With more than 500 guests in attendance, injection molding machine builder Engel (Schwertberg, Austria) officially opened its its new production plant in Changzhou in mid-September. Wintec Engel Machinery (Changzhou) Co., Ltd., which was founded in April, targets a growing market in Asia with its production of premium injection molding machines for standard applications.

"We combine the best of two worlds here," emphasised CEO Peter Auinger during the inauguration ceremony. "Our machines are based on European developments that we have accommodated to meet the specific requirements of standard product manufacturers in Asia. This means that we combine highest-possible quality with short lead-times and competitive prizes."

In the production shop, plant visitors were given an insight into on-going production, which started in July. The sales kick-off for the new t-win injection molding machine series was in April at the Chinaplas plastics fair in Shanghai, where Wintec presented itself to the market for the first time. "The fair was an important confirmation for us that we are on the right track with our strategy", says Auinger. "Feedback from the market was positive right from the outset. Above all, the robust construction and excellent precision of our machine impressed processors." The first Wintec customers are primarily automotive and domestic appliance suppliers, but other industries are also already represented.

With its t-win machines, Wintec reportedly addresses plastics processors in China and other Asian countries who require minimal modularity and fewer machine options, but nevertheless have high quality requirements. Other important characteristics of the new machine series are said to include excellent energy efficiency and a comprehensive range of services to back them up. "Requirements in terms of service for suppliers here in China have risen sharply in the last few years," says Auinger. "Local suppliers, however, do not sufficiently meet these requirements. In contrast to this, Wintec sees this as a core factor for its success and is perfectly positioned to respond from the very outset."

Right from the outset, Wintec is represented in China's important industrial regions with five sales and service locations. Other service points are located in South Korea and Taiwan. "Customer proximity is particularly important, especially in such a large country as China," as Auinger emphasises. "We need to be on site quickly at any time to ensure maximum availability of machines, and thus offer our customers genuine added value. This is why we attach such great priority to the on-going expansion of our sales and service network."

The sales and service headquarters is located at the new production plant. All told, Wintec currently employs 70 staff at the Changzhou location - a number that is set to increase rapidly.