The sale of injectors
Responsible for signatures of as Actronic (Billion), Arburg, Battenfeld, Centrotécnica (Italtech, Boy), Coscollola commercial (Krauss Maffei), Demag, Erinca, Ferromatik, Fultech Systems (Chen of Plastics Machinery), Helmut Roegele (Engel), Husky, industries Deu, Italprensas Sandretto, JTP, Just In Time Plastics (APM)Negri Bossi, Netstal, (Oima and BM Biraghi) Karplast and Protecnos, put in common aspects relating to the progress of a sector that, given the current situation of slowdown in economic growth, also has been able to be affected.
A first point at which all were agreed was appropriate bit of dates in which will be held the pageant Equiplast, from 14 to 18 November, in Barcelona. Most people consider that the fair has been organized on a date that little benefits to exhibitors. They consider that the ideal time to celebrate the event would be in October, because the negotiations taking place in the framework of a fair in the second half of November are accounted for in the next year.
Technology fact or intention?
Invest in new technologies, special machines or machines equipped with special functions help to ensure the implementation of commitments, achieve shorter cycles and be more competitive. Success, was said in the meeting, however, it does not guarantee at a time of intense competition in the market with a strong Asian machines in the Spanish market entry. "We want to impose another kind of machine, but prices send and on the hydraulic machine price is still lower."
José a. Rodríguez (Negri Bossi) said: "the technological innovation is vital for the manufacturer of machines for both the own transformer". In an industry where precisely the pressure of the prices of Asian products is suffering, it is essential to differentiate themselves through a bet for new products of higher technology and marked distances with competitors in these countries of low prices. In this sense, there is certainly a concern by the transformers by implementing new technologies or systems of transformation, even if the investment is increased, allowing them have a savings in costs of labour and an improvement in the quality of their products. "An example of course are the machines of fully electric drive which, albeit slowly, as with any important innovation was introduced in our market with great satisfaction of those industrialists who have decided to take that step".
Markets, threats and challenges
Xavier Llinás, Director General of Husky Iberia is more optimistic, "Compared with the alien, in Spain growth of injection machine is higher than other countries." "The trend is still upward, and I think that this must evaluate it positively".
Pedro Ordejón, Director Gerente of Demag Ergotech Spain, it considers that not only the companies fail to come to Spain and others are going, but subsidiaries have lost weight. "Now the decision-making is carried out exclusively in Germany, Italy, or even in China, where are the mother houses." "They are which also distribute the sales at the international level to globalize orders, units, prices, descuentos…"
The segment of second hand is affected
"Multinational corporations also are buying Chinese machine", says Joaquín Rabinad, Manager of Ferromatik.
José Alberto Villatoro, of Protecnos, shares this argument "is no longer profitable to rebuild an old machine." "It is worthwhile to buy imported machine, that will always offer the advantage of new product, with current technology, to very similar price". Agustín Durán, of Centrotécnica, is of the view that "it might not be profitable to rebuild a certain tonnage machinery, front the cost of the Asian machines, but on machines of more than 600 tonnes of clamping force is, not only because of the high cost of the new equipment", but because the added value of reconstruction and technical update of these machines it is justified. "And in fact this small niche market of opportunity still exists."
According to Antonio Muñoz, commercial Director of Coscollola commercial (representative of Krauss Maffei), "the strategic version from our head office in Munich, where Krauss Maffei, is clear." "Spain automotive sector is at a point low." It adds that "the sector that has represented one of the pillars for the Spanish industry is affected." "In addition, national capacity in r & d to create new products is limited".
To the agricultural and food packaging
The importance of new technologies here plays a fundamental role, as well as develop new materials and applying new and innovative designs to the packaging, it is that should bring a number of features and benefits to the container such as an increase in the conservation of productsincrease the expiration dates or to preserve the aromas of the product.
He also points out that this ageing of the population results in a substantial increase of medicines and medicinal applications requiring new packaging. Ordejón (Demag) also believes that increasingly consumed less product thermoforming and increasingly more injected product.
