INNOVATION
Innovation Through R&D
01
Product Innovation
Our product line has grown from early-generation electrical terminals and connectors into a comprehensive portfolio serving diverse industries, spanning automotive, agriculture, machinery, transportation, power distribution and transmission, and the ever-expanding green energy sector.
Solar Junction BoxesEV Charging ConnectorsStainless Steel / Nylon Cable TiesHeat Shrink TubingCrimping Equipment & Hand Tools
02
R&D Resources & Strategy
The R&D department consists of more than 60 dedicated professionals responsible for defining and executing mid- to long-term product development strategy, covering new product creation, advanced process technology and equipment adoption, new material research, process improvement, and design talent development.
New Product DevelopmentProcess Technology & EquipmentNew Material ResearchDesign Talent Development
03
R&D Design Capabilities
We strengthen our design and manufacturing capabilities for products, molds, and fixtures with engineering drafting and analysis software, and have implemented a PLM (Product Lifecycle Management) system that significantly improves the efficiency of managing product development cycles and technical data.
AUTOCADPro/ENGINEERUnigraphicsABAQUSPLM
04
Mold Design Experience & Quality Process
With 50 years of product development experience and deep mold design expertise, we have achieved IATF 16949 certification and built our quality assurance approach around Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP), identifying and mitigating risk at every stage of development.
IATF 16949APQP~30,000 Products4,000+ Mold Sets
APQP · IATF 16949
Advanced Product Quality Planning (APQP)
KST manages new product introduction through the five phases of APQP, identifying risk at each stage in advance to ensure our products consistently meet customer expectations.
Assessment · Prototype Control Plan
Planning & Project Definition
When a customer needs to introduce a new product or redesign a mature one, careful upfront planning is essential even before design discussions begin. This phase focuses on understanding customer needs and product expectations, gathering key data, proactively defining requirements, and refining product characteristics through collaborative discussion.
Phase Outputs
- Project scope: design, reliability, and quality targets
- Project resource allocation
- Project timeline confirmation
- Prototype-phase control plan
Mold Design & Fabrication · DFMEA
Product Design & Development
Product design and development — or design changes for production — become the primary activity. A Design Failure Mode and Effects Analysis (DFMEA) is created to support design decisions.
Phase Outputs
- Design review and validation completed
- Material specifications and equipment requirements defined
- DFMEA completed to assess failure probability
- Control plan established for prototype production
Mold Fabrication & Trial Runs · PFMEA
Process Design & Development
This phase plans the manufacturing process for producing a new or improved product, balancing product specifications, quality, and production cost while designing the process. The process must be capable of producing the required quantity efficiently.
Phase Outputs
- Complete process flow configuration
- PFMEA completed to identify and address risk
- In-process quality specifications
- Surface treatment and packaging requirements
MSA · PPAP · Product Control Plan
Product Validation
Validation is performed for the product, process, or any production changes. A significant production trial run is conducted to confirm that the final product and process can consistently produce conforming parts at the required rate under normal production conditions, culminating in customer approval through the Production Part Approval Process (PPAP).
Phase Outputs
- Confirm process capability, reliability, and quality acceptance criteria
- Conduct production trial runs
- Test product output to validate manufacturing method effectiveness
- Complete necessary adjustments before advancing to the next phase
Internal Quality Audits · Improvement Activities
Feedback, Evaluation & Corrective Action
Continuous improvement of products and processes, focused on safety, quality, delivery, and cost, feeding validation results back into earlier phases to close the loop.
Phase Outputs
- Internal quality audits
- Ongoing improvement project tracking
- Review of safety, quality, delivery, and cost metrics
- Lessons learned fed back into design and process standards
STRENGTHS
Strengths & Highlights
R&D is the cornerstone of KST’s sustainable growth strategy. Beyond developing forward-looking products, it encompasses setting mid- to long-term goals — advancing safer, more environmentally responsible materials, processes, and equipment — and building an engineering culture centered on mentorship, training, and professional growth.
01
New Material Development
Exploring and evaluating the feasibility and reliability of new materials through rigorous design and testing procedures.
02
New Product R&D
Defining and executing a mid- to long-term product development roadmap driven by market needs.
03
Training & Career Development
Building a culture of mentorship and training that supports engineers’ professional growth and continuous learning.
04
Safe & Environmentally Responsible Processes & Equipment
Advancing safer, more environmentally responsible manufacturing processes and equipment design and adoption.