At Chinaplas 2026, which will take place from 21 to 24 April in Shanghai, the ENGEL Group will present solutions for automotive applications focused on reducing part costs, material consumption and investment expenditure in series production. The manufacturer of injection moulding solutions will showcase integrated production cells that combine consecutive process steps, reduce scrap and enable stable production even with demanding materials and complex geometries. A total of six applications will be presented in live operation, three of them for the automotive industry. They include the cost-efficient implementation of lightweight concepts, the integration of functional and decorative surfaces directly in the injection moulding process, and the production of complex components with lower space requirements and reduced investment costs. The presentation will be complemented by solutions for the packaging industry, the medical sector and technical injection moulded parts, designed for high volumes, short cycles and reproducible quality.
At the centre of the automotive-focused exhibit will be solutions from the ENGEL and Wintec brands. ENGEL focuses on highly integrated production cells with coordinated process and automation solutions, while Wintec offers standardised machine concepts intended for particularly cost-efficient series production. For automotive suppliers, this approach enables closer alignment of manufacturing technology with the requirements of a specific component, planned volumes and investment assumptions. The solutions on display will include clearmelt, fluidmelt and automated LSR processing. According to the company, these applications make it possible to extend component functionality, reduce the number of process steps and lower series production costs.
In-mould surface finishing with clearmelt technology
One of the production cells on show will use an ENGEL duo 700 two-platen injection moulding machine with a clamping force of 7000 kN to produce a B-pillar trim with an integrated transparent camera window. The fully automated 3K injection moulding cell manufactures an interior component for passenger cars using ENGEL clearmelt technology.
ENGEL clearmelt technology is based on coating the part directly in the mould. This shortens the process chain and significantly reduces investment costs. In addition, the coating provides a high-quality, scratch-resistant surface with a self-healing effect.
The component, made of transparent and black polycarbonate, has a part weight of 256 g and is additionally overmoulded with 90 g of polyurethane. The injection moulding cell is equipped with an ENGEL easix articulated robot integrated into the CC300 control system, which removes the parts. The total cycle time is 90 s.
Several digital assistance systems are also used in this production cell. iQ hold control automatically sets the switchover point to holding pressure, thereby optimising holding time. This makes it possible to reduce cycle time and raw material consumption. iQ weight control automatically adjusts the injection volume in the event of viscosity fluctuations and within the same shot, which stabilises component quality and reduces scrap. iQ process observer continuously monitors all phases of the injection moulding process, visualises process stability and detects deviations at an early stage before rejects occur.
The duo two-platen injection moulding machine used is designed in a wide-platen version. This makes the solution suitable for producing components that require wider platens but no higher clamping force.
The ENGEL duo 700 wide-platen version enables the cost-efficient production of large-area automotive components with reduced space requirements and a high level of process integration.
Fluidmelt for reducing weight and material consumption
The second exhibit for the automotive sector will feature the production of air intake ducts on a tie-bar-less Engel victory 120 injection moulding machine with a clamping force of 1200 kN using fluidmelt technology.
ENGEL fluidmelt enables the production of hollow structures by injecting water or gas. In this process, the molten core of the part is displaced into an overflow cavity or back into the plasticising unit, making it possible to deliberately create a cavity inside the component. Such structures reduce part weight and material consumption. At Chinaplas, the process will be demonstrated using gas injection and overflow cavities. The component, with a shot weight of 70 g, will be produced from a PA66 compound containing 30% glass fibre, with a cycle time of 50 s.
The production cell is automated using an ENGEL viper linear robot, fully integrated into the CC300 machine control. The tie-bar-less victory 120 injection moulding machine used has been designed for complex and large moulds as well as easy access for automation, thanks to the freely accessible mould space. Thanks to the large platens and tie-bar-less technology, it is possible to use a machine with a clamping force of only 1200 kN instead of a conventional injection moulding machine with 1800 kN. This reduces production floor space requirements and lowers investment costs.
The ENGEL victory 120 with integrated viper linear robot enables, thanks to tie-bar-less technology, free access to the mould space and the space-saving, cost-efficient production of complex components.
LSR application with integrated production and part removal
At Chinaplas 2026, Wintec will present a solution for a precise liquid silicone rubber application in an 8-cavity setup on an all-electric e-win 1800 injection moulding machine with a clamping force of 1800 kN. Sealing mats for waterproof electrical connectors used in electromobility will be produced. The shot weight is 37.8 g and the cycle time 59 s.
The production cell is fully automated using an integrated ENGEL viper linear robot, which gently removes the parts from the mould with a special brush. For processors, this means a compact, fully automated solution for producing precise LSR components with gentle demoulding.
Process control is supported by the digital iQ weight control system, used in this cell to stabilise the injection process. It monitors LSR viscosity in real time and automatically adjusts the injection volume within the same shot. According to the company, the use of iQ weight control reduced variation in this application by 62%. This translates into more stable process control, reproducible component quality and less scrap.
The sealing mats produced in the LSR process are gently removed from the mould using a brush, enabling reliable production of sensitive components.
The ENGEL Group stand will be located in hall 5.1, stand 5.1C41.
