Wittmann rethinking where it manufactures

Wittmann Group is rethinking its site strategy.

Europe's high energy costs and the inflation rate, which has disproportionately affected Austria — mainly because wage levels have risen strongly to keep pace with changes in the cost of living and economic conditions — have led to the decision to transfer production elsewhere.

"It's a trend that we are responding to," said President Michael Wittmann.

The production of water flow regulators and temperature control units has been transferred to Hungary, while that of Drymax & Feedmax is in the process of being shifted to Turkey.

"It is certainly not something I wanted to do, but it is a necessary response. Wittmann, based in Vienna, will transform Austria's Wittmann Technology into a development center, with the amount of manufacturing there decreasing over time," he said. "Right now, production is currently running at 75- 80 percent of normal capacity."

Production of some of the injection molding machines — of the SmartPower up to 120t and EcoPower up to 110t — is also being moved to Hungary. The country is becoming an increasingly important location for the group, which has also invested in a second location there for sheet metal fabrication and machining. "It is due to be completed by 2025," Wittmann said.

"Another important facility for us is Turkey. We picked Turkey for a particular reason, namely, to be outside of Europe. The Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive will be coming into effect, and we don't know exactly what the impact, only that there will be a huge impact on manufacturing."

Turkey is close enough to use truck transportation, thus avoiding any repetition of the container issues experienced during the pandemic.

The group is still looking for the right site and is currently in a temporary location. "We have to prepare to transfer possibly even more manufacturing to Turkey," he said.

Asia is another area where the Wittmann Group is increasing its activities, with a new subsidiary in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, along with operations in the Philippines and India, where a new 54,000-square-foot production facility will open June 1 where Indian products specifically for the Indian market will be made.

"Even China is opening up again, after the shutdowns during the pandemic."

As a manufacturer of injection molding machines, robots, auxiliary equipment and more, a Wittmann Group booth at any show can be counted on to offer a huge diversity of equipment, machinery and new technology. NPE2024 is no exception.

A prominent and recurring theme connecting the 15 areas of interest at the Orlando, Fla., show booth is a focus on sustainability in the broadest sense of the term.

From regrind solutions and renewable material output to energy efficiency, improved productivity and connectivity, Wittmann has made circularity and sustainability very much a focus area.

That has continued to be the case despite the malaise that has affected the plastics machinery manufacturing sector across the board and that has also made itself felt at Wittmann.

Michael Wittmann noted at the NPE news conference held at the company's booth, that, as expected, the order backlog meant that the impact of the economic slowdown went largely unnoticed by Wittmann in 2023.

"In fact in the U.S., 2023 was a record year in terms of revenue," Wittmann said. "This year, we are seeing a bit of a drop, but are on track to hit our adjusted budget."

He added: "Meanwhile, the U.S. has become our biggest market. Germany, traditionally our number one market, has dropped down to second place, while Mexico has now become our third biggest market."

At NPE, Wittmann Group has chosen "It's all Wittmann" as its exhibition theme, highlighting the range of products provided by the company, from robots to injection molding machines to granulators to blenders, digital solutions and more.

On the booth are five complete Wittmann 4.0 Smart WorkCells, ranging from a micromolding application running on a MicroPower 15, two-shot machine to the production of a sunroof bezel running on a MacroPower 450XL.

"In the cell, we're showcasing several technologies." said Jason Long, vice president sales at Wittmann USA.

"We're using regrind [polypropylene], which is fed into a G-Max XL grinder and then back into the machine. We're printing QR codes directly to the part. One of the trends we've seen throughout the industry is collecting data, and using standard products like an ink jet printer partnered with a standard robot, we've provided a solution that allows the QR code to be scanned, which shows important production data like the molding cycle, the time and the date."

The digitalization of production equipment to exchange information between processing machines and auxiliary equipment is becoming more and more important. Collecting production data can enhance production stability and part quality, boosts process efficiency and enables traceability, an aspect that is increasingly vital, for example when using recycled material.

A plug and produce cell featuring the B8X IMM Controller is another exhibit designed to show how easy it is to be "smart."

"Because Wittman manufactures all the equipment, we've really been a pioneer in how to connect it all making it simple to change from one molding cycles to the next," Long said.

For customers, digitalization is not always straightforward. It is why ease of programming has been an industry request — and Wittmann has listened. The Wittmann R9 robots come standard with QuickNew programming features that lead users through simple questions to produce complete programs, demonstrating how easy programming a robot can be without limiting the flexibility. The new QuickNew has been updated to include reject, quality, de-gating and insert molding applications.

Also new is Wittmann Control Room (WCR) Teachbox. It offers all the features of the R9 plus the ability to easily control all connected Wittmann auxiliaries right from the robot pendant. This is also available in a PC Version giving users access and control over all compatible Wittmann equipment from their PC. Control Room allows multiple side by side views of all Wittmann equipment within a work cell or plant.

The Teachbox is showcased that on both the robot cells at the booth.

Also on show is Wittmann's MES solution produces real-time interactive communication and assistance with data management. Wittmann Digital's TEMi+ has been specifically developed for the plastic industry — ''for injection molding machines for injection molding plants," Long said. It provides the ability to collect production data, schedule jobs to specific machines, track work order status, and generate reports such as overall equipment efficiency and key performance indicators.

"So, it helps manage and monitor production processes, maintenance, does quality checks more automatically and efficiently. We understand what customers are looking for, for an MES system," he added.

Other new products being introduced at NPE include a new robot called the Sonic 131, the successor to the UHS (Ultra-High-Speed) models and designed for IMM models up to 300 tons, and cycle times down to 4 seconds; and various new material handling and auxiliary equipment.