“The competition in the injection molding machine industry is getting fiercer,” said Jerry Wang, the vice chairman of FCS Group and the chairman of FCS (Ningbo) Machinery Manufacture, in an exclusive interview with Adsale Plastics Network (APN, AdsaleCPRJ.com).

Despite the continuous progress of injection molding technology, the selling price of the machines does not match the market value, and sometimes even deviated from that, said Wang. Nevertheless, he is still optimistic about the future of the injection molding machine market.

On October 19, FCS held a ceremony for its new factory in Qianwan, Ningbo and its 50th anniversary. The Group has invested a total of US$40 million in the factory.

Since its establishment in 1974 in Tainan City, Taiwan Province, China, FCS has built five production bases around the world, dedicated to the R&D and production of special injection molding machines such as multi-color and multi-component machines.

Jerry Wang, Vice chairman of FCS Group and Chairman of FCS (Ningbo) Machinery Manufacture.

New factory: A new engine of growth

APN: What is the significance of the new factory in Qianwan?

Wang: The new factory covers an area of approximately 66,700sqm and has a planned annual capacity of 2,000 machines, mainly producing large two-platen machines, large two-color machines, and large two-platen two-color horizontal, etc. with clamping force of more than 500 tons. The new factory was officially opened in September last year.

FCS is currently focusing in the Chinese mainland, and the new factory will help us to better serve the domestic and international markets, especially in the fields of new energy vehicles, 3C electronics, and medical devices.

In the future, the two factories in Ningbo (Jiangbei and Qianwan) will target a revenue of RMB 1.5-1.8 billion, which will greatly enhance the Group's competitiveness in China's ultra-large injection molding machine market.

FCS held a ceremony for the Group’s new factory in Qianwan, Ningbo and its 50th anniversary. 

Development: Enhance quality, strengthen branding

APN: Facing the intensifying competition in the industry, what strategies have the Group adopted to maintain its competitiveness?

Wang: When it comes to two-color machines, you may first think of FCS. In order to cope with the competition, first of all, we have to accelerate product development, and constantly launch high-quality machines with innovative specifications to solve the bottleneck of pricing. In other words, enhancing quality without increasing price to hold on to our brand values. In addition, we are improving our services by expanding the service team.

This year, we have launched the 5th generation of multi-component systems of the FB series. Leveraging FCS’ 50 years of experience and advanced technologies in injection molding, the systems feature high precision and energy saving.

The systems can be equipped with an electric injection unit and are improved in appearance, clamping force, power system, precision control, etc., satisfying the demand for high-efficiency, high-precision and high-quality two-color products.

The 5th generation multi-component injection molding machine of the FB series.

In addition to enhancing quality and branding, we have been actively developing markets, with the Southeast Asian market accounting for about 10% of our total sales in recent years. Thanks to the booming development of Indian automotive industry, the export volume of our large two-color machines has increased sharply this year, which further consolidates the Group's position in the international market.

APN: What other areas will FCS focus?

Wang: In view of the massive market demand for standard single-color injection molding machines, we have decided to invest more in developing cost-effective standard single-color machines.

The new factory in Qianwan will take advantage of its factory size and geographic location. Not just focusing on large machines, the factory will launch a product line of distinctive and cost-effective standard single-color machines next year.

Trends: All-electric two-platen machines, Ultra-large two-color machines

APN: Please share your observation about the development of the Chinese injection molding machine industry?

Wang: The industry is developing rapidly in independent R&D and technological innovation. In recent years, leading Chinese manufacturers have been launching high-end large machines, gradually narrowing the gap with the international advanced level. Many customers are seeking cooperation with us to achieve substitution of imported products.

It is worth mentioning that the technology in components for injection molding machine is also developing well in China. In the past, most of the key components of our machines were imported, such as servo motors, high-precision sensors, controllers and so on.

Many multinational component manufacturers are accelerating local production in China. As a result, Chinese machine manufacturers are able to source locally, significantly reducing overall production costs by 20-30% and increasing price competitiveness of their products in the market.

APN: In your opinion, what are the future technological development trends of injection molding machines?

Wang: Two-platen injection molding machines will go all-electric, and two-color machines will go ultra-large. All-electric two-platen machines can respond and switch motion quickly, which can achieve higher production efficiency. They are becoming the preferred choice for industries requiring mass production with high efficiency.

FCS's ultra-large horizontal turntable injection molding machine displayed in the new factory in Qianwan.

Meanwhile, two-color injection molding machines are moving towards ultra-large size. In the past, the clamping force was mostly limited to 1,900 tons, but now with technological breakthroughs, