From Bangkok to Jakarta: A “Rotating” Story of Conquering the Southeast Asian Market
Tropical sunlight shines on the newly built smart parking tower in downtown Bangkok, but engineer Adu frowns—the automated parking system imported from Europe is struggling to adapt to the hot and humid climate. Every time the rotating platform starts, it emits a harsh friction noise, and the sound worsens during the rainy season, drawing constant complaints from residents of the high-end apartments.
“We need a solution that can rotate quietly in tropical climates,” Mr. Adu said to us during a Zoom video call, “and fast.”
Southeast Asian operating conditions pose three key challenges for slewing bearings:
First Challenge: High Temperature and Humidity
With year-round temperatures above 30°C and humidity levels of 80%, seal aging accelerates. We addressed this by replacing the seals with fluororubber sealing strips.
Second Challenge: Frequent Start-Stop Cycles
Parking peaks in tropical cities are highly concentrated, with daily equipment cycles far exceeding European and American standards.
Third Challenge: Maintenance Difficulties
With a scarcity of local technical personnel, equipment must be highly reliable and durable.
It was against this backdrop that our specially developed “Tropical Edition” slewing bearing made its debut.
A Decisive Side-by-Side Test in Kuala Lumpur
Three months later, at a similar project site in Kuala Lumpur, Adu requested a parallel test. One of our products and a European product were installed side by side in the same parking tower.
The test results stunned the entire Southeast Asian team:
Comparison of 100-Hour Continuous Operation Data (Simulated Tropical Climate Chamber)
• Rotation Stability Deviation: Our Product: 0.05°
• Noise Level (Peak): Our Product: 65 dB
• Temperature Rise Control: Our Product: +9°C
But what truly impressed us was a detail from the second week of testing.
“The Unheard Sound, the Visible Smile”
On a rainy evening, Adu brought several potential clients to the test site. As they stood beneath the tower, a car-carrying platform equipped with the European product began to rotate—emitting a sharp “creak… thud…” sound that echoed in the humid air.
Next, the adjacent parking space equipped with our product started operating.
A client from Indonesia instinctively checked his watch and asked in confusion, “Has this one… started rotating yet?”
In reality, the equipment was already running smoothly. Only upon close observation could one see the car-carrying platform moving silently, parking with precision, and an error margin of less than 1 millimeter.
“It’s this kind of quietness,” Adu later told us, “that makes high-end apartment owners willing to pay a premium. In Southeast Asia, quietness is a luxury.”
