MOSCOW (MRC) -- Austrian injection moulding giant Engel has held its ‘trend.scaut’ event in Shanghai, exploring the automotive industry in Asia, the Chinese market and future challenges of electromobility, said Plasticsnewseurope.
The event was held parallel to FUMOTec automotive engineering and future mobility trade show, which took place in Shanghai at the end of October. Attended by more than 300 delegates, mainly including development and production managers from both Chinese and international companies, the event reviewed current and future challenges, new opportunities as well as innovative technologies within the automotive industry.
"We discussed new technologies and opportunities for the future on the basis of the specific requirements of local producers and were also able to reflect the topics in an international context," explained Gero Willmeroth, president East Asia and Oceania of Engel and based in Shanghai. The key-note programme included speakers from Volvo, Continental, China-based Nobo, electronics supplier Ecorea as well as JSC Automotive, ExxonMobil, Sabic and Engel.
Opening the event, Norbert Muller, head of the Engel centre for lightweight composite technologies, said the automotive market in Asia was continuing to develop “at a particularly dynamic pace”. "Over 100 vehicle brands are now competing in China," he said, adding that the focus is currently on electric vehicles.
Another development is that renowned Chinese suppliers are also positioning their products in the premium segment. "This results in important opportunities for the market entry of new technologies," said Muller, pointing to Engel’s innovative composite technologies.
Together with his team, Muller develops new, particularly cost-effective processes for large-scale composite lightweight construction. The process covers a broad range of technologies, from HP-RTM and SMC to the processing of thermoplastic semi-finished products as well as reactive technologies such as in-situ polymerisation (T-RTM).
"What is new is that composite manufacturers in Asia are also increasingly focusing on thermoplastic-based solutions," said Muller. "The possibility of functionalising thermoplastic composite materials immediately after moulding in the same mould using injection moulding can secure decisive time advantages."
Also speaking at the event was Jochen Siebert, the managing director of JSC Automotive, a management consultancy specialising in the Chinese automotive market.
MRC