Digitalisation and the targeted use of manufacturing execution systems are moving further into the focus of plastics processors. Against this background, Arburg organised two interlinked events at its headquarters in Lossburg. The Smart Factory Information Day on 26 November 2025 addressed companies taking their first steps towards digital production, while the ALS User Meeting on 26 and 27 November 2025 was aimed at experienced users of the Arburg host computer system ALS. With about 160 participants in total, both events were fully booked. The programme combined expert presentations, live demonstrations of digital tools and best practice examples from industrial users, supplemented by extensive networking opportunities with other processors and Arburg’s Digital Solutions team.
The organisers set out to show how digital support can help companies respond to current production challenges and to the increasing requirements of their customers. The focus was on concrete application scenarios, not on general concepts. Participants were able to see how data from injection moulding and related processes can be collected, evaluated and used for transparent order processing, process monitoring and efficiency improvements. According to Arburg, this knowledge transfer was designed so that both newcomers and experienced users could identify options for optimising their own production processes and expanding their digital infrastructure in a targeted manner.
Focus on Arburg’s MES and customer portal
The Smart Factory Information Day was organised by the Digital Solutions team as a compact half-day event. According to Arburg, it was conceived as an event with in-depth insights into digitalisation for greater transparency, flexibility and efficiency in production. A central element was the introduction to Arburg’s digital tools. These include the Arburg host computer system ALS, which functions as the company’s MES solution, and the arburgXworld customer portal. Participants were given an overview of how these systems interact, how they can be integrated into existing production environments and which functions are available for machine and order management, maintenance and service.
Practical examples illustrated how digitalisation can support typical tasks in plastics processing, such as monitoring machine status, documenting process parameters and analysing efficiency indicators. In addition, success stories were presented in which companies have already implemented digital solutions from Arburg in their production and reported measurable benefits. These examples were intended to show in concrete terms how transparency can be increased, downtimes reduced and workflows structured more efficiently using MES functions and digital services.
At the ALS User Meeting on the following day, the content went into significantly more technical detail. Existing ALS users received information about current innovations and further developments relating to the host computer system. Topics included new functions in ALS itself, enhancements in the arburgXworld customer portal and developments in the area of control assistants. The aim was to provide users with specific guidance on how they can use the extended functionalities in their day-to-day operations and how the interaction between machine control, MES and portal can be further optimised.
Expert presentations and practical user reports
The knowledge transfer on both days was organised through presentations by Arburg specialists and contributions from ALS users. From Arburg’s side, Lukas Krüger from the Technical Sales department explained how digital assistants integrated in the Arburg control system can contribute to higher efficiency in companies. His presentation showed which assistance functions are available, how they support operators in setting up and monitoring processes and how they can help stabilise production quality.
Keynote speaker Tobias Herwig, Managing Director of fischer Consulting GmbH, addressed the interaction between lean approaches and digital solutions in his presentation entitled "Lean and Digital Processes for Competitiveness in Production". The focus was on how lean methods and digital tools can complement each other in order to reduce waste, shorten throughput times and increase competitiveness in an environment shaped by cost and time pressure. His contribution linked strategic considerations with concrete examples from practice.
Further practical insights came from user presentations by Sembach, Novapax, H&K Müller, ZF Lifetec, Trelleborg and Presspart. These companies reported on their experience with Arburg’s MES and digital solutions in everyday production. According to Arburg, this exchange of practical experience was intended to show other processors which approaches have proven successful in real projects and which factors need to be taken into account when introducing or expanding digital systems.
The expert presentations offered insights into Arburg’s digital assistants and their contribution to higher efficiency in plastics processing.
Positive feedback on digital solutions
The response from participants was positively assessed by the organiser. Peter Kowalewski, Director of IT Digital Industrial Solutions at Arburg, summarised the outcome as follows: "These two events were attended by about 160 participants, all of whom were thoroughly impressed by the focused transfer of expertise and the in-depth networking". From his point of view, the concept of combining an introductory information day with a technically in-depth user meeting proved successful.
Benjamin Franz, Manager of Digital Solutions, also emphasised the importance of the practical contributions: "These practical presentations by customers for customers were just as valuable as the opportunity to speak directly with development specialists from Arburg. The consistently positive feedback on our digital products and services once again underlined that we are among the pioneers in the industry when it comes to digitalisation". According to Arburg, the combination of internal expertise, external consulting know-how and concrete user experience created a comprehensive picture of how plastics processors can systematically expand their digital capabilities.
With the Smart Factory Information Day and the ALS User Meeting, Arburg is positioning its MES and digital services as central building blocks for higher transparency and efficiency in plastics production. The high level of interest and the intensive exchange during the events indicate that many processors see digitalisation as a key lever for securing their competitiveness and are actively seeking concrete solutions for their production environments.
