Friedrichshafen, Germany — Sumitomo (SHI) Demag Plastics Machinery GmbH continued its focus on packaging, automotive, electrical and consumer products at Fakuma 2015.
The machinery maker also is beefing up business in new geographical markets and continuing a push to make its injection presses more energy efficient, according to Gerd Liebig, Sumitomo Demag's chief sales officer.
Liebig said business is good in 2015. “We will achieve the best year of Sumitomo Demag,” he said during an Oct. 14 news conference during Fakuma in Friedrichshafen.
Liebig gave production and sales numbers for Sumitomo Demag machines made in Germany and in China — 1,450 injection presses expected this year, with sales of 225 million euros ($256 million)and incoming orders of 255 million euros ($290 million). The company's goal for those machines is 2,000 presses a year.
Liebig said the injection molding market this year is declining in China, but the rest of Asia is growing, mainly driven by Japan. Europe is slightly positive, as the German market is strong. Press business to Spain and Italy is growing, which has surprised company officials, he said.
Overall sales for Sumitomo Demag should be about 650 million euros ($739.6 million), according to Tetsuya Okamura, who is CEO of Sumitomo Demag and senior vice president of the Japanese parent company, Sumitomo Heavy Industries Ltd.
Okamura said the company's business is balanced between major regions around the world.
Sumitomo Demag has a major role in all-electric injection molding machines, using electric drives made by Sumitomo Heavy Industries. All-electrics make up about 80 percent of the home market in Japan, about half of the North American market and 25 percent in Europe.