With a planned majority stake in LWB Steinl, Shibaura Machine is expanding its footprint in Germany and Europe. The partnership combines Shibaura’s global injection moulding know-how with LWB’s specialization in vertical machines and automation.

With effect from 1 January 2026, Ben Mechelmans is the new Managing Director for the Arburg subsidiary in Belgium. At 25 years of age, he represents a breath of fresh air, innovation and new perspectives, which he intends to bring to Arburg N.V., located in Molenstede. At the same time, he stands for continuity in terms of future priorities in the Belgian market.

At K 2025, Arburg presented Gestica lite, a new, easy-to-use control variant for standard injection moulding machines.

A major capacity expansion in Mexicali is set to boost Innova Engineered Plastics’ supply capabilities for highly regulated industries.

Building on successful cooperation in Portugal and Asia, HB-Therm has appointed Arburg as an additional distributor in Spain. The agreement combines temperature control expertise with a strong service network and enhanced digital integration via OPC UA.

More global than ever, Plastpol 2026 will bring together around 600 companies from over 30 countries, reinforcing Poland’s role as a growing hub for technology, supply chains and industrial partnerships in the plastics sector.

The long-negotiated trade agreement between the European Union and the Mercosur bloc has entered a decisive phase, with EU member states clearing the way for signature in early 2026. While political debate continues, particularly around sensitive sectors, the agreement is increasingly relevant for industrial value chains.

India’s tooling industry will be back in focus when Die & Mould India Expo returns to Mumbai in April 2026. The 14th edition is set to build on strong momentum, bringing together global technology providers, machine builders and toolmakers to showcase advanced solutions across the entire die and mould value chain.

A new milestone in autonomous injection moulding has earned Engel the Swiss Plastics Expo Award 2026. At the Lucerne show, the company presented its first self-regulating injection moulding cell, combining an all-electric e-mac machine with inject AI to optimise process stability, reduce scrap and ease operator workload.

With its new water batteries, Nonnenmann offers injection moulders a compact solution for precise monitoring and manual regulation of mould temperature control — ensuring higher process reliability, shorter cycle times and efficient 24/7 production.