Sumitomo (SHI) Demag CEO sums up K-2019 highlights

CEO Gerd Liebig stellt fest, dass die Besucher des Sumitomo (SHI) Demag-Standes auf der K-2019 von hoher Qualität waren und zu einem Auftragseingang von EURO 25 Mio. führten. / CEO Mr. Gerd Liebig notes that visitors to the Sumitomo (SHI) Demag stand at K-2019 were of a high quality resulting in EURO 25 million in orders.

Die ausgestellten Verpackungsinnovationen, darunter die neue El-Exis SP 10.000 kN, erwiesen sich als wichtige Attraktion. / The packaging innovations on show, including the new El-Exis SP 1000 ton, proved to be a key attraction.

At times, the Sumitomo (SHI) Demag stand in Hall 15 appeared to be at full capacity with visitors exploring the company’s market-leading exhibits. Although the visitor numbers were down on the previous K hosted in 2016, the quality of customers visiting Sumitomo (SHI) Demag’s stand was of a much higher quality. As Mr. Liebig noted: “We had some excellent customer meetings. In addition to the large number of new projects, we were also surprised to see that markets hit hard by the economic crisis, such as Germany, Spain and Italy, are now clearly signaling a revival with a significantly improved project situation.”

Mr. Liebig stressed, that the new El-Exis SP 1000 ton machine unveiled at the show demonstrates Sumitomo (SHI) Demag’s continued investment in its product range. “We remain the number one supplier globally of packaging machinery, and our two exhibits at K once again fortified our strength in this market.”

The company’s clear precision and productivity strategy and investment across each industry sector also appealed to visitors, with the medical and automotive exhibits showcasing cutting edge processing technologies and collaborative partnerships with leaders in their respective fields. “The Nexus/LSR exhibit clearly positioned our automotive competence. Likewise, the medical showcase demonstrated how we can assist moulders to be GMP compliant and capture opportunities in mass-medical precision moulding,” explains Mr. Liebig.  

Despite the rising propensity to invest, the CEO maintains a cautious economic focus. Emphasising that he doesn’t foresee an end to the crisis, Mr. Liebig says that Sumitomo (SHI) Demag will continue to increase production capacity and stabilise the company. This includes investing in R&D and production support, such as MyConnect, to assist customers with application optimisation.

Mr. Liebig also confirmed the company’s intention to significantly expand its automation strategy.

“What our exhibits at K-2019 showcased is our focus on innovation. We are known the world over for being very strong in packaging. We’d like to bring the same clear focus and global recognition for our clean room medical machines and validation support, as well as our automotive sector offerings,” adds Mr. Liebig.

With a strong executive team, all experts in their respective sectors, Mr. Liebig believes that the company is well-positioned to ensure its strategy stays aligned to market needs. Citing automotive as an example, he says that from customer meetings at the show it’s evident that injection moulding in vehicle manufacturing is on the rise. The company plans new IntElect models targeted at the automotive and consumer markets for release in 2020.

Naturally, the circular economy was the dominant topic throughout K. Energy efficiency, processing recyclable materials and productivity are topics where Mr. Liebig feels Sumitomo (SHI) Demag can quantify the economic costs and make a difference. “This is where we continue to invest our know-how. The confidence that customers have in our machine range and development teams is our motivation to further elevate our level of innovation. Customers know that with Sumitomo (SHI) Demag they will get the fastest, most precise and energy efficient machine for their application.”