Injection molding equipment supplier Engel celebrated the opening of its new Tech Centre in Frauenfeld, Switzerland, last month in the company of 140 or so guests from the Swiss plastics industry. The event also marked Engel’s 50th anniversary of business operations in Switzerland.
The Tech Centre includes modern training and office facilities as well as a hands-on application center. Two of the Austria-based company’s flagship injection molding machines are installed at the center — a tie-bar-less victory electric in a medical molding configuration with a clamping force of 500 kN and a 1,000 kN fully electric e-mac equipped with an easix articulated robot. Both machines are fitted with the full range of digital assistance systems from Engel’s iQ product family, which help processors increase process stability and efficiency while significantly reducing production costs.
Satisfying a demanding market
“The Swiss market is among the most demanding in the world,” said Stefan Engleder, CEO of the Engel Group, in his opening speech. “Many of our customers here are technology leaders in their respective fields. Collaborating with them has played a key role in advancing our technologies and services.”
The center is designed to support customers in exploring new technologies under real-life conditions and to test their applications and develop tailored production solutions, said Engel in the press release. It is also Engel’s first medical competence center outside of its production plants.
Another key focus is the newly designed training center. Engel offers a comprehensive training program and custom advanced training sessions, including production-accompanying instruction.
The opening ceremony featured presentations by Silvio Ponti, president of the Swiss Plastics Industry Association, and Professor Frank Ehrig from the OST University of Applied Sciences, among others. They provided insights into current developments in the industry and the challenges faced by manufacturing companies.
A link in Engel’s triad structure
The new Tech Centre is integrated into Engel’s global structure. In recent years, the company has established what it calls a triad structure: Europe, Asia, and the Americas each form independently operating production and sales regions that can offer locally adapted solutions. Engel’s global footprint includes 10 production plants in Europe, Asia, and Mexico, enabling a nimble response to market demands and reducing lead times within those geographies.
With this structure, Engel said it aims to combine customer proximity with global expertise, and the new Swiss tech center is a reflection of this strategy.
Source: plasticstoday.com
