Austrian injection molding giant Engel held its "trend.scaut" conference in Shanghai to discuss the challenges facing the Asian automotive industry, the Chinese market and the future of electric vehicles.

The event was held in conjunction with the FUMOTec Automotive Engineering and Future Mobility trade fair in Shanghai at the end of October.

More than 300 delegates attended the event, mainly including R&D and production managers from Chinese and international companies. The meeting discussed current and future challenges, new opportunities, and innovative technologies in the automotive industry.

" We discussed new technologies and opportunities for the future based on the specific requirements of local producers and were also able to reflect these topics in an international context, "explained Gero Willmeroth, President of Engledonia and Oceania.

Keynote speakers at the event came from Volvo, Continental, Nobo, electronics supplier Ecorea, as well as JSC Automotive, ExxonMobil, SABIC and Engel.

On the second day of the conference, Engel's large machinery plant in Shanghai built a bridge to operational practice, with four exhibits on display

In his opening remarks, Norbert Muller, director of Engel's Center for Lightweight Composite Technology, said the Asian auto market is continuing to develop "at a particularly dynamic pace."

"There are now more than 100 car brands competing in China," he said. The focus is on electric vehicles, he added.

Another development is that well-known Chinese suppliers are also positioning their products in the high-end market.

Mü "This presents a significant opportunity for Engel's innovative composite technology to enter the market," ller said.

Mü Together with his team, ller has developed new and particularly cost-effective processes for large-scale composite lightweight structures. The process covers a wide range of technologies, from HP-RTM and SMC to the processing of thermoplastic semi-finished products, as well as reaction techniques such as in situ polymerization (T-RTM).

"What is new is that composite manufacturers in Asia are also increasingly focusing on solutions based on thermoplastic materials," Muller said. "The possibility of functionalization of thermoplastic composites immediately after injection molding ensures a decisive time advantage."

Managing Director of JSC Automotive, a management consultancy specializing in the Chinese automotive market, Jochen Siebert, also spoke at the event.

Siebert said the industry is already undergoing a transformation process, which could slow down the dynamic development of the market and lead to industry consolidation.

He noted that in China, one factor contributing to the slowdown in the market is the end of government subsidies for electric vehicles by 2020.

The second day of the event was held at Engel's production workshop in Shanghai, with four exhibitions on site.

Engel's annual trend.scaut conference has focused on the automotive industry's supply chain since it was held in 2009.

Next year, Detroit in the United States will host the event, in 2020 it will be held in Austria, and in 2021 it will return to China.

Plastic Industry Video