Plastics News - Show Daily - October 15, 2024 - 10

FAKUMA 2024
10 * Plastics News, October 15, 2024
Sumitomo cutting
jobs, reorganizing
German production
SUMITOMO
(SHI) DEMAG
B1-1105
been exacerbated by market conditions
beyond our control. Like
these industries, we must prioritize
how we adapt and adjust our
core competencies and production
capacities to best support
our customers and these wider
industry transformations, " Maget
said in a news release.
Sumitomo has a global production
network with sites Japan and
China in addition to Germany,
putting it in a strong position to
cut costs and become more effi -
cient, Maget also said.
" These decisions we are taking
today are in order to ensure our
future in Germany and optimize
production effi ciency across the
entire production process, " Maget
added.
Sumitomo management had
made a solidarity pact with its
workers council at the two German
sites in Wiehe and Schwaig
in 2020. The agreement led to a
voluntary waiver of bonuses by
the entire management team and
all non-pay-scale employees as
well as the introduction of temporary
short-time working for all
employees.
The pact helped the company
retain its workforce and adjust
overall capacity to increase immediately
when demand called for it.
However, conditions remained
challenging with international
confl icts and key markets struggling,
particularly automotive,
electronics and construction.
" After
four years of market
A new management team at Sumitomo (SHI) Demag, took over
in September. From left: Chief Operating Offi cer Takaaki Kaneko,
Chief Sales Offi cer Anatol Sattel and CEO Christian Maget.
Sumitomo (SHI) Demag photo
By Catherine Kavanaugh
Plastics News Staff
Machine builder Sumitomo
(SHI) Demag has announced
plans to reduce staff and make
structural changes in production
Arburg
Continued from Page 1
paper and cardboard manufacturer
Model to advance paper injection
molding and develop these
paper pearls. The main component
is recycled paper fi bers that
are combined with bio-based and
biodegradable plastic to make
them injection moldable.
The fi rst customers from the
furniture and cosmetics industries
and from the household goods and
toy sectors have already recognized
the potential of this innovative
process for themselves.
At Fakuma 2024, an electric Allrounder
370 A will be producing
positioning tools for furniture
connectors by way of example.
During this process, the aXw Control
RecyclatePilot integrated into
the Gestica control system evens
out variations from one material
or batch to the next and ensures a
stable shot weight. After use, the
product can be easily disposed of
in a garden compost heap.
Q: The Allrounder 720 E Golden
Electric injection molding
machine is fi nally making its
German debut after its world
premiere at NPE2024 in the United
States. Which features and
capabilities are most attractive
to buyers?
Hehl: With a clamping force of
at its German sites.
The Oct. 14 announcement
blamed weakening demand,
which the company said is down
50 percent in 2024.
Plastics processors in the automotive,
electronics and con310
tons (2,800 kN), our new large
Allrounder 720 E Golden Electric
has extended the range of the
electric series of the same name
upwards. And with a width of just
6 feet (1,848 millimeters), the new
electric machine is one of the narrowest
on the market. It features
an optimized installation area and
combines high component quality
with low investment costs and
short delivery times.
An Allrounder 630 A from the
electric high-performance Alldrive
series with a clamping force
of 280 tons (2,500 kN) will also
be on display for the fi rst time
in its new, slim design. Measuring
around 1,800 millimeters,
this machine is about 20 percent
narrower than the clamp design.
The exhibit will be producing
high-quality transparent drinking
tumblers made of co-polyester
containing 50 per cent recycled
material. These tumblers, which
can be customized inline using
hot stamping, are a shatterproof
and sustainable alternative to
glass and disposable items.
Q: What is Arburg doing to
make investing in machinery
more affordable for processors
at a time when they are faced
with higher labor, energy and
material costs?
Hehl: Many plastics processors
are currently working on making
their injection molding plants fi t
struction industries haven't been
investing in their machine fl eets,
according to CEO Christian Maget.
" In the medium term, a revival
of investment activity in these
sectors is not expected.
The
slumps being experienced have
for the future and competitive - in
other words, increasing their resilience.
We have brought together a
wealth of knowledge on this topic
at arburgSOLUTIONworld, where
trade visitors can get personalized
advice and answers to pressing
questions about the future, such
as effi ciency, sustainability and
the shortage of skilled workers.
We will also be providing valuable
suggestions and specifi c tips, including
on possible funding.
Our " Action Plan: Energy " includes
energy advice, machine
updates and consumption measurements
as well as the Gestica
control system with its intelligent
assistance and pilot functions,
are useful components for saving
valuable resources and energy in
existing machine fl eets.
