ENGEL at Fakuma 2026: artificial intelligence, precision and live large-scale production

In the automotive, packaging, appliance and electronics industries, injection moulding processes face increasingly complex requirements: production volumes are rising, tolerances are becoming tighter and cost pressure is increasing, while process reliability must be maintained despite a shrinking pool of skilled workers. All five applications at the ENGEL booth address these challenges in practical terms—as fully operational production cells.

Inject AI: Simply ask the machine!

The presentation will begin with a solution that paves the way for the digital future of production. ENGEL's EVA virtual assistant understands questions asked in natural language, interprets them in the context of the machine and process, and suggests the next steps. Visitors will be able to test the solution themselves. The "AI injected" function will be available as standard on new machines, while users of machines equipped with CC300 or C3 control systems will be able to activate it through a software update. The ENGEL AI Interface, based in part on the Model Context Protocol (MCP), securely provides approved applications with contextual machine data, forming the basis of a growing ecosystem of AI solutions.

Precision, flash-free production of LSR parts: ENGEL victory electric

Manual deflashing, mould parallelism issues and variations between material batches are everyday challenges for many liquid silicone rubber (LSR) processors. The material's very low viscosity allows it to penetrate every mould gap, and any flash means an additional operation and a higher reject rate.

A liquid silicone rubber seal for an inverter component will be produced on an ENGEL victory electric 1565/220 tie-bar-less electric injection moulding machine with a clamping force of 2,200 kN. The 484 × 202 × 29 mm part has contour tolerances measured in hundredths of a millimetre and a cycle time of approximately 70 seconds. Flash-free production is made possible by the machine's extremely high platen parallelism and a mould from ACH Solution manufactured to an accuracy of thousandths of a millimetre.

The key is the tie-bar-less design of the clamping unit: the clamping force is distributed evenly across the entire mould surface, keeping the mould tightly closed throughout injection—where there is no gap, there is no flash. The ACH Solution mould features Servoshot technology with vacuum-assisted venting, while the material processed will be Shin-Etsu KEG 2003H-50 A/B two-component silicone. An ENGEL viper 40 robot with an ACH gripper will remove the finished seals while they are still hot, in a fully automated process. Process stability is maintained by the iQ weight control system, which reduces the effects of fluctuations in material viscosity, and a machine-integrated monitoring system for the silicone metering unit.

Mass production: WINTEC e-win

The fully electric, high-precision WINTEC e-win 1800 will produce an automotive connector used in series production, measuring approximately 10 × 6 mm. The new ENGEL viper 6 linear robot will also make its debut at the trade fair, removing the runners while the finished parts are transferred to a conveyor.

e-motion: efficient production of thin-wall cups

The fully electric e-motion 380 achieves an injection speed of 500 mm/s with a screw diameter of 70 mm—the dynamics required for thin-wall packaging production. It will produce an IML yoghurt cup weighing just 6.33 g with a wall thickness of 0.3 mm. The packaging is made from a recyclable mono-material.

Efficient clothes hanger production: WINTEC t-win 6500

The fifth demonstration station addresses three challenges: time pressure, limited resources and investment security. A largely standard-configured WINTEC t-win 6500 two-platen machine with a clamping force of 6,500 kN will produce clothes hangers for Leifheit using a 4+4 family mould—four bodies and four hooks per cycle—and polypropylene copolymer from Borouge International. With a cycle time of approximately 40 seconds and a viper 20 robot, the cell will achieve an output of around 360 hangers per hour.

This performance is based on the two-platen clamping unit, in which the moving platen does not come into contact with the tie bars, enabling highly precise operation. The servo-hydraulic drive ensures rapid clamping-force build-up and synchronous locking, shortening the cycle time and reducing energy consumption per part.

Equally important is what the t-win does not require: expensive special equipment. The C3 control system with a 15-inch Full HD touchscreen is intuitive even for less experienced employees, while the standard iQ weight control automatically maintains a constant injection volume, reducing the reject rate and shortening the time required to return to stable production after a stoppage. The expandable architecture protects the investment over the long term.

All five applications demonstrate how ENGEL solutions help improve production efficiency, quality and cost-effectiveness. Each application will be shown live at the ENGEL booth in Hall A5, Booth 5203. Detailed press information will be published in the coming weeks.