Another milestone in the 15-year partnership is the significant increase in market share for all-electric machines. "It has more than doubled worldwide," stated the CEO, announcing further growth in this strategic focus in Europe: "With the introduction of the IntElect S and PAC-E, we expect an additional increase in market share in the next two to three years."
"To increase the number of Systec machines between 500 t and 1500 t by 70 until 2024 and eventually build 100 machines in China, we invested 3.5 million euros and generously expanded the workshop, which was newly built in 2015," explained the CEO. "This allows us to meet the increased demand from new, strong automotive manufacturers in China for large machines and significantly reduce delivery times for this platform through integration between Germany and China. The opening of the expanded facility took place on October 13, 2023, in Ningbo."
During the press conference, Liebig also addressed the current challenging economic situation characterized by high inflation, high interest rates, and particularly in Germany compared to other European countries, very high energy prices. Additionally, the market volume for injection molding machines in the European automotive industry has significantly decreased as German manufacturers increasingly focus on premium vehicles. Sumitomo (SHI) Demag expects a substantial revenue decline of around 20 percent for 2023.
"The demand for injection molding machines in Europe is affected by the embargo on Russia, making exports from the EU to Russia impossible since September 2023," he explained. There is hope in the packaging industry: "Another defining factor will be the sharply rising demand for pharmaceutical packaging and closure caps, which will significantly boost the high-performance applications segment. Furthermore, the general demand for all-electric machines, which has seen significant growth in the packaging sector, will now also play an increasingly significant role in the consumer and automotive segments," predicted Liebig.
