DIGITAL PRODUCTION | MACHINERY
Information overload: the move to digital production
Digital technologies – including AI-based assistants, virtual twins and improved networking – are becoming more widespread in injection moulding applications
The effect of rising digitalisation in manufacturing has also been felt in injection moulding – with the added twist that many systems are now also incorporating artificial intelligence (AI). Engel says its AI-based moulding technology,
Inject AI, can save material, eliminate scrap and enable setup times of a few minutes. It combines injection moulding expertise with
artificial intelligence. At K2025, the company showed “the first autonomous injection moulding cell” based on the technology. “We are showcasing the world’s first industrial solution for an autonomous, self-regulating injection moulding cell,” said Stefan Engleder, CEO of Engel. “The machine autonomously produces high-quality parts with AI support.” The system allows users to enter quality targets
directly, instead of adjusting abstract machine parameters. The operator specifies the desired product characteristics, and the machine automatically controls process settings. AI- supported initialisation will soon make it possible to deduce quality features directly, says Engel – which would eliminate manual trials to optimise quality. Inject AI has grown out of Engel’s earlier Inject 4.0 technology assistance system – which provides active support in areas from design and sampling to production and maintenance. Elements of the solution include: iQ process observer with AI
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functions; ENGEL Virtual Assistant (EVA); and Part Finder. iQ process observer automatically analyses over 1,000 parameters in real time, detects deviations and provides recommendations for action – as well as making automatic adjustments. EVA was seen for the first time at K. It answers technical questions from the entire Engel documentation in seconds and automatically generates checklists and instructions for each individual production cell in any language. Users can chat directly with the documentation for their own machine. Part Finder is an AI-based spare parts identifier that enables easy searching by photo. Customers can photograph machine components and immediately identify and request the correct spare part. The system enables up to 5% material savings by optimising towards lower tolerance limits. For a production volume of 1 million parts per year, this can translate into several thousand Euros in savings. It also brings manufacturers a step closer to zero-defect production, as no scrap is generated through trial series or optimisation loops. Other benefits include drastically reduced setup times – from hours to just minutes. Engel says iQ weight control plus can reduce
scrap by up to 50% and offers a new operating mode in addition to the classic setting of the injection process.
� November/December 2025 | INJECTION WORLD 27
Main image: Engel ran what it calls “the first autonomous injection
moulding cell” at K2025
IMAGE: ENGEL
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