Engel Group brand Wintec is investing €12 million in an expansion of its Changzhou, China, production facility at a time where it is seeing injection machine shipments to global white goods manufacturers grow considerably. The new production capacity will be in place by quarter four of 2019.

According to Michael Feltes, President Sales and Service,  Engel Machinery (Changzhou) Co., Ltd., [appliance manufacturers] with production operations in China, South Korea, Mexico and the US are buying Wintec machines in increasing volumes. “They recognize our quality, reliable equipment able to operate 24/7 year in and year out. They started with small quantities 2–3 years ago and are now buying in increasing numbers.” Adds Feltes, “Wintec machines are recognized for their very high repeatability and 15–20-year service live if maintenance is done well.”

At Chinaplas 2019 from May 21 to 24 in Guangzhou, China, will showcase two injection machines that combine quality and efficiency (at hall 4.1, booth J41). Visitors can witness Wintec’s servo-hydraulic and all-electric injection molding machines which can cover a broad spectrum of applications.

By focusing on productivity, quality and energy efficiency, the company builds injection molding machines in Changzhou, China, that are tailored to best meet the demands of standard plastics applications in automotive, white goods, technical molding and other industries. Wintec machines are preferably used for high-volume, single-component injection molding, which may not require any special technologies, yet still places high demands on quality and process consistency. With a servo-hydraulic and an all-electric machine, Wintec will present itself as a provider of advanced and reliable injection molding solutions.

The servo-hydraulic injection molding machines of the t-win series are offered with clamping forces from 4,500 to 17,500 kN, which means they are particularly ideal to produce large or three-dimensionally complex components. During Chinaplas, a t-win 13,500-7000 injection molding machine with a clamping force of 1350 tonnes, reportedly the largest on show at Chinaplas,  will demonstrate production of auto lamp housings made from polypropylene. The shot weight is 1,200 grams in a two-cavity mold, while each cycle takes less than 70 seconds.

Other advantages that ensure a high degree of energy efficiency include operating point optimization and the dual-platen design of the clamping unit with low moving masses and exposed tie-bars. The linear guidance of the movable  mold mounting platen allows smooth movements as well as a clean production without lubricating oil at a high level of availability.

The dual-platen clamping unit was developed in Europe and guarantees precise  mold guiding and maximum platen parallelism throughout the machine’s long service life, which leads to sensitive  mold protection, outstanding dynamics and short dry cycle times. Parallel auxiliary movements such as the ejector, core pulls, or jets, are optional features.

The C2 control used in all Wintec machines is characterized by an intuitive operator guidance optimized interface that reduces the risk of operator errors. The entire machine status is dis- played clearly on an adjustable single screen which ensures an ergonomic workflow. A quick adjustment page summarizes the most important setting parameters in a compact way.

Furthermore, the C2 offers ample flexibility as for connecting robots of various types and brands. As a 100% Engel-owned brand, Wintec can deliver integrated manufacturing cells from a single source, with robots developed and produced in-house. The t-win 13500-7000 at Chinaplas is equipped with a viper 40 from Engel's linear robot series. The viper removes the finished parts from the  mold and places them on the conveyor belt.

With its e-win all-electric machine series, Wintec enables processors to enter the world of all-electric injection molding at minimal risk and keep pace with the trend towards even higher production quality and complex applications. The e-win series also allows for shorter cycle times. These are realized by the parallel movements of the drive axles as well as the breath-taking acceleration, up to 22 m/s², of the injection axle.

Additional factors that contribute to efficiency are the low power consumption and the compact design. With clamping forces from 500 kN to 2,800 kN, the machines are used in a wide range of applications, where clean, high precision and quality processes are required.

At Chinaplas, an e-win 1000-170 with a clamping force of 100 tonnes will be used to produce flip-top caps from polypropylene with a cycle time of 8.5 seconds. The flip-tops are closed upon demolding, meaning non post-processing procedure is required.

The t-win and e-win machines are characterized by high productivity and energy efficiency, an industry leading compact design, and an extended service life. They are delivered preconfigured, which guarantees short delivery times and rapid start-up.

During Chinaplas, the operational data of Wintec’s exhibits will be transferred online from the booth and displayed in a manufacturing intelligence room in a remote location. Via internet connection with real time machine data, Wintec will present its concepts of future factory automation and Industry 4.0 readiness and demonstrate the benefits brought by digitization in manufacturing.