Engel claims 10% share of Asian injection machine market

Austrian machine builder Engel sold injection machinery valued at a combined €125 million in Asia in the fiscal year 2011/2012 ending March 30, thus claiming an overall 10% share of the regional market.

The announcement of these record sales came against a backdrop of the company's doubling of production capacity at its Korean plant in the city of Pyeongtaek near Seoul. In future, around 1200 injection molding machines will roll off the production line every year at Engel's Korean plant. The company has invested a total of €8 million in South Korea thus far.

The company has been producing small and medium-sized machines in the clamping force range of 25 to 400 tons in Korea since 2001, including ENGEL victory, ENGEL e-mac, ENGEL e-motion and ENGEL insert. Thirty percent of these machines stay in Korea, with 70% exported to China and other Asian nations. Clients include high-profile global players (especially in the automobile and electronics industries) alongside smaller local plastics processing firms.

"Thanks to our decentralized production facility in Asia, we can offer clients in the region fast delivery times and guarantee to adapt our injection molding machines and system solutions to the specific requirements of local markets," says Robert Bodingbauer, managing director of Engel Machinery Korea. "This ensures we have a major competitive advantage in Asia."

Nearly 150 guests accepted invitations to discover the benefits of Engel Machinery Korea's improved performance, high production quality, and expertise in system solutions first hand. The event took place one day before the start of the Koplas, at which Engel also exhibited.

"Demand for quality products and innovative technologies is continuing to rise in Asia," confirmed Bodingbauer. "In partnership with our customers, we are developing ever more sophisticated solutions and manufacturing processes that enhance competitiveness by raising productivity and efficiency." Systems business, including automation, is becoming more important along with process integration solutions and energy saving options. Having increased its capacity in Korea, ENGEL is now ideally placed to cope with that growth.

Engel's production plant in Shanghai was also significantly expanded just last year. The company has been producing large-scale machines for the ENGEL duo series in China since 2007. Engel is now the only western producer of injection molding machines with two production sites in Asia.