI was able to reduce costs and time thanks to the process it developed in 2003, named the “Furan method.” “We are developing a new type of propeller made of composite materials that are 25% lighter and help improve sailing performance,” an HHI offi cial said. “We will continue to make eff orts to keep our standing in the global market with technology development and quality improvement.” The 5,000th propeller is scheduled to be installed on a 300,000 DWT crude carrier ordered from Thenamaris in Greece.

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Machinery Technology Research Association (MTRA) Signed an agreement with Korean Advanced Engineering Technology Cooperatives for Cooperation

The Machinery Technology Research Association (MTRA, Park Yeong-Tak as chairman) and the Korean Advanced Engineering Technology Cooperatives announced on Nov. 30, 2016, that the two parties signed an agreement for joint development of R&D projects.

The MTRA was established in 2012 in accordance with the enactment of the Industrial Technology Research cooperatives support Act with the aim of taking the lead in performing R&D activities in industrial technology and introducing and distributing advanced technology through industrial-academicresearch- public cooperation.

With the attendance of some 60 figures, including Lee Jang-Hun, the head of the Southeast Headquarters of the Korea Industrial Complex Corporation, Song Ho-Jin, chairman of the Expert Group for Next-gen, Song Seong-Jae, chief of the Economy Department of Changwon City, and Ji Gyo-Hong, the chief of the Changwon National University Changwon Industrial Complex Manufacturing Business Innovative Infrastructure Development Project Group, the two organizations agreed to intimately work together for the development of R&D projects, formation of a technological community, and realization of pilot production at the signing ceremony.

In accordance with the agreement, the two parties will jointly push R&D projects and run the New Technology Research Club and the State-run Project Development Research Club. Also, they will jointly support members of the Korean Advanced Engineering Technology Cooperatives to formulate strategies for the opening of new markets, development of global brands, enhancement of the competitiveness of intellectual property rights, and establish and develop the standards, making concerted efforts to develop the production capacity of small and medium businesses.

Park Yeong-Tak, the chairman of the MTRA, stressed the important role of the MTRA as a liaison that develops, plans, and carries out joint technological development projects for the sharpening of the competitive edge of the manufacturing businesses and job creation. He added that with the agreement, the two parties will actively support small and medium businesses to upgrade their technology and help perform government-run R&D projects more efficiently by joining hands in drawing up and developing technologies and joint technological development projects.

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Volvo Trucks, the No. 1 imported commercial vehicle brand in South Korea, has unveiled a plan to demonstrate its self-driving truck technology in the country in the next three to five years.

In an interview with Maeil Business Newspaper, Claes Nilsson, president of Volvo Trucks, said that the Sweden-based commercial vehicle maker has already developed its own autonomous driving technology and test drove autonomous vehicles on expressways and inside mines. The technology can be applied to vehicles used in other locations as well, such as harbors and construction sites, he said.

Nilsson’s comments come after Volvo Trucks recently showcased its so-called platooning technology that allows a number of autonomous trucks to drive in a platoon formation following the lead car in the front.

Nilsson said that the manufacturer has obtained all the necessary technologies for self-driving vehicles, but he expected it would take some time before the company commercializes the technology and introduce autonomous-driving trucks in Korea as it will likely take three to five years for relevant laws and regulations to be prepared.

The head of Volvo Trucks added that the company is currently developing more advanced biogas trucks and it is seeking ways to extend overall driving range of its hybrid and electric trucks that it has already introduced.

Nilsson also shared Volvo Trucks’ rosy sales forecast in Korea, its fifth-largest global market. He expected the company would sell 2,500 units in Korea this year, up 25 percent from last year’s 1,936 units, and 4,000 units in 2020.

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South Korea’s Kia Motors Corp. unveiled new K2 compact sedan in China, specifically tailored to meet various demands of Chinese consumers.

Dongfeng Yueda Kia, a joint Chinese venture between Kia Motors and China`s Dongfeng Motor, said it held a ceremony to launch the new K2 in Zhangjiajie in the Hunan Province of China, attended by 300 including Dongfeng Yueda Kia president Kim Gyeon and local dealers. The company began marketing of the new K2 recently.

Since its China debut in 2011, the first-generation K2 sold 774,027 units, the largest number for any single vehicle model sold by Dongfeng Yueda Kia. The new K2 is the first revamped model in five years and aimed to reflect local consumer needs from the development phase.

The new K2 features dynamic and refined interior and exterior designs, the best-in-class storage capacity, greatly improved driving performance, increased safety from expanded application of ultra-high strength steel, Apple Car Play plus a smart boot.

The new K2 has new 6 speed manual and automatic transmission over two engine types — one with a 1.4-liter Kappa gasoline engine that produces a maximum horsepower of 100, and the other with a 1.6-liter Gamma gasoline engine and 123 horsepower.

Kia Motors plans to sell up to 180,000 units annually as it is also set to launch a new five-door hatchback model of the new K2 in 2017.

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[INQ. NO. 1611M09] Since its establishment in 2000, DooYoung T&S has specialized in high-powered LED lighting systems featuring low power consumption, high optic efficiency, optimum radiation design, uniform intensity of illumination and a long lifespan of over 50,000 hours.

The company’s “DYSL” series LED lighting systems employ four kinds of radiation technologies as well as LED multi-chip package, high radiation ceramic & adhesive, ceramic coating heat plate and heat sink (radiator panel) and high illumination reflectors.

The combination of high illumination reflector technology and chip on board (COB) surface effectively solves the problems of eye strain, including severe luminance difference between the LED and the surrounding areas, dark shadows and glare. Thanks to the firm’s special technology concerning heat dissipation, the temperature of heat sink can be controlled not to rise high and power LEDs can be applied to the lighting systems.

Considering optimum ratio of heat dissipation, an aluminum heat sink was specially designed. Heat pipe was developed to dissipate high-temperature inner heat of floodlighting. It consists of sealed 16-angle pipes made of aluminum. The pipe is covered by ceramic with good isolation effect and heat conductivity as well as inorganic adhesive. Optimum radiation technology & materials and AC power technology are being applied to lighting devices with high output. Optic efficiency and life span can be maximized with a parallel arrangement of LED.

The firm’s high illumination reflectors are specially designed in a dual layer with 16 angles substantially increasing light concentration and reflection efficiency.

Multiple angles on the reflector plane widen the radiation field far from the light source and enhance radiation.

Making Perfect Replacement for Previous LED Lightings

The maker’s highpowered LED lighting systems with high illumination reflectors are widely applicable for hangars, maintenance shops for planes, as well as all kinds of industrial and sports purposes, including street lighting, plants with high ceilings, parking lots, terminals, parks, squares, stations, performance halls, large exhibition halls, playgrounds (night lighting), flood lighting, harbors and factories.

Featuring soft and comfortable lighting no glare and shadow, indirect LED lighting systems from the company are suitable especially for supplemental lighting for greenhouse crops.

The DYSL series LED lighting products are very light: DYSL 300W and DYSL 600W weigh 8kg and 10kg per set, respectively.
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