It has been a partnership from the very beginning: On January 23, 1998, when Thomas Brüsch founded the automotive supplier SLM Kunststofftechnik on a greenfield site in Oebisfelde – a small town in Saxony-Anhalt, once part of the former inner-German border region near Wolfsburg – he ordered the first seven hydraulic injection molding machines with clamping forces ranging from 800 to 3,300 kN from today’s Sumitomo (SHI) Demag Plastics Machinery GmbH (then Demag Plastics Group) in Schwaig. Today, 27 years later, the collaboration is still going strong. In 2024, the company purchased four fully electric injection molding machines with clamping forces between 750 and 4,500 kN – all models from the IntElect series of the German-Japanese manufacturer.
“One of these was actually our 75th machine from Sumitomo (SHI) Demag – which shows just how trusting this long-standing partnership is, and that it is more than just a business relationship,” says Managing Director Gunnar Kasprzyk, who has been leading SLM since the beginning of the year as Brüsch’s successor. “In the areas we are active in, there are only a few alternatives to Sumitomo (SHI) Demag that are really suitable for us,” he explains.
Strong market position in the production of water deflectors using 2K injection molding
Brüsch had founded the company as a student after returning from a semester abroad in the USA. At the time, his father worked for an automotive supplier just 80 meters from today’s SLM site and found out that SLM Modelltechnik was setting up production there. He arranged for his son to join, and Brüsch seized the opportunity: today the company employs 300 people, produces around 44 million plastic parts annually using single- and two-component injection molding, and generates sales of around €45 million per year.
SLM’s main customer is the VW Group with all its brands and derivatives, including Audi, Porsche, Seat, Skoda, Bentley, Bugatti, and Lamborghini. BMW is also a direct customer, along with many renowned Tier-1 suppliers such as Rehau, Magna, Faurecia, Kiekert, and Meraxis. “About 90 percent of what we manufacture are exterior components such as bumpers, add-on parts, technical brackets, or mounts,” reports Kasprzyk. “We have a unique selling point and strong market position in water deflectors produced using two-component injection molding. These are highly complex parts with strict dimensional, surface, and functional requirements.”
43 out of 57 injection molding machines from Sumitomo (SHI) Demag
SLM stands for Stereolithography Modeling and was originally known as SLM Modelltechnik and SLM Konstruktion, providing development services and prototype construction for the VW Group. “One day, VW told us: It doesn’t make sense that you develop parts for us up to series maturity, and then we have to look for a different supplier for production,” Kasprzyk recalls. That was the birth of SLM Kunststofftechnik’s own production. Since his predecessor’s father already had two machines from Sumitomo (SHI) Demag, he established the contact with the then sales engineer. “That’s when we bought our first machines,” the managing director says, looking back.
Since then, the cooperation between the plastics processor and the machine manufacturer has steadily grown and deepened. Of the 57 injection molding machines lined up across six production halls, 43 come from Schwaig or Wiehe. “What we particularly appreciate about Sumitomo (SHI) Demag is the excellent service and high machine availability. As an automotive supplier, we don’t have long lead times or huge warehouse capacities. We can`t wait a week for a technician, fast service is crucial for us,” explains Kasprzyk.
“If there was ever a problem in the past, Sumitomo (SHI) Demag’s service technicians were always immediately on site, working with us to find solutions. Some of the service engineers support us since 25 years and know our company and environment extremely well.” The managing director particularly highlights the 24/7 availability and problem resolution within 24 hours as key aspects of the collaboration.
Now 13 fully electric machines from the IntElect series
Another reason for preferring the German-Japanese supplier is production efficiency and staff training. “Because all our machines come from one manufacturer, we don’t need to keep large spare parts in stock. Training our employees is much easier, and I can reassign operators between halls more flexibly,” explains Kasprzyk. Moreover, all machines are equipped with NC4 and NC5 controls, so it doesn’t matter whether they have a clamping force of 1,000 or 10,000 kN – making training significantly easier.
As consistent as the partnership between the two companies has been, it has also proven adaptable and flexible in response to changing technologies and economic conditions such as rising energy costs and sustainability requirements. While the first machines were exclusively hydraulic, since 2014 fully electric injection molding machines from Sumitomo (SHI) Demag have also been in operation at SLM. “Back then we purchased our first IntElect Smart with 1,000 kN clamping force and produced mirror housings for the VW Group – more than ten million units per year. This platform part is used in many of the Group’s vehicles, including VW, Seat, Porsche, Lamborghini, Skoda, Audi, and Bentley,” the managing director reports.
