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Gira Giersiepen has named Arburg and FPT Robotik as "Suppliers of the Year 2014".

A company specialising in industrial rubber injection moulds and cold runner blocks for the automotive sector uses WorkNC to create 3+2 axis toolpath programs across a range of eight CNC machine tools as well as Workplan to consolidate information ranging from sales orders to invoices.

USA - As it expanded its moulding operations, US-based Henkel realised it would need to add more than moulding machines - namely, a toolroom.

Italy – Italian hot runner specialist HRS-Flow (belonging to the Inglass Group) premiered its newly developed Flex-flow One, a servo-driven valve gate system for hot runner nozzles at K.

Since the 1996 launch of its stack turning technology, Foboha says it has installed 400 of these production systems. Now the toolmaker has added an all-electric version.

Germany – For 70 years, Wernigerode-based company Schneider has been producing high-quality writing instruments. The company’s continued success today, which includes the production of 80 million ink cartridge cases each year, involves systems from Günther Hot-Runner Technology.

The products and services presented by exhibitors at Moulding Expo will cover all areas of tool, pattern and mould-making but it is the range of these exhibitors which is the true strength of Moulding Expo.

Jörg Essinger, head of application technology at Günther Heisskanaltechnik, explains how hot runners can improve the process and cut waste when turning harder materials embedded in plastics into finished products.

Europe - Europe’s tool and mould makers are facing fierce competition caused by increasing cost pressures and globalisation; which, on the other hand, also offers opportunities to tap into new markets and embrace new technologies. Let’s see what 2017 holds for the industry.