The agriculture segment is also a suggestive market for the packaging sector.
The future of the standard machine
This Piro (Netstal) points out that "the reality is that the prices of standard machines are"
"down to very low levels due to the great competition that are on the market by the Asian machine".
European machine VS Chinese machine are unable to compete?
Entry into the market of a large number of Asian product requires the sector to raise the quality of the new machines from Asia. is the quality like? a client can trust a Chinese machine, for example? Lluis Llorca continues: "Asia has a great capacity to manufacture products with quality." It is the case of companies that manufacture in this continent, China, Taiwan, Korea, etc. "Everything depends on the degree of technological design that sustains this manufacturing."
Joaquín Rabinad (Ferromatik) says that "Asian competition being the match between European manufacturers for the price to be more and more fierce." Which offers the lowest price is the selling. "Sometimes the price bid even arrives at the cost of manufacture of the machine, that is the reality."
Villatoro (Protecnos) believes that "European competing very closely with the Chinese, specifically, machines machines of more than 140 tonnes." And that we are seeing it every day, when we see our competition offers. "This is an unquestionable reality."
Not all gathered together share the opinion. According to Ordejón (Demag), "it is impossible." There is a logical variation simply in cost, the standard of living, of manufacturing costs of a Chinese machine to a 60 percent European. "It is impossible that they can compete."
Vicente Pérez, of JTP (APM) it considers that it is a mistake to distinguish between machinery Asian and European, when we look at the market of the standard machine/application/material, the quality of manufacturing and technology from service, for example, manufacturers of Taiwan equals and even beats some European products, with very competitive prices.
J. a. Rodriguez (Negri Bossi) thinks "European machines of lesser tonnage is will continue to manufacture and competing with Asian machines or any other future provenance." Undoubtedly be taken new manufacturing systems, or even to produce them in those European countries where costs are cheaper to make them more competitive potential. "But even in spite of the differences that exist with the machines Asian, its quality and performance will continue to enjoying a very comprehensive customer sector preferences."
The survival of SMEs
Rabinad (Ferromatik) believes that "the problem is that some family businesses have too been based on low costs." As it has not renewed machinery, their machines are quite old and may not get new customers. "These go to other companies with more modern machinery that is currently offered at very competitive prices to be able to inject those parts". It adds that "the family business for many years has made lots of money rather than invest in new machinery has invested it in other things".
However, Villatoro, of Protecnos, believed to be value to small businesses, which are necessarily force to 'resist', as they usually support the needs of a family economy. But this transposition of criteria ends up becoming endemic in our country, because it distorts the purpose of the company, only becoming an economic means of 'better survival'.
This Piro (Netstal). "The sector has relied too much on cheap labour and little in the research, quality and productivity, and if not invest in training and technology, will go wrong because here we are no longer cheap." "A country which does not create wealth not be sustained."
According to j. a. Rodriguez (Negri Bossi) "the family business in this sector, as in many others of the Spanish industry in general, has been and continues to be a major engine in the economic activity of the plastic sector." Remember that it is by far the most significant percentage of the Spanish manufacturing industries. "It is true that some firms having no assured continuity in their descendants, have failed to term updates to machines, systems management, etc., that the times require, but a significant number of them has become more professional and carried out the precise actions to adapt to the conditions of the market."
Bernardo Alberca, Italprensas Sandretto, thought it "the injection of plastic is and will remain a very important factor in the process of transformation in all sectors of the industry." In this sense Spain in 10 years has experienced a major change in the technological aspect. But it is also true that 15 or 20 years ago also was an important Park of injection machinery and during that time have been able to produce situations similar to the of today.
The minimum quality required market already occur today in almost all the marks present on the market. "Therefore there is more competition for prices, what will differentiate a brand of another will be the Organization of Service post-sale that offers the speed of response, his real presence in the different areas of the territory and even involvement in the production process of the client".