at the recent Koplas show in Seoul, Korea, Engel Machinery Asia President Robert Bodingbauer said a site would be purchased shortly in Shanghai to manufacture 5,000-kN-plus injection machines. The facility will also house a service center. In Europe and the U.S., Engel also adopts a strategy of manufacturing small and large machines at separate facilities.
Bodingbauer added that Engel has yet to decide what large machines to start with in China. "If we start with 6,500-kN machines, production capacity will be around 50 units annually, while if we target 25,000-kN units, 10 machines per annum would make the facility profitable."
Engel already manufactures small machines in Asia. It opened a production facility in Pyongtaek, South Korea, in November 2000 that turned our 335 machines in the year to March 2004. Around 60% of machines are supplied to the local market and 40% exported. The production target this year is 450 machines. Production capacity is 550-600 machines.
Engel also plans to start manufacturing its Victory electric machines in South Korea and Austria starting July this year. The series employs servos for injection and plasticizing, and a hydraulic tiebarless clamping unit.
Stephen Moore [email protected]
