Engel taps Mitsubishi for cooperation in Japan

Mitsubishi brings its sales and service network to the cooperation. MHI-PT also will handle project planning and spare part supply for the machines.  Engel claims to have sold 4000 duo machines to date; it has marketed machines under the duo name since 1995.

MHI-PT is specialized in manufacture of medium- to large-tonnage presses. The company currently offers electric 1450- and 3000-tonne two-shot machines under its own brand but had not offered smaller multi-component machines. These large machines technically are not fully electric, requiring a certain quantity of hydraulic oil for final clamping. Like the Engel models, they also feature rotating platens with the injection units opposing each other. According to Japanese press reports, MHI-PT earlier announced it hoped to sell 10 of its own multi-shot machines (including its existing two-color offerings) annually, but now, with the Engel cooperation, has said it hopes to establish a leading position in the Japanese market within this category.

MHI-PT reports it has sold "significant numbers" of its larger multi-comonent machines to automotive parts suppliers and home electronics makers, but has seen demand increasing for multi-material machines with clamping capacities below 1000 tonnes.

In answer to questions from MPW, an Engel representative said the company would continue its relationship in Japan with Correns Corp., its agent there. Engel has not yet sold any duo-combi machines in Japan, and also would make no prediction as to how many it hoped to sell this year. 

In its press release announcing the cooperation with Engel, MHT-PT said that the companies "will progressively expand their collaborative relationship." The Engel/MHT-PT deal is the fourth announced in recent years between Japanese and European injection molding machine manufacturers. In early 2008 KraussMaffei (Munich, Germany) and Toshiba announced they would work together on machinery development, while Germany's Demag was acquired in March 2008 by Sumitomo and is now called Sumitomo-Demag. Japan's JSW, via its partnership since 2007 with Germany's Windsor Kunststofftechnologie GmbH, is working to bring its large press range to Europe's markets. —[email protected]