The 12th International Polymer Technology Forum (IPTF), which was held in St. Petersburg on May 28-29, 2024, brought together over 400 participants and presented 47 reports. The forum covered a wide range of topics, including plastic processing equipment and technologies, polymers and additives. Particular attention was paid to the section "Injection Molding: Equipment and Technologies", where both the content of the reports and their relevance were considered.
Automation and Logistics
The report by I. Kuzmenko from the Europartner company touched upon the issues of automation of removal of two-component injection molded products. A unique technical solution for removing parts from a multi-cavity mold made of polyamide was demonstrated. These solutions are successfully applied in practice using modern injection molding machines (IPM) from ENGEL.
- Alekseeva from Sistema shared her experience of working under sanctions and logistics restrictions regarding the supply of imported components for injection molds. It was noted that under sanctions, the company had established complex logistics chains for the supply of more than 200 thousand types of components.
Chinese injection molding machines on the Russian market
With Western manufacturers leaving, Chinese companies began to occupy the vacant niche on the Russian market. IPTF 2024 featured new players, such as TAYU, which produces up to 4,000 vertical injection molding machines per year. These machines are suitable for the production of electrical components with metal embedded elements.
- Ganyushin from Formotronik presented the features of injection molding machines from the Chinese company BOLE, emphasizing their advantages in modern production conditions.
Electric injection molding machines: a step into the future
- Rubtsov from Promtekhnologii discussed the advantages of electric injection molding machines from Tederic. These machines provide higher efficiency and allow significant energy savings. The speaker noted that the future belongs to electric machines, and Russian processors should pay attention to this segment to increase production efficiency.
Competition between Cronplex and BORCHE Machinery
The report by I. Mukkonen from BORCHE Machinery emphasized the active promotion of Chinese injection molding machines on the Russian market. The company ranks second in sales, actively expanding its activities in Russia. At the same time, Cronplex, formerly known as "Hytian CIS", continues to lead in sales volumes.
Optimistic conclusions
IPTF 2024 confirmed the trends observed at the RUPLASTICA 2024 exhibition: southeastern manufacturers, primarily Chinese, are successfully replacing Western European companies on the Russian plastic molding equipment market. The growth in sales of injection molding machines in Russia indicates an increase in the volume of domestic plastics production, which is confirmed by the purchase of more than 2,200 machines in 2023.
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