Fakuma: Engel to Open Technology Forum in Stuttgart

At the Engel press conference at plastics processing show Fakuma, the company yesterday highlighted the opening of a fourth subsidiary in Stuttgart, Germany. The “Technologieforum” (technology forum) is scheduled to open in January 2013 and will focus on future innovations and trends while functioning as a communications hub for the injection moulding industry in the German states of Baden-Württemberg and Hessen. “20% of Engel’s wolrdwide turnover is generated in Germany,” says Claus Wilde, head of the new subsidiary, during the press conference in Friedrichshafen. “And with the new subsidiary, we want to create a hub for the plastics processing industry in southwest Germany as this is where new developments in the medical device and automotive sectors take place.”

The focus of the Technologieforum Stuttgart will differ from that of the other subsidiaries in Nuremberg, Hagen and Hanover, with application technology highlighted from the start. At 700 sqm the new technical centre will be the largest of any Engel subsidiary, accommodating six or seven automated manufacturing cells. “This will allow us to extend trade shows for our customers and present innovative technologies and applications year-round”, said Claus Wilde. At the same time, the technical centre will be available to customers for mould tests and proving.

The main technological emphasis will be on aspects of lightweight construction, automation and energy efficiency. One staff member will be exclusively assigned to providing advice on energy to customers in southwest Germany. “Lightweight construction will most likely be a driving force within the plastics processing industry,” says Dr. Peter Neumann, CEO Engel Holding GmbH, during the press conference. “And for a machine manufacturer like us, this could mean potential for further growth.”

In addition to application technology, the Stuttgart site will be used for sales, services and training. As early as January 2013, the Technologieforum Stuttgart plans to launch a series of events to build on Engel’s Fakuma theme of ‘E-novation’. Set-up workshops, multiPress component forums and a conference on medical engineering are in the pipeline alongside practical training courses on energy efficiency. On 25 February 2013, for instance, the Engel med.con Stuttgart 2013 will take place featuring experts from Engel Austria as well as from tool makers, automation and cleanroom technology.

Fakuma runs from 16 to 20 October 2012 at the Neue Messe in Friedrichshafen, Germany.

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Tags: Engel, Fakuma, Injection-moulding