KraussMaffei sets sights on growth in China under new ownership

KraussMaffei Group has started on its advance into the Asian market under its new owner, ChemChina, as it looks to increase its market share in the region.

Exhibiting at Chinaplas this week, the company told press that its portfolio, including locally produced injection moulding machines, combined with the new market entry opportunities, were an “ideal match” for the company’s development plans.  

“So you will be aware of our change in ownership which is highly releavantin the Chinese market,” said Frank Stieler, CEO, KraussMaffei Group.

“This change provides KraussMaffei with new opportunities it did not have previously. The relevance for us is having an owner that has access to markets that we, as a foreign company do not have on the same level.”

Introducing the GX

The Group is using premiering a version of its GX injection moulding machine at Chinaplas, which it hs recently started to produce at its Haiyan manufacturing facility.

The GX, which KraussMaffei says is the “fastest two-platen injection moulding machine in Asia”, has a clamping force range of 4,000 to 9,000 kN and high basic speed (dry cycle time of only 2.3 seconds). As a result, it is said to be ideal for applications in the automotive, packaging and medical technology growth sectors.

Christian Blatt, CEO of the KraussMaffei Group in China, said local manufacturing is an important prerequisite to be able to offer its customers even more attractive delivery times.

"We want to better serve our customers in their partner network, since both mould makers in China as well as end customers of plastics processors are operating on increasingly tight schedules. Both the delivery times from Europe and the associated transport costs are reduced as a result of on-site manufacturing. We also offer services tailored to local needs, which provides faster availability of replacement parts, among other benefits.”

Fast clamping movements and high modularity

Important features of the GX series, said Blatt, include the compact two-platen design, which allows for fast clamping movements and the modularity that can be used to select the necessary plasticising unit “as though it were being selected from an assembly kit.” Furthermore, the innovations of the GearX locking device and the stable GuideX guide shoe ensure fast locking and high part quality with minimal energy consumption.  

"Plastics processors in Asia are becoming increasingly conscious of quality and actively requiring high-tech features for increasing efficiency and user-friendliness. We are offering our customers customised premium solutions with the GX series, which provides precision, speed, modular design, user-friendliness and durability," added Blatt.

These inner values are said to make the GX series suitable for both high-volume projects with aggressive cycle times and technically sophisticated applications, such as those in lightweight automotive construction.

Industry 4.0

The Group is also using its presence at Chinaplas to introduce its take on Industry 4.0 and encourage customers in Asia to embrace the use of networked production processes and smart machines.

Under the umbrella name ‘Plastics 4.0’, the KraussMaffei Group is classifying solutions into three categories: Intelligent Machines, Integrated Production and Interactive Services. Intelligent Machines means self-optimising machines for improved productivity and quality. This includes, for example, the APC function (Adaptive Process Control) developed by KraussMaffei.

“There is great interest in Industry 4.0 solutions in China. Customers ask us about it and want to know what specific solutions we can provide for networking production systems,” continued Blatt.

“One motivation for Industry 4.0 is increasing wages, but another is the automotive industry's desire to store all process parameters for five to ten years to enable production to be traced in the event of a claim. The KraussMaffei Group helps its customers to make use of the potential offered by intelligent and flexible production with state-of-theart information and communications technology, and supports them in their efforts to optimize the value chain and to strengthen their market position.”