Total efficiency from ENGEL

ENGEL's presence at Thailand's biggest industrial exhibition, Manufacturing Expo (with InterPlas Thailand as concurrent event), is an indication of the company's continued confidence in the ASEAN market. At the exhibition, ENGEL focused on Thailand's booming sectors, such as medical technology, where it showed its latest production system for pipette tips. In order to combine a stable process with high efficiency, the integrated and fully automated production cell at ENGEL's exhibition booth utilised various efficiency factors. With an extremely compact footprint, it integrated a tie-bar-less ENGEL e victory 170/80 injection moulding machine featuring 800 kN of clamping force, a hydraulic clamping unit, and an electric injection unit, with a 32-cavity hotrunner precision mould by Wellmei (Dongguan, China), and a high-speed automation by Waldorf Technik (Engen, Germany). Automation is key to efficiency and in the injection moulding process, 32 pipette tips at a time are removed from the mould and cavity-specific groups of 96 pipette tips each are placed in racks. Every 18 seconds, 96 pipette tips are discharged from the production cell, which is enclosed to create a cleanroom environment.

 

To additionally compensate for fluctuations in the ambient conditions and raw material, iQ weight control is used. The assistance system from ENGEL’s inject 4.0 programme analyses the pressure in real time during the injection process and compares the measured data with a reference cycle. For every shot, the injection profile, the switchover point and the holding pressure profile are automatically adjusted to the current conditions and the injected melt volume kept constant throughout production. This is a proactive way of preventing rejects.

 

In order to integrate other peripheral units and moulds alongside its own automation solutions and process technologies, ENGEL has established a worldwide network of system partners. The production cell for the production of pipette tips is the result of a European-Asian collaboration. ENGEL, Waldorf Technik and Wellmei Mold have combined their know-how and experience with medical technology precision parts in order to tailor the system solution to the specific requirements of the Asian processors. By working with local suppliers, ENGEL can also guarantee high cost efficiency for challenging applications and keep the delivery time short for the complete plant.

 

Mr. Romain Reyre, President Southeast Asia 

 

ENGEL expansion in SE Asia  

ENGEL has been expanding its capabilities in Southeast Asia to support customers in the region. It founded a sales and service hub in Thailandn which plays a key role by providing sales and technical support. "Aside from Thailand, ENGEL also has sales and service subsidiaries in Singapore and Vietnam to provide much-needed support to customers in the ASEAN region. Overall, we have 43 sales and technical professionals in Southeast Asia alone," according to ENGEL President for Southeast Asia Romain Reyre. 

 

At the exhibition, Mr. Reyre pointed out that ENGEL promoted its two ranges of machines - for specific high-end application and very customisable machine tailored to meet specific requirements. It also introduced the capabilities of WINTEC, ENGEL's commitment to China and the Asian market. WINTEC is more focused on mainstream applications yielding high-quality products.  

 

What makes ENGEL stand out in the Southeast Asian market is its huge inventory of spare parts. "ENGEL is the only one in Southeast Asia with an 8-million Euros inventory located in Thailand. This guarantees same days shipment of parts to Southeast Asian customers as well as other Asian customers because the inventory is housed 30 minutes away from the international airport in Bangkok. This differentiates ENGEL from other suppliers of injection moulding machines in this region," Mr. Reyre stressed. 

 

As the plastics industry in Southeast Asia continues its upward surge, ENGEL is poised to further expand its sales and services. According to Mr. Reyre, ENGEL has already raised the number of its tecnical professionals by 30% in a span of one year. "More important to enhancing our presence in Southeast Asia is the construction of our own office, including a showroom and a training centre in Bangkok, which is scheduled to begin around September this year. We are putting much investment and efforts into our Southeast Asian operations and this signifies our confidence in this dynamic region," Mr. Reyre explained. 

 

 

ENGEL Machinery (Thailand) Ltd.

Tel: +66-2 184 2645-6

Fax: +66-2 184 2545

E-mail: romain.reyre@engelglobal.com

Website: www.engelglobal.com