French equipment suppliers Billion and Sepro partner for molding machine/robot packages

In a bid to increase their presence in new markets by offering a complete equipment package, two French equipment makers have deepened a longstanding business partnership.

Billion SAS, a manufacturer of injection molding machines, and Sepro Group, a supplier of robotics for the injection molding process, have formally agreed to work together to expand into new global markets. Together, the two companies are introducing a complete plastics equipment package, including presses manufactured by Billion and robots made by Sepro, which will be sold under the Billion brand name.

As a result of the new partnership, Sepro’s proprietary Visual robot-control system will now be integrated in Billion’s Dixit 3 injection molding machine control, the companies said in a joint statement, allowing all robot operations, both inside and outside of the mold space, to be set up and controlled from the Dixit user interface on the molding machine.

“This partnership will allow us to respond to a group of processors who want to optimize their purchasing process,” said Korbinian Kiesl, the CEO of Billion. “More and more, these molders are interested in bundling so they can focus their negotiations on a reduced number of suppliers. It also allows us to provide a complete turnkey solution, not only where we are already active, but also in emerging markets and where there is growing interest in automation. This is particularly the case on the African continent.”

Billion is said to be the leading supplier of molding machines in France. To date, Sepro has equipped more than 25,000 injection molding machines worldwide; the company’s global turnover for 2014 was 79.2 million euros.