Bid to revive tool making industry

The Zimbabwe Tool, Die and Mould Making Association (ZTDM) intends to revive the tool making industry, a key pillar of the manufacturing sector value chain in supporting the Government’s National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1) thrust on industrial regeneration.

The ZTDM industry used to be very vibrant until the mid-90’s, when it went into fast decline. Presently, the industry hardly exists.

Mr David Muvindi, the chairperson of the association, said most manufacturing companies were importing their tool, die and mould making, especially new moulds and other tooling products yet what they are sourcing locally are mainly repairs services for these tools.

“There has now been a realisation that the tool, die and mould making industry has to be revived.

“This ties up with the government’s National Development Strategy 1 (NDS1) goal of reviving the manufacturing industry in Zimbabwe.

“Hence the formation of the ZTDM Association, will promote the revival of the TDM industry in Zimbabwe, and, in turn, contribute to the re-building of the manufacturing industry for the overall benefit of the Zimbabwean economy,” he said.

Mr Muvindi said US$2,5 billion was required to capaciting the industry in terms of modern equipment, which needs to be imported.

“Those practicing are using very old machinery to the extent that a mould manufactured in China can be cheaper than one manufactured here due to old technology,” he said.

He added that the tool, die and mould making industry was a key supporting pillar of manufacturing the world over.

“For the beverage industry to produce the drinks that they produce, they must have plastic bottles and closures to package the drinks.

“The bottles and closures are supplied by plastic manufacturing companies. “To produce these bottles and closures, the plastics companies must have moulds (made out of steel) that they use on their machines to mould these bottles and closures.

“It is the TDM companies that manufacture and service these moulds,” said Mr Muvindi.

He said the ZTDM as a new association was meant to bring together industry practitioners in the field of tool, die and mould making, spanning across industries such as plastics, petals, and foundry and their allied industries.

Among the association’s objectives are to promote the interests of the industry, such as skills evelopment and retooling, to promote and disseminate to members and the authorities any information of value and use to them and to represent the interests of the members and of the industry in all spheres.

Mr Muvindi said the association would also lobby for favourable Government policies for the industry for the benefit of the industry and the country.

Government sees the manufacturing sector growing by 6,5 percent in 2022 and according to NDS1, the sector could benefit from resuscitation and strengthening of existing value chains and developing new value chains as well as mineral beneficiation.

As part of the strategies for the sector, resuscitation of value chains will be supported by scaling up of innovation hubs and industrial parks.-The Herald