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ONE Technonology, Many Products

By Nicole Liang

Inventor of the world’s first purple gold material for jewellery constantly improves on its proprietary technology to keep it relevant and profitable.

YOU MAYAY NOT have heard of the brand name ‘Autium’ but ‘purple gold’ would be a familiar term, especially to jewellery lovers.

This gold alloy is made using 80 percent pure gold and 20 percent other metal components. Although the alloy has been available since decades ago, the material was not strong and malleable enough for jewellery making.
But Autium Pte Ltd’s proprietary Vacuum Diffusion Bonding technology made this possible and gave purple gold its consistent colour and brilliance – a world’s first.

The technology to manufacture the 19kt purple gold, has been sold to Singapore Exchange-listed Aspial Corp, a jewellery brand owner, in year 2000.

From then on, Singapore-based Autium has shown no signs of slowing down. It has since produced a series of fusion metals, such as titanium-gold, blue-gold, black gold, etc.

Autium is also working to supply watchmakers with watch movement parts crafted from fusion metals which will lead to such improvements as lighter gear systems, cost and energy efficiency gains, and improved aesthetics, among others. Leading high-end Swiss watchmakers have already expressed interest.

The same technology can also be applied in surgical tools. For instance, the scalpel can be radically improved by manufacturing it using copper and stainless steel fusion metal, which offers both the anti-bacterial properties of copper and the mechanical strength of stainless steel.

“Truly - one technology, many products,” Autium’s CEO, Yang Loh says.

A new material, silver, is used in Autium’s relentless product development now. The ‘Noble Silver’ range was launched this year featuring superior tarnish resistant silver, that through ISOISOISO standard tests show that it supersedes all current silver available in the market, Loh said.

“Silver tends to tarnish if it is not worn daily, which is why very few watches are made in silver; it is used mostly jewellery. We also managed to increase its hardness, and thus opened up new doors in manufacturing cutlery and others,” Loh explained.

Also new: metallic adhesives for ceramics. Loh says this is a first in this technology of joining metals and ceramics, especially titanium. “This is a special conducting alloy allows titanium, aluminium and other metals to stick to glass, ruby, quartz and other ceramic compounds.”

Autium’s alloys are also supplied to the metallurgy industry, to names such as Mitsubishi Materials, Cendres & Metaux, Precinox and Heimerle & Meule.

From jewellery to watches, then from industrial and surgical tools to cutlery and furnishing products, Autium’s research and development team seems to be running on hyper-clockwork, always steps ahead in the market with exciting inventions. This excitement doesn’t come cheap. Approximately S$500,000 to US$1 million is spent annually on research and development.

How does this young SME sustain its drive on the bumpy and costly road to innovation? We posted Loh some questions on being innovative, creative, revolutionary, and profitable.

Some people say that there is nothing “new” left to create now. Mostly it’s just a combination of old things to create something seemingly new.

There are many technologies that can be commercialised and in fact very novel. This explains the increasing number of patents applied. However, the industry is not quick to adopt such technologies so consumers are not able to detect the “newness”.

It is much easier for a company to combine existing technologies and make slight changes to launch products that are sellable. The inevitable war between the researchers and marketers starts here!

What does being revolutionary mean?

We use the term “revolutionary jewellery” for Autium’s line of jewellery products, because we have made a dramatic change in the perception of jewellery through materials.

To be revolutionary, first, create visual shock with prototypes. Then, surprise with good design. After that, repeat.

If you had to attribute five main qualities to the word “design”, what would they be?

Uniqueness; functional; translatable (to production); interchangeable (for various uses); aesthetic.

Do you have a company mission/vision in relation to innovation?

Our vision for innovation is: Revamp the perception of materials and introduce a new era in its engineering applications.
Our mission: To apply technology to raw materials to enhance materials value. These advanced materials will be suited for use in high-tech applications. Also, to roll out patentable innovations that can bring value to final users.

Has your technology taken you to an international level (i.e. working with international brands/designers)?

Yes. There are several high-end watch companies, experts in fine watch making and materials selection, who’ve taken interests. Internationally renowned designers have established ours as the de facto standards in functional designs for the consumers.innovations that can bring value to final users.

As a SME, do you think it is more difficult to innovate, because you might have lesser resources?

Innovation is a concept that is independent from resources. But I will have to innovate within the framework set by different customers’ requirements.
Working with an expensive metal like gold doesn’t make things easier. Many times, we try not to run trials on real gold in order to save costs. But it is difficult to convince our inventor, Loh Peng Chum, to do so. He has previously dipped gold into sulphuric acid in an attempt to test its surface properties. That was 10 grams lost (S$500++) in a millisecond.

In what ways are these investments worth it?

Research cannot always be valued into tangible worth.
I do not require my R&D team to create a product that gives Autium a final monetary value. I encourage them to innovate with the thought of bringing benefits to the society. This way, the consumers can see value and use it eventually.

What are the biggest obstacles ever in the innovation process?

Working with suppliers, sub-contractors and my staff in the organisation. Challenging them on what they previously think as “impossible”.
Also, the willingness to take on a stance to do things differently: Most people generally do not want to change. We stay in our comfort zones due to the fear of the unknown.
Every person involved in the innovation process must have willingness to be passionate and immersed into improving the product, its packaging and quality.
I very often tell them to think about the persons interacting with the technology – perhaps your buyer, who might be a watchmaker. They are committed to the process of testing, machining, and incorporating Autium materials into their companies’ products. They are all very sincere in the creations process.

What are the biggest challenges ever in the marketing process?

Convincing your customers in several aspects, such as costs, product value and aligning their interests.

Do innovative products have to be expensive? Why?

No. Price is generally subjected to the cost of the goods, quality and economies of scale. In our case, is the high quality gold we purchase.
Most companies would want to place a premium into their innovations. But eventually, as it permeates into the industry, it will become less expensive.

How do you convince your trade partners that your innovation/technology is worth the money?

We are very fortunate to work with the top watch companies in the world that have a special department in Innovations/ R&D. The department are open to creative works. The Swiss have an exceptional ability to identify novel methods and materials that can finally benefit their company and stay competitive. Every year there are improvements, every year there is something new to showcase. Less convincing is needed here. But being present to their needs and request always helps.

Do you partake in joint marketing activities to promote better understanding of your products? Examples?

Yes, we did a couple of road shows with local firms for the wedding industry, in which we are the official wedding bands and jewellery brand.
This year, we are collaborating with two Swiss companies in designing our jewellery collections for a niche clientele of our networks.
They are: Tarditi, a 30 year-old brand in Geneva that makes high-end jewellery, as well as DAI, an architectural design firm that uses their keen eye in aesthetics to create a range of Autium/Dai accessories.