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Press release

ENGEL duo machines used for lightweight construction

ENGEL AUSTRIA supplies BMW's Leipzig factory with system solutions

Schwertberg, Austria – March 2013. Outstanding efficiency and maximum flexibility – the new injection moulding system solutions supplied to BMW's Leipzig factory by ENGEL AUSTRIA meet both of these requirements. They will be used to manufacture lightweight components for car body shells.

"Lightweight construction and injection moulding are key concepts for meeting the increasing demands of the transport and mobility sectors. ENGEL recognised this as a trend of the future early on and therefore placed a great deal of emphasis on basing the further development of its machines and technologies for the car industry on it", says Dr Peter Neumann, CEO of ENGEL Holding in Schwertberg, Austria. "The order from BMW shows that we are seen by the car industry as the leading provider when it comes to lightweight construction."

The current delivery consists of ENGEL duo injection moulding machines with clamping forces of 4000 and 2700 tonnes. They have been set up to perform at the highest possible level and are also equipped with ENGEL's energy-saving system, ecodrive, because sustainability is another main aspect of this project.

Outstanding efficiency in harmony with maximum flexibility

One special feature of the injection moulding processing cells in Leipzig is that they are each made up of two large-scale ENGEL duo machines which have been installed back-to-back to create double systems. In master/slave mode, both machines can be controlled together so that two components are injection moulded and completed simultaneously. The bodywork

ENGEL AUSTRIA GmbH, A-4311 Schwertberg/Austria, Tel.: +43 50 620-0, Fax: +43 50 620-3009 E-mail: [email protected], http://www.engelglobal.com

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Machines which have been linked together can also be separated from each other and fitted with different moulds. This increases the availability of the systems and enables them to guarantee a high degree of production flexibility.

All the injection moulding machines are equipped with industrial multi-axis robots, and as the general contractor for the manufacturing cells, ENGEL took responsibility for ensuring that automation was incorporated in the solution it provided BMW with. This also included a menu-driven mould changing feature, a system display screen, and data tracing. The huge range of parts which the manufacturing cells will be making in the future was taken into consideration from the very beginning. Comfortable and easy to operate, the new machines' control system also meets the demand for outstanding efficiency and maximum flexibility.

Two vehicle components can be injection moulded and completed simultaneously on ENGEL duo injection moulding machines which are linked together. Both components undergo exactly the same material aging process before the next processing stage, which ensures that they are of excellent quality. Picture: ENGEL

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ENGEL AUSTRIA GmbH

ENGEL is one of the global leaders in the manufacture of plastics processing machines. Today, the ENGEL Group offers a full range of technology modules for plastics processing as a single source supplier: Injection moulding machines for thermoplastics and elastomers, and automation, with the assurance that individual components are also competitive and successful in the world markets. With eight production plants in Europe, North America and Asia (China, Korea), subsidiaries and representatives in over 85 countries, ENGEL offers its customers the optimal global support they need to compete and succeed with new technologies and leading-edge production systems. Contact for journalists: Gerd Liebig, Group Marketing Director, ENGEL AUSTRIA GmbH, Ludwig-Engel-Strasse 1, A-4311 Schwertberg, Austria, Tel.: +43 (0)50 620 3800, Fax: -3009, email: [email protected] Susanne Zinckgraf, Public Relations Manager, ENGEL AUSTRIA GmbH, Ludwig-Engel-Strasse 1, A-4311 Schwertberg, Austria PR office: Theodor-Heuss-Strasse 85, D-67435 Neustadt, Germany, Tel.: +49 (0)6327/97699-02, Fax: -03, email: [email protected] Contact for readers: ENGEL AUSTRIA GmbH, Ludwig-Engel-Strasse 1, A-4311 Schwertberg, Austria, Tel.: +43 (0)50/620-0, Fax: -3009, email: [email protected], www.engelglobal.com