Engel, the Austrian manufacturer of injection molding machines and automation, has opened a new production facility in Querétaro — the heart of the manufacturing area of Mexico located in the Bajio Region, 130 miles from Mexico City. This is the company’s newest injection molding machine manufacturing facility on the American continent and its tenth globally, demonstrating its focus and commitment to providing faster delivery times and greater availability of injection molding machines for customers in all the Americas.
In an exclusive interview, Stefan Engleder, CEO of the Engel Group, mentioned that this expansion enables the company to significantly accelerate the start of production and ensure greater machine availability for customers throughout the region.
The Querétaro plant has the capacity to produce between 180 and 200 injection molding machines per year and offers space for future expansions. Thus, Engel plans to increase production over the next two years, strengthening its capacity to supply injection molding machines to customers across the American continent.
In addition to increasing production, Engel is also expanding its workforce. It currently has 205 employees and plans to increase this number to 300 over the next 12 months.
“We have a very elaborate training scheme,” Engleder says. “We hire engineers and logistics specialists directly from universities and technical schools. They are then sent to Austria to receive intensive training for several weeks, which can extend up to three or four months. They return to continue with practical local training. This the basis to ensure the quality standards we have in Austria.”
Engel will initially manufacture two series of injection molding machines at this plant: the e-mac series (a fully electric machine) and the WINTEC t-win (a large two-platen hydraulic machine), as well as robots and customized automation offerings. The goal is to develop vertically integrated production and a comprehensive solutions center for automation and technical support.
According to Vanessa Malena, president of Engel North and South America, the strong connection with the corporate office in York, Pennsylvania, enables seamless support across the Americas. “Being in nearly the same time zone allows us to ensure fast communication, strong collaboration and aligned expertise,” Malena says. “Many customers operate in both the U.S. and Mexico, and having a strong presence in both regions allows us to serve them better than ever. We are ready to listen, innovate and grow with our customers.”
According to Engleder, the American continent continues to gain strategic importance for the company, as it represents the largest potential market for injection molding machines. The company considers Mexico to be a key industrial and production hub in the long term to offer solutions to all the Americas.
Source: ptonline.com
