Critical Manufacturing, a pioneer in multi-site, future-ready manufacturing execution systems (MES), announced its expansion into Penang, Malaysia. The expansion demonstrates its ongoing initiatives to better serve the regional manufacturing climate and accelerate the path to digitalization.

Critical Manufacturing, a subsidiary of ASMPT Limited, provides solutions for the future-ready smart factory. It offers highly sophisticated, fully integrated, modular MES featuring strong data management and analytical capabilities. Additionally, it is highly flexible and designed to handle the high-tech, complex operational challenges faced by modern manufacturers. This new investment in Malaysia provides support for South-East Asia’s thriving high-tech manufacturing landscape. Moreover, it forms part of the company’s overall objective to expand its international presence.

“We are thrilled to announce our Malaysian subsidiary in Penang. We are uniquely positioned to serve the market more effectively, thanks to our years of market experience and locally trained staff,” said Francisco Almada Lobo, CEO and co-founder of Critical Manufacturing, “MES continues to play a critical role in the manufacturing IT landscape. It opens a slew of opportunities for us as well as vendors to create a manufacturing environment that is industry 4.0 ready.”

The new facility in Penang strengthens Critical Manufacturing’s strategic presence as the number of customers in the region continues to grow together with the demand for more customizable integrated solutions for manufacturing systems. The local team includes a group of engineers with industry expertise in both high-tech manufacturing and Critical Manufacturing solutions.

Specifically, the team in Malaysia will be led by Weng Keong Lan and Wilhelm Schellenberger as joint Managing Directors. Schellenberger has over 40 years of experience in the automation industry. He founded the German company Hermos Automation GmbH and worked as a lead engineer, managing director, and CTO for nearly two decades. In 2010, he established Soft Rock Technologies in Penang, Malaysia, and co-managed it with Lan, who began his career as a young engineer at Bakat Industri. Lan joined Soft Rock Technologies in 2010 as a project engineer and was made an equal partner in 2015.

“We are seeing the tremendous market traction that Critical Manufacturing is having in the high-tech industry. It is an honor and a privilege to join such a leading company in this exciting new phase of its growth,” said Schellenberger.

“We are delighted to see this investment of Critical Manufacturing in Malaysia. In the coming months, we hope to form new partnerships and drive growth in key verticals. Moreover, we look forward to collaborating with local businesses and offering end-to-end technology to assist organizations in navigating the challenges of the modern supply chain while also fostering innovation through digital transformation,” added Lan.