Smart Molding International 1-2026

18 smart_molding interna onal 1/2026 CHINAPLAS 2026 The ENGEL Group presents solutions for packaging and medical at Chinaplas 2026 At Chinaplas 2026, taking place from 21 to 24 April in Shanghai, the ENGEL Group presents a total of six production solutions in live operation. They cover a broad spectrum of industrial applications and show how efficiency, process stability and cost efficiency in series production can be specifically improved. Two of these exhibits specifically address the requirements of the packaging and medical sectors, in which high cavity counts, short cycle times as well as reproducible quality and cleanliness determine competitiveness. All-electric packaging applica on for high cavity counts and short cycle mes ENGEL presents all-electric precision and high performance with a compact production solution based on an e-mac 380 injection moulding machine with 3,800 kN clamping force. Special versions of flip-top closures are manufactured from 90% HDPE and 10% LDPE in a 48-cavity mould from Cartisan. The production solution is designed for high output with simultaneous precise process control and thus addresses requirements where high cavity counts, short cycle times and reproducible quality determine cost efficiency. The all- electric e-mac supports this with precise motion sequences, high repeatability and energy-efficient operation. The part weight of the application shown is 1.73 g, resulting in a shot weight of 83 g. The short cycle time is just over 10 seconds. The combination of energy efficiency, stable process control in multi-cavity moulds, compact design and integrated automation makes the all-electric ENGEL e-mac an optimal solution for highly automated series production in the packaging segment with simultaneously reduced space requirements. The high efficiency of this production solution is supported by digital assistance systems. iQ clamp control automatically optimises the clamping force and thus reduces energy consumption, mould wear and scrap. iQ hold control optimises the holding pressure without manual intervention and thereby contributes to the reduction of material usage and cycle time. iQ weight control plus compensates for fluctuations in material viscosity in real time by adjusting the injection volume within the same shot. This stabilises component quality and significantly reduces scrap. The exhibit is additionally equipped with the iQ process observer, which analyses more than 1,000 process parameters in parallel and detects deviations at an early stage. This provides processors with transparent process monitoring including specific recommendations for action, enabling scrap to be reduced, downtime to be avoided and system availability to be increased. This lowers unit costs, particularly at high cavity counts. All-electric medical produc on with high cost e ciency In the medical sector, the ENGEL Group brand WINTEC presents an all-electric production solution on an e-win 3200 injection moulding machine with 3,200 kN clamping force. The compact machine produces 10 ml Luer-lock syringe barrels from polypropylene with a part weight of 4.6 g in a 48-cavity mould from TK. For short cycle times of 10 seconds and a clean material flow, the components are freely discharged onto a covered Z-conveyor belt. The added value of The all-electric e-mac 380 enables short cycle times, reproducible quality and energy-efficient series production on a compact footprint at high cavity counts. (All picture: ENGEL) The all-electric WINTEC e-win 3200 combines stable process control with a compact design, thereby enabling the cost-efficient production of medical mass products.