European injection moulding machine builders exhibiting at the recent Fakuma International Trade Fair for plastics processing, Friedrichshafen, Germany, October 16-20, 2017, forecast good growth in sales for 2017.

Both Arburg (Germany) and Engel (Austria) stated that they expect overall sales for injection moulding machines to increase by 8% in 2017, compared with the previous year. KraussMaffei (Germany), now owned by ChemChina, expects a sales growth of 10%, and SumitomoDemag (SHI -Germany) a growth of 17%. Wittmann-Battenfeld (Austria) sees continuing growth due to low interest rates and the relatively weak Euro.

Engel noted that it was in the midst of the most comprehensive investment programme in the company’s history, with €120 million already spent on expansion and improvements to its production facilities and a further €255 million expected to be spent by 2020.

Wittmann-Battenfeld is said to be on course to complete the expansion of its Kottingbrunn plant by December 2017, which includes screw production. The company’s expansion of its facility in the Czech Republic is scheduled to be completed in May 2018, and there are also plans to expand its facility in Nuremburg, Germany.