Plans include a new manufacturing facility for Demag

Plans include a new manufacturing facility for Demag

The Mannesmann Plastics Machinery (MPM) group is planning new facilities in China for its Demag Ergotech, Krauss-Maffei and Netstal injection moulding machine operations.

Demag’s machine manufacturing joint venture in China, Demag-Haitian is moving into a new manufacturing facility at the Haitian site in Ningbo in the next 12 to 18 months. This new factory will have double the floorspace of the existing facility and will increase the annual production capacity from 300 to 600 injection moulding machines.

The other German injection moulding machine manufacturer in the MPM group, Krauss-Maffei is planning to open a technical centre in China by 2005. The location is still to be finalised, but the Shanghai area is the favoured location.

MPMґs ceo, Pepyn Dinandt said that Krauss-Maffei was also examining the potential for manufacturing small injection moulding machines in China. He told PRW.com that this was a medium-term project with a time schedule of around five years.

He added that the manufacturing operation would be wholly-owned by Krauss-Maffei rather than a joint venture. “We are examining whether to produce a small version of the existing C series or a new design specifically for China”, he said, adding: “MPMґs experiences with Demag Haitian has given us a valuable insight into the Chinese market”.

Netstal, MPMґs Switzerland-based manufacturer of high-end injection moulding machines is also planning to open a Chinese technical centre by 2005, again with Shanghai as the likely location. This will be to support the companyґs sales and service operations in the country and there are no plans for manufacturing Netstal machines in the region.