Smart Molding International 1-2026

44 smart_molding interna onal 1/2026 periphery Saving material and boosting overall efficiency With a central material supply system from WITTMANN, elasto has reorganized material handling in injec on molding produc on. The investment is part of a comprehensive moderniza on package aimed at achieving long-term compe ve unit costs at the German site. W ell-known elasto ranks among the largest suppliers of promo onal items in Europe. From giveaways right up to high-quality household, lifestyle and sports ar cles, the product por olio of its shop includes an immense range of di erent op ons. Ever since its founda on in 1980, the company with its headquarters located in the German town of Sulzbach-Rosenberg, has seen con nuous growth, and this trend con nues. A key factor here: close connec on between economic and ecologic strategy. “For promo onal items made of plas cs, major brand owners increasingly turning to European produc on”, emphasizes Marcus Sperber, who manages the family-owned company in the second genera on. “Made in Germany” as a quality seal is an integral part of the sustainability strategy. This strengthens the local economy, but also involves some new challenges. After all, people are not always willing to pay more for “Made in Germany” products. So, efficiency and productivity on the shop floor must be improved continuously to keep unit costs competitive. 12.5 million Euros for new, resource-saving processes More than 600 from the total range of 1400 articles are manufactured in Germany. Primarily plastics products, for this is what the parent company in Sulzbach-Rosenberg has specialized in. The machinery, presenting itself in a shiny new environment, consists of 18 injection molding machines with clamping forces ranging from 50 to 300 tons as well as a stretch blow molding and a blow molding machine. Most recently, elasto has invested 12.5 million Euros in a new, resource-saving production and logistics center. A completely new hall was built for the logistics department, and the production was moved into the original hall after it had been vacated and thoroughly refurbished. This hall now offers significantly more space and thus caters to the growing demand for advertising articles made in Germany. “Over the last few years, we had already added some new, larger injection molding machines, which stretched the original hall to the limits of its capacity”, reports the Production Manager Markus Rösel. “A constant challenge was the low, gable-shaped ceiling of the hall. All machines had to be positioned in such a way that the robots could operate below the gable top.” This restricted flexibility, since the installation of an overhead crane was not possible either. Material supply was stored decentralized in the old hall. The granulate containers stood directly beside the injection molding machines, and the granulate was filled into the hoppers by hand. “Two staff members were fully occupied with refilling granulate”, reports Rösel. Simultaneously, valuable human resources were lacking elsewhere, as the shortage of skilled workers has been noticeable for some time now. With the expansion of production, it was therefore necessary to increase automation. Unlimited choice of colors for batch sizes from 5000 units upwards The heart of the new production is now a large central material supply system from WITTMANN. “With this central material Working together for higher competitiveness: Marcus Sperber and Markus Rösel from elasto, and Wolfgang Prütting from WITTMANN BATTENFELD Germany (from right to left). The new coupling station still leaves room for further growth.