Sumitomo (SHI) Demag guns for top spot in global injection molding machine sales

Fakuma 2012

Tetsuya Okamura, who since April has served as Sumitomo (SHI) Demag CEO and senior VP and executive board member of Sumitomo Heavy Industries (SHI) Ltd., told PlasticsToday that his company currently occupies the third spot in global injection molding sales in terms of revenue.

Okamura declined to reveal specific results for Sumitomo (SHI) Demag, saying only that revenue within plastics is "stable". For all of SHI, 2011 income came in at $5.9 billion, with $6.3 billion forecast for 2012.

Okamura stressed greater collaboration between the German and Japanese firms as a reason the company will be able to take over the number one slot of injection molding machine sales. "[Sumitomo and Demag] exchange technical information and use our assets together," Okamura said.

Joint-development projects
This exchange has resulted in several joint-development projects, with electric machine technologies mainly starting in Japan, according to Okamura. Realized joint advancements include the activeLock lockable non-return valve, activeDynamics all-electric drive technology, and activeFlowBalance cavity pressure balancing system.  

In addition to Okamura assuming new responsibilities, the company said that Kazuo Hiroaka is leading the plastics machinery division in Japan, while Shaun Dean, COO of Sumitomo (SHI) Demag, will now be responsible for all operative business including research & development, sales, and quality.

The company also announced its participation in VDMA's energy efficiency initiative, Blue Competence, with a goal to reduce energy consumption of machines by about 20% by 2020.

Sumitomo (SHI) Demag stated in a release that it employs more than 3000 people and sells more than 5000 injection molding machines annually. Machines are available in all-electric, hydraulic and hybrid formats with clamping forces of between 180 and 20,000 kN.