Q: There will be a new exhibition
wall with an integrated
transparent machine. What will
it show visitors?
Hehl: Our new exhibition wall
is where Arburg's digital products
and services will be brought to
life. The main topics are connectivity
and after-sales services. The
centerpiece is a " transparent " injection
molding machine - or to
be more precise, an Allrounder
270 A with no safety enclosure,
allowing a glimpse of exciting details.
Among the features on show
will be the electric drive components
from AMKmotion and the
crisis and the disappearance of
important markets such as Russia,
our strong increase in market
share and our positioning as
market leader for fully electric
machines are no longer suffi cient
to compensate for this market
crisis, " Chief Sales Offi cer Anatol
Sattel said.
" We do not see any current market
recovery in the mentioned
sectors either this or next year.
Since the market crisis in the injection
molding machine sector
IIoT gateway for IT cross-linking.
In addition, four monitor stations
will be used to demonstrate the
benefi ts and added value of the
ALS host computer system, the
arburgXworld customer portal
that can be cross-linked with this,
the Arburg Remote Service ARS
and Arburg's after-sales services.
These also include training, retrofi
tting and repairs.
Q: What kind of machine
learning or artifi cial intelligence
is helping Arburg customers?
Hehl: Arburg has been working
intensively on artifi cial intelligence
(AI) for a long time, for
example with regard to smart
controls and self-optimizing machines.
We want to make processes
more intelligent for our
customers and ensure effi cient,
high-quality production. Based on
current knowledge, AI is certainly
also a useful tool for countering
the shortage of skilled workers.
Our new, AI-supported askARBURG
app, for example, contains
very easy-to-access, comprehensive
injection molding knowledge
from Arburg and can answer specifi
c questions about machines
and processes.
Q: What's the mood like at Arburg?
What gives you cause for
optimism?
Hehl: We are looking to the future
with confi dence and communicate
this to the market. In these
is not limited to Germany, but
affects large parts of Europe, the
USA and China, we can no longer
compensate through our international
business, " Sattel said.
Machine builders are struggling
in Germany, where orders for plastics
and rubber machinery haven't
yet " bottomed out, " according to
the mechanical engineering industry
association VDMA.
VDMA expects a 10-15 percent
drop in plastics and rubber machinery
sales in 2024 compared
with last year. Sales were down 7
percent between January and August,
the group says.
At Sumitomo, management will
focus on engineering and automation
expertise in Germany and reducing
simpler production tasks.
Maget said this was always the
strategic direction being taken.
" There is a clear competitive
advantage for basing our areas
of
expertise in these production-experienced
locations and
benefi ting from established supply
chains, " he said. " The current
market challenges have simply
urged us to re-evaluate and pull
these plans forward by a couple
of years. "
Sumitomo offi cials say the strategic
synergy between the company's
Japanese headquarters and
production sites in China will create
some benefi ts from " this new
production framework, " including
the ability to adapt to changing
market conditions more fl uidly
and still expand its global reach.
" This gives us a distinct strategic
and customer-focused advantage
as it allows for agile production
and localized automation and
mass-customizations based on
customer and service demands, "
Sattel said. " Although the archetype
model for building machines
is constantly changing, all-electric
remains our competitive and effi -
ciency advantage. "
Sumitomo (SHI) Demag is a unit
of Tokyo-based Sumitomo Heavy
Industries Ltd.
turbulent and dynamic times, we
are presenting ourselves as a reliable
and innovative provider of
complete solutions. Proximity to
our customers is our top priority.
At Fakuma, we will be showcasing
everything our customers
need to manufacture plastic parts
effi ciently and successfully now
and in the future, from 3D printing
and turnkey systems to the
economical production of molded
parts for mass-market items. We
look forward to many fruitful and
stimulating discussions.
Q: How will Arburg and its
trainees participate in the new
Careers Friday event?
Hehl: The " mold your future "
Careers Friday, which is taking
place across the entire trade fair
and which we are even extending
to include Saturday, is also
intended to help people plan for
the future.
There will be plenty for school
and university students and career
starters to see and do at our
stand, including fascinating exhibits,
a competition and a small
single-lever
injection
molding
machine that visitors can operate
themselves. Around 30 trainees
will be on hand to help us with
this. We want to show the fantastic
opportunities that the plastics
industry and Arburg in particular
can offer in terms of training,
studying, and starting a career.
Plastics News - Show Daily - October 15, 2024

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