Bach Tung upgrades its supply chain with Vietnamese-made drone engines.

Starting from a small mechanical workshop, Bach Tung built a system of factories in Binh Duong and Da Nang and invested in automation to break away from "manufacturing according to blueprints".

Starting from a small mechanical workshop, Bach Tung built a factory system in Binh Duong and Da Nang and invested in automation to break away from "manufacturing according to blueprints." Now, the company has moved into producing high-performance BLDC motors for drones, accepting higher prices than Chinese products but succeeding through customization, temperature control, and R&D collaboration with the Vietnamese-German University.

If you were to ask what kind of business Bach Tung is, perhaps the shortest answer would be: a "factory of patience." Starting in 2005 with a mechanical workshop, and rebranding as Bach Tung Mechanical and Construction Company Limited in 2008, the company has risen along the familiar path of many Vietnamese supporting industry companies: receiving blueprints, manufacturing to standard specifications, delivering on time, and thriving on stability and credibility.

Mr. Le Ha Anh Khoa, Development Director, Bach Tung Motor Company

But that very path soon led them to a "glass ceiling": constantly focusing on small, precise details, high production volume, and low prices – meaning they did a good job but found it difficult to become wealthy. Mr. Le Ha Anh Khoa, Development Director of Bach Tung Company, stated frankly: "Before, OEMs only gave us the blueprints. We just manufactured according to the blueprints, and then we didn't understand why a particular part had to be manufactured or assembled in a certain way." And when a business "doesn't understand" the final product, it's difficult to capture the higher value segment in the supply chain.

The foundation is the factory, the people, and quality discipline.

Currently, Bach Tung operates factory systems in Binh Duong and Da Nang, along with a sheet metal processing plant in Binh Duong. The Binh Duong complex alone covers nearly 3,700 m² and employs approximately 176 workers, with production accounting for the majority, and the remainder in technical, quality control, and assurance departments. In Da Nang, the factory, approximately 2,000 m², serves as a processing and delivery hub for the Central region and for export.

The company profile shows that Bach Tung possesses a relatively complete CNC machine system for precision machining: a milling workshop with multiple 3-axis and 5-axis machining centers; a turning workshop with more than 20 CNC and automatic lathes, suitable for mass production of small parts with tight tolerances. The QC process is well-invested with CMMs and equipment for measuring hardness, roundness, and roughness, helping the company meet the requirements of customers in Japan, the US, and Europe.

42 billion VND for automation and the breakthrough "takt time under 1 minute"

According to Mr. Le Ha Anh Khoa, the major turning point came from the company's strong investment in automation. Bach Tung once completed a project with the Ministry of Science and Technology worth 42 billion VND, focusing on an automated workpiece feeding line and laser tolerance inspection.

“The input is just a steel bar a few meters long. The system automatically cuts, feeds, processes both ends, and then performs fully automated QC. The tack time is reduced to under 1 minute per part,” Mr. Khoa described. Once productivity and stability are secured, the next question for businesses is no longer “how much can we produce?” but “what can we produce that has higher value?”

The answer is a high-efficiency electric motor. The BLDC motor model that Bach Tung is developing for drones has a maximum power of up to 3,800W and a maximum thrust of about 22kg when propellers are attached. According to Mr. Khoa, the biggest challenge is not the power, but the heat.

“The winding temperature under harsh operating conditions can reach nearly 200 degrees Celsius. If not calculated from the beginning, the motor will degrade quickly,” he said. Therefore, the company designs motors with high insulation and heat resistance levels, at level H (180 degrees Celsius), much higher than the common levels in consumer motors. Mr. Khoa emphasized: “For every 10 degrees above the design limit, the motor's lifespan can be reduced by up to 50%.”

Supply chain: accepting dependence, but exercising selective control.

When it comes to "Made in Vietnam," Mr. Le Ha Anh Khoa doesn't shy away from reality. Neodymium rare earth magnets and magnetic steel sheets still have to be imported, as Vietnam has not yet mastered the technology for processing rare earth elements and electromagnetic steel. Conversely, businesses are trying to localize parts where possible, such as enameled copper wire from domestic suppliers, stamping, insulating paint, and precision machining processes.

Inside the drone engine manufactured by Bach Tung Motor

"We are not aiming for localization at all costs. What's important is controlling the quality and risks of the supply chain," Mr. Khoa said.

One noteworthy detail is that Bach Tung's motors are not cheaper than those from China, and are even 10–20% more expensive. However, according to Mr. Khoa, the company's advantage lies in its ability to quickly customize according to customer requirements: changing the structure, thinning out parts, removing or integrating components to suit each specific drone design.

"Customers aren't just buying an engine; they're buying the ability to tailor that engine to their system," he emphasized.

To solve the technological problem, Bach Tung collaborated with the Vietnamese-German University under a model where the enterprise sets the problem, and the university provides lab and research capabilities. The enterprise sponsored the simulation software, while lecturers and students participated in optimizing the electromagnetic, thermal, mechanical, and aerodynamic designs.

At this point, the story of Bach Tung transcends the image of a purely manufacturing company. It represents the transformation of a supporting industrial enterprise: from "following blueprints precisely" to "mastering design," from an anonymous component to a product capable of launching aircraft into the sky.

Pham Huyen

Source: https://vietnamnet.vn/bach-tung-len-doi-chuoi-cung-ung-bang-dong-co-drone-viet-2477185.html