Wittmann Battenfeld moves into larger tonnages with new assembly hall opening

Austria-based injection press and auxiliary equipment maker Wittmann Battenfeld GmbH officially opened a new 17,220-square-foot addition for large machine assembly at its Competence Days 2013 event.

Held April 24 and April 25 at the company’s facility in Kottingbrunn, Austria, the event featured 17 working injection molding machines and related auxiliary equipment and drew over 900 visitors from around the world.

The large machine assembly hall – which features higher ceiling and larger cranes – signals the company’s expansion into bigger injection presses, Wittmann Battenfeld general manager Michael Wittmann told Canadian Plastics. “In the past, we’ve missed out on some large-press sales to the automotive market because of press size limitations, and automotive is obviously one of the biggest markets in the world and a major area for our company,” he said. “By going up to the much larger size of 1,600 tons with our MacroPower hybrid units, we’re grabbing a bigger piece of that sector, especially in the home market of Europe, which generates almost 60 per cent of our business. It’s also another offering for our North American customers, which represent almost 30 per cent of companywide sales.”

Wittmann Battenfeld plans to show its MacroPower 1,600 ton press at the K 2013 trade show in Germany in October 2013, Wittmann said.