Ask the experts: ENGEL

Who are you and what do you do?

Our world is about plastics, the material of the future. ENGEL are one of the global leaders, established in 1945, in the production and development of injection moulding machines and associated equipment. ENGEL is committed to sustainability and the requirements for energy saving as well as sustainable injection moulding products. All these values form an integral part of all ENGEL solutions.

ENGEL are proud to be the first injection moulding machine supplier to have achieved the gold standard in the EcoVardis sustainability ranking. We work towards a common goal: “Be The First” to further increase customer benefits and as a technology leader, accompany our customers on their way to a sustainably successful and profitable future.

Why is the UK processing market important to you?

We, the UK plastics industry are responsible for approximately 162k jobs and want to see this figure increase! Digitalisation is fundamental for the future development of our industry and as we leap into an era of industry 4.0, it becomes more apparent that leading the way with digital solutions and with an absolute focus on circular economy we will continue to see the UK processing market grow and prosper. As a company we are constantly working to educate future generations as to the benefits of plastics, future technologies and our responsibility to ensure the manufacturing and post use handling of plastic components is carried out in an ethical and sustainable manner.

Why is Interplas important to you?

As Interplas is the largest trade show for the plastics industry in the UK, we always look forward to greeting prospective and existing customers face to face from all market sectors. It is one of the few occasions throughout the year where the plastics community comes together to share innovation, demonstrate the latest technologies and open dialogue with customers on how we can join them on their journey to success. We are proud to be a major part of this year’s event and look forward to what promises to be an informative and well attended exhibition.

What innovations will you bring to Interplas?

At Interplas 2023 ENGEL are excited to demonstrate our efficient 280t e-speed machine,processing rPET for thin-walled parts. Producing a 4 cavity 125ml thin wall container in 2.8seconds we are able to demonstrate the combination of speed, efficiency and part quality, even when processing reconstituted material. We will also focus on our inject 4.0 capabilities, demonstrating our range of digital solutions, IQ Products and giving an insight into our after- sales support capabilities.

What are the key features of these innovations?

ENGEL will show the processing of rPET in a thin wall application in combination with IML and high-speed automation. We will demonstrate IQ weight control and IQ melt control forimproved real time shot to shot consistency and how our hybrid machine concept allowsparallel movements with our energy optimization package, including barrel insulation and accumulator optimization for reduced energy consumption. The machine on display will have built in Ecobalance which cuts current peaks and ecograph plus breaking down the energy consumption throughout each stage of the moulding cycle. This enables the most efficient and optimised operating point to be visible to the operator at all times.

We will also look to demonstrate our inject 4.0 capabilities by discussing remote support and process optimisation through our e.connect24 facility and performance boost concept. These features allow us to remotely evaluate current production settings and offer an expert opinion on areas of process improvement as well as investigate machine stoppages should the need arise.

Experts from the Automotive, Medical, Technical, Packaging and Teletronic business units will be on hand to discuss the latest technologies, innovation and features from ENGEL and how we can support customers across all our machine ranges and applications within the industry to maximise output, improve part quality and reduce energy consumption.

What makes the innovations unique?

With ENGEL’s more than 800 granted and active patents, some of which are mentioned in the features above, we offer many energy saving / C02 reducing efficiency packages andtechnologies. These are available for all applications across our product portfolio and through these features, we provide the highest degree of machine and process optimisation /visualisation specific to the application. Please join us on the stand at the exhibition to discuss our innovative technology in more detail and to see how they can be applied to your business and application.

What challenges are your customers facing?

The major issues that everyone is currently facing are the rising material and energy costs along with the general false perception that plastics are non-eco-friendly. There also appears to be a skills gap in the industry with fewer young people wanting to engage in the plastics industry. 

At ENGEL we are working tirelessly to relieve the pressure driven by these negative influences effecting our industry. Additionally, ongoing global supply chain issues are adversely affecting the operation of our customers businesses. As a result, we are actively seeing an increase in “onshoring” projects within the UK and Ireland. How can your technology help solve them? IQ weight control actively reduces shot to shot variation within the cycle, offering the possibility to introduce regrind material without the need to change production settings. 

This feature in many circumstances allows production to run near the lower limit of the operating window, in turn reducing the overall material consumption. The process is adjusted automatically to accommodate changing external influences and fluctuating material viscosity throughout the moulding cycle, to the point where ENGEL have now introduced a two-stage technology for the processing of flake repurposed material.

Through our energy optimisation packages, coupled with all electric or servo hydraulic drives, ENGEL machines are perfectly matched to the application, ensuring the most cost-effective manufacturing solution for our customers. Remote support via our e-connect24 facility allows 24-hour online support for customers.

ENGEL are on hand to offer around the clock service support and the opportunity to shareprocessing advice without the need for a site visit.