Malaysia's Manufacturing Landscape: Current Challenges and Production Strategies

Nor Anija  Jalaludin; Amirul Syafiq  Sadun; Saranjuu  Chulakit; Hairulazwan  Hashim; Suziana  Ahmad; Nur Aminah  Sabarudin; Muhammad Ashraf  Fauzi; ZhiWen  Wang

doi:10.37934/ard.123.1.213225

Authors

Nor Anija Jalaludin Faculty of Engineering Technology, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, Panchor, 84600 Muar, Johor, Malaysia
Amirul Syafiq Sadun Faculty of Engineering Technology, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, Panchor, 84600 Muar, Johor, Malaysia
Saranjuu Chulakit Faculty of Engineering Technology, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, Panchor, 84600 Muar, Johor, Malaysia
Hairulazwan Hashim Faculty of Engineering Technology, Universiti Tun Hussein Onn Malaysia, Panchor, 84600 Muar, Johor, Malaysia
Suziana Ahmad Faculty of Electrical & Electronic Engineering Technology, Universiti Teknikal Malaysia Melaka, 76100 Durian Tunggal, Melaka, Malaysia
Nur Aminah Sabarudin Alps Electric (M) Sdn Bhd, Lot 3, Industrial Estate Phase 2, 26400 Bandar Jengka, Pahang, Malaysia
Muhammad Ashraf Fauzi Faculty of Industrial Management, Universiti Malaysia Pahang Al-Sultan Abdullah, 26300 Kuantan, Pahang, Malaysia
ZhiWen Wang School of New Materials and Shoes & Clothing Engineering, Liming Vocational University, Quanzhou 362000, Fujian Province, China

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.37934/ard.123.1.213225

Keywords:

Manufacturing, production line, Malaysia

Abstract

Manufacturing is a complex industry where various methods, tools and labour come together to produce large-scale products. Each product and industry have its unique systems, layouts and procedures. Understanding these intricacies is vital for efficiency, product quality and competitiveness among the industries. This paper aims to explore the basics of the local manufacturing sector, the different production processes used and common problems on the manufacturing floor. In a November 2022 survey with about 56 participants in Malaysia, data were collected on how each of the participants' industries operated, along with some common problems. Human, machine and system issues were identified as common concerns among the industries. Surprisingly, despite the rise of automation and Industry 4.0, 10% of production lines still rely entirely on manual labour and 80.4% are semi-automated, highlighting a continued dependence on human labour for various tasks, even in today's technological landscape.