Despite an extremely difficult trading environment, the Sumitomo (SHI) Demag Group generated a sales turnover of EUR 762 million last year. This was only six percent lower than the historic accomplishments reported in 2021, when the Group achieved its highest turnover to-date alongside numerous other customer and employee satisfaction successes. CEO Gerd Liebig cites the dramatic impact of material availability and costs as the rationale for the sideways development, reporting that this inevitably had a negative effect on the company’s overall sales and profitability.
“Passing on these monthly cost increases to customers would hardy have been considered reasonable. We very much hope for more stable supply chains in 2023, as this will enable us to offset any cost increases with higher production efficiency,” states Mr. Liebig. Referencing the Wiehe site, he cites their six-year production model geared totally towards all-electric machines as the epitome of successful cost reduction and efficiency.
Navigating the highs and lows
Globally, the key sector markets experienced a 30 percent slump in 2022. Although automotive and consumer performed below expectations overall - attributed mainly to the material, energy and raw materials cost burdens - Sumitomo (SHI) Germany’s market share in packaging, medical and the automotive sectors continued to increase, notes the CEO. Specifically, all-electric machine production reached another high point, with Mr. Liebig pleased to highlight that every fourth all-electric machine produced in Europe is now an IntElect.
With the launch of two high-performance machines in the company’s all-electric series – PAC-E and IntElect S - Sumitomo (SHI) Demag is on track to continue this success story, announces Mr. Liebig. Both new machines cater specifically to the high-speed, high-precision injection moulding segments, ranging from caps to thin-walled products. “Our complete portfolio of all-electric machines now covers all market requirements - from the highest energy efficiency and precision to the fastest and most productive cycle times. Given the current developments in electricity costs, the future demands for all-electric systems in both the packaging industry and the consumer segment is anticipated to be very strong,” he declares.
