Setting new standards for smarter, energy-efficient production

In the field of injection moulding, Shibaura Machine has levelled up by offering fully integrated injection moulding systems that respond to emerging applications.   International Plastics News  for Asia had the chance to interview Dr. Georg Holzinger, Managing Executive Officer of Shibaura Machine and Chair of the Management Board of Shibaura Machine LWB GmbH

Dr. Georg Holzinger, Managing Executive Officer, Shibaura Machine  

What are the latest injection moulding machine models of Shibaura Machine LWB and what are the specific applications for these machines?

Dr. Holzinger: Currently, Shibaura Machine is focusing on the global implementation of the two innovations we launched at K 2025: the S-GenXt hydraulic injection moulding machines, our product lines of  auxiliary equipment and fully automated Turnkey Solutions.

The S-GenXt series is designed for efficient and reliable processing of thermoplastics. It covers clamping forces from 100 to 230 metric tonnes. A key feature is Shibaura Machine’s proprietary binary injection technology. It enables high injection speeds and short cycle times without expensive accumulators or additional components. That makes the S-GenXt series especially attractive for high-volume applications where productivity and cost efficiency are crucial.

The company’s range of auxiliary equipment and automation includes, SCARA, and 6-axis robots, along with solutions for material handling, inspection, packaging, assembly, and cleanroom production. Combined with dryers, chillers, and other peripherals, these technologies make it possible to build complete automated production cells rather than simply supply an injection moulding machine.

At Shibaura Machine LWB, we are currently focusing on clearly communicating the strengths of our full product portfolio to customers and prospective clients. In addition to the innovations already mentioned, the portfolio includes the horizontal, fully electric EC-SXIII series with clamping forces from 50 to 3,000 metric tonnes. It also includes hydraulic vertical injection moulding machines in C-frame, O-frame, and four-column designs. These injection moulding machines cover clamping forces from 10 to 1800 metric tonnes and process both thermoplastics and elastomers, building on more than six decades of LWB expertise in elastomer processing and vertical injection moulding. With this broad portfolio, Shibaura Machine LWB can offer the right technology for a wide range of applications.

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As Shibaura Machine Group is an international company with presence in various regions, which markets in Southeast Asia are important to the company and what solutions do you offer for these markets?

Dr. Holzinger: Southeast Asia is an important growth region for Shibaura Machine. Markets such as Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia and Malaysia are particularly attractive due to their strong manufacturing base and increasing demand for automation, productivity and energy-efficient production.

Our strategy is to combine Shibaura Machine’s global technology and Japanese engineering expertise with local sales, application and service capabilities. Customers in these markets increasingly expect more than an individual injection moulding machine. They are looking for reliable and cost-efficient production solutions that can be integrated into their manufacturing processes. This is where our combination of injection moulding machines, automation, auxiliary equipment and digital solutions provides a strong advantage. Depending on the application, we can supply complete production cells, including robots and material-handling equipment, as well as drying and temperature-control systems.

Our machiNetCloud IIoT platform also enables customers to connect machines and auxiliary equipment, monitor production data in real time, track energy consumption and identify potential problems at an early stage. In this way, we help manufacturers improve machine availability, optimise processes and increase Overall Equipment Effectiveness.

World premiere of LWB Multistation set to revolutionise rubber manufacturing.

What makes Shibaura Machine's innovations stand out against your competitors?

Dr. Holzinger: Our latest innovations are based on a clear objective: to make injection moulding smarter, more efficient and more sustainable. The new EC-SXIII All-Electric and S-GenXt Hydraulic series combine high performance and precision with efficient operation. At the same time, we have expanded our portfolio with a new range of auxiliary equipment and integrated these technologies with our machiNetCloud IIoT platform.

One important innovation is our Virtual Machine Expert, an AI-powered monitoring system that continuously monitors production processes and can detect potential component issues before they lead to unplanned downtime. Together with machiNetCloud, this provides customers with real-time production data, predictive maintenance capabilities, energy monitoring and performance analytics.

Another important aspect is our focus on complete production cells. At K 2025, for example, we demonstrated fully automated applications using rPET, integrating injection moulding machines, robots, drying and cooling equipment and downstream processes.

What distinguishes our approach is therefore not simply an individual machine feature. It is the combination of injection moulding technology, automation, auxiliary equipment, digitalisation and application expertise. Our aim is to turn technology into measurable productivity and economic value for our customers.

In Europe, SHIBAURA MACHINE LWB | Next-Level Molding Days is scheduled to take place on October 28-29. What are your expectations and the highlights of this event?

Dr. Holzinger: The SHIBAURA MACHINE LWB | Next-Level Molding Days on October 28 and 29, 2026, at our European Competence Center in Altdorf near Landshut (Germany) is a major opportunity to demonstrate our expanded capabilities to customers and partners. The theme of the event is “Turning Technology into Productivity.” Our objective is to show how modern injection moulding production can become more economical, energy-efficient and future-proof. We want every visitor to leave with a clear answer to the question: How can I make my production more cost-effective and future-ready?

The absolute highlight will be the world premiere of the LWB MultiStation automated production cell, which is set to revolutionise rubber manufacturing. The system separates injection, heating, demoulding and loading and performs these process steps in parallel. The key idea is to decouple the comparatively long curing process from injection. While one mould is curing, the injection unit can already serve another station, allowing injection capacity to be utilised much more efficiently. Individual moulds can be changed and selected maintenance activities carried out without stopping the entire production line. This modular concept provides greater equipment availability, higher productivity, stable processes and increased flexibility for different moulds, materials and batch sizes.

The event is primarily aimed at plastics and rubber processors and injection moulders. We want to address companies processing both thermoplastics and elastomers and demonstrate how our technologies can help them improve productivity and process stability. For thermoplastics, our portfolio includes fully electric and hydraulic horizontal injection moulding machines, automation and auxiliary equipment. For elastomer applications, we combine our vertical injection moulding expertise with automation and system solutions. Visitors will experience our broad portfolio of horizontal and vertical injection moulding machines for thermoplastics and elastomers in live operation. Technical presentations, plant tours and direct discussions with our experts in applications, automation and service will complete the program. 

What do you think would be the future direction for injection moulding and how would Shibaura Machine work towards meeting future challenges?

Dr. Holzinger: The future of injection moulding will be defined by automation, digitalisation, energy efficiency, process stability and flexibility. Manufacturers must simultaneously increase productivity, reduce costs and energy consumption, maintain consistently high product quality and deal with the shortage of skilled labour.

We therefore believe that the future is not about the injection moulding machine alone. Progress comes from the seamless interaction of machine, mould, automation, materials, process expertise and digital solutions within an integrated production cell.

This is exactly where Shibaura Machine LWB can make a difference. We combine more than 76 years of Japanese mechanical engineering and injection moulding expertise with 63 years of LWB expertise in elastomer technology and vertical injection moulding machines. Our ambition is to provide turnkey system solutions that are precisely tailored to our customers’ requirements. At the same time, our service portfolio – from installation and commissioning through preventive maintenance, retrofits and modernization to original spare parts and training – helps customers maximize machine uptime throughout the entire lifecycle.

Ultimately, our goal is to turn technology into measurable productivity. If we can help our customers stabilize processes, increase OEE, reduce energy consumption and secure their investments over the long term, we are helping them meet the challenges of the future.