Kasprzyk is highly satisfied with the current IntElect 2 series and now has 13 of these machines in operation. “Most recently, we added one with 750 kN, one with 1,300 kN, and two with 4,500 kN clamping force,” he says. “The decisive factor in our purchasing decision was the economic calculation provided by Sumitomo (SHI) Demag based on process parameters. They showed us exactly when the investment would pay off. In addition, we carried out our own energy measurements and compared them with the hydraulics – and that also convinced us.”
Excellent service as a key purchasing criterion
The fully electric IntElect scores with an average of two percent higher availability, combined with dynamic, precise, and parallel movements for up to ten percent more output. Compared to conventional all-electric competitor products, the IntElect also requires up to 20 percent less energy, and compared to hydraulics, it is up to 80 percent more efficient. Its high precision and repeatability also significantly reduce scrap. This, in turn, increases output and lowers costs – crucial aspects for environmentally conscious, sustainable, and modern production.
“We are absolutely convinced of the IntElect machines,” Kasprzyk confirms. “When you walk through the halls, it’s noticeably quieter compared to the areas where hydraulic machines are running. With servo-hydraulic drives, the larger the machine, the more hydraulic hoses are needed – all of which have to be replaced every six years at considerable expense. And of course, all that hydraulic oil isn’t needed in an all-electric machine. Overall, the maintenance effort is much lower, and the electrics don’t need to warm up after being switched on,” he explains. According to him, the decisive arguments for switching to all-electric machines were especially the significant energy savings and improved process stability.
Another particularly important factor was again the excellent service of their machine partner, Kasprzyk notes. “All the IntElects we purchased last year are equipped with the connected support services myConnect and myAssist. This allows the experts at Sumitomo (SHI) Demag to remotely access the machines and support us directly, so we don’t need a service technician on site every time. In addition, the software helps us better manage inefficiencies, reduce total cost of ownership, resolve errors, and minimize downtime.”
IntElect in use for smaller, demanding applications
“At present, clamping force of the IntElect is limited to 5,000 kN, which means we still rely on hydraulic Systec multi machines from Sumitomo (SHI) Demag for the production of many parts, such as water deflectors,” Kasprzyk explains. The new IntElects, on the other hand, are used for smaller, more demanding applications.
For example, an IntElect 130-450 with an integrated testing cell produces a radar-transparent cover for radar sensors. “After molding, the parts are removed from the two-cavity tool and automatically transferred to the testing cell. There, sensors check for defects and wall thickness. Once approved, the parts are placed on a conveyor belt and then packaged,” he describes. With the complexity of parts increasing in the future, the use of IntElect machines is expected to expand even further.
New machines equipped with myConnect and myAssist support services
The modular platform myConnect enables access to a wide range of functionalities, allowing fast responses in the event of production interruptions. Customers can also monitor their data at any time. The fully integrated “Site Control” hardware acts as the link between the machine’s CPU and HMI and the software. On this technological basis, various machine parameters can be retrieved, and production data can be visualized anytime and anywhere.
myConnect offers full connectivity, so that the entire production site can be integrated. In the event of a malfunction, a service request can be opened immediately. myConnect then establishes a secure VPN tunnel to the central server and places a request in the service ticket system. TÜV IT certification ensures maximum security during data exchange, which only takes place with the consent of both parties. The central server, which acts as the intermediary between the customer and Sumitomo (SHI) Demag, is operated exclusively in Germany and subject to strict GDPR data protection rules.
The myAssist software increases process transparency for molders by providing deeper insights into process parameters. This allows cycle- and time-series-based data to be mapped. Users can create custom dashboards with material or consumption metrics, or define their own KPIs to track processes. With the tool, downtime is reduced while resources and capacities are optimized. The digital process companion myAssist is future-ready, as it forms the basis for upcoming AI applications that will be developed across processes.
All machines networked and integrated into MES
To integrate into the Manufacturing Execution System (MES), the new machines are equipped with the latest OPC-UA interface. This enables virtual production for planning and monitoring manufacturing orders. Orders are recorded, processed, and provided digitally at the machine – completely paperless. In the background, the entire material management for each order is handled.
“We have essentially been applying Industry 4.0 since 2013, when we introduced our MES, which connects all processes,” says Kasprzyk. “With one click, we can retrieve data on how well production has performed in terms of availability, quality, and performance – daily, weekly, or monthly.” For this, the OEE (Overall Equipment Effectiveness) key figure is used, which compares the actual performance of a production line with its theoretical potential.
At SLM, production runs 24 hours a day, five days a week. A central material supply system transports around 110 different types of plastic granules from silos and octabins to the machines in the six molding halls. In addition to its own assembly division occupying two halls, seven warehouse buildings, and three office and utility buildings, the SLM site in Oebisfelde comprises a total of 19 buildings covering around 60,000 square meters. Most recently, in December 2024, a new warehouse with 2,810 square meters was opened. “That has brought our site capacity to its limit, but we still have room for growth within the halls,” the managing director notes.