Japanese auto parts maker Sakamoto officially launched its new plant in Malaysia today. Sakamoto Manufacturing Malaysia, a RM90 million facility located at the Bandar Mahkota Industrial Park in Banting, is Malaysia’s first manufacturer of plastic fuel tanks.
The new company is a joint venture between Sakamoto Research and Development (SRD) and Azman Hamzah Plastik (AHP) signed in August 2016, with SRD holding a 70% share and AHP a 30% share. Altogether, the paid-up capital amounts to RM22 million.
Sakamoto Manufacturing Malaysia began production of plastic fuel tanks in October 2017, with the first units going to Perodua. The new Myvi, launched earlier this month, features the product – claimed to reduce weight by as much as 20%, or around 1.5 kg, compared to a traditional metal fuel tank.
The plant uses entirely robotised blow moulding and burr cutting processes to create the fuel tanks, before they undergo drilling, cutting, bracket insertion and welding. The pump, hose and protector are then assembled and inspected before the components are shipped.
Sakamoto plans to build as many as 300,000 units a year here, with a new blow moulding line coming on stream in 2019 to bump up the plant’s capacity from 200,000 units to 450,000 units. Aside from eventually fulfilling Perodua’s entire supply of fuel tanks, the company has also reached an agreement with UMW Toyota Motor to build fuel tanks for local assembly starting in early 2019.
The company said that it is committed to developing Malaysia into a regional automotive hub for Energy Efficient Vehicles (EEV), by contributing to vehicles that comply to fuel efficiency standards and carbon emissions requirements. It also stated that its investment in Malaysia will lead to additional employment opportunities locally.
Looking to sell your car? Sell it with Carro.
Wow Myvi uses latest fuel tank! Everything of the car is so futuristic and latest
wow wow wow!
Perodua and UMW Toyota amongst the best GLCs, are always committed to developing Malaysia into a regional automotive hub for EEV.
failed big time compared to Thailand
OK go tell them to open factory in Thailand, why open here?
OMG, why is he there? ahahaha…seriously i cannot see his face, i will lough
OMG…I miss his monkey face so much…since GST launched …lol
Kan maslan cakap betul GST kurangkan kos hidup. Summore P1 sales also expected to climb to 500,000 units per year.
Almost every article in PT must have proton bashing comments. Even though the article is not about proton.
He he he. U mean the short guy wearing the gray suit ??
Sakamoto is smart to fulfill P2 entire supply of fuel tanks & also reached an agreement with UMW Toyota Motor to build fuel tanks for local assembly starting in early 2019. With market/supply at hand, this company will make profit in no time.
Before this Takata Airbag issue, later maybe Sakamoto Plastic Fuel Tank. Really.. Plastic fuel tank. Better think twice before buy.
Agree. Problem with plastic or fibre reinforced plastic is they are fragile and tend to ruptured. Metal tank heavier but will not ruptured unless corroded heavily.
21st century polymer tech and design bro..it’s everywhere, from assault rifle and pistol receivers to ballistic vest grade polymers like Dyneema.
Yes they have. But do u think perodua will use that expensive kind of plastic for their budget car?
The material they usually use is HDPE. It’s hardly exotic, but suitable. You see them everyday; water jugs, detergent bottles, buckets. They are recyclable, workable in lower temperatures, and the tools to manufacture them don’t wear out as fast as metal stamping.
Most European cars use them, and many Japanese cars use them too. Plastic tanks don’t have seams so no weak zones, not a source of spark in collisions, and retards heat conduction in cases of outside fire. It will melt and pour out fuel, but that beats pressurized petrol vapor anyday.
You clearly only know household plastics. Plastics are incredible things, and there are literally thousands of variations. You can engineer into it whatever characteristics that you want it to have. Torlon is an example of what plastic can be made into. It is so strong, 2 engines have been made out of it, and the later version went racing. The plastic wasn’t just static parts like the cylinder head, but pistons, valve stems, connecting rods, timing gears, piston rings, all made of plastic. The first engine was a 2.3 liter 4 cylinder, weighing only 70kg, and made 300 hp. The second was a 2.0 weighing 76kg and made more power. This wasn’t even recent, this was over 40 years ago.
The roti krim you have been eating all these time are actually baked in plastic trays.
The more you know
proton already use non-metal fuel tank long time ago laaa…
agreed… my old waja uses plastic fuel tank…
P2 is wayyyy behind
jangan curi myvi 2018
ada saka….
Hey look..! who is shorter than the japanese?
If Minister 3.85 say bagus, surely all must be bagus including the plastic fuel tank, Okeh?
And the tallest guy here goes to…..
in US, 1996 got people do research on plastic v steel fuel tanks.
i think long time already got car use plastic tank
Sakamoto major clients –
Fuji Heavy Industries Ltd.
Honda Motor Co., Ltd.
Mazda Motor Corporation
Mitsubishi Motors Corporation
Toyota Motor Corporation
DAIHATSU MOTOR CO., LTD
SAWAFUJI ELECTRIC CO.,LTD
Major products –
Fuel tanks (metal/plastic), mufflers, exhaust pipes, air cleaners, etc.
Waja / Gen2 fuel tank were made of plastic since the beginning of time !
Oh look the pig is back, forehead brighter than my future, height ”taller” than my income
plastics fuel tank is not new in auto industries,car manufacturer like Peugeot,VW already use this technology long time ago,and they still use now,Proton also use plastics fuel tank for WAJA model,but they come back use metal fuel tank after that.last time,plastics fuel tank manufacturer in German they use 7 layers of material with 7 barrel machine,but now,new plastics technology,they use only one type spacial HDPE material and can run at normal Blow molding machine,no more 7 barrels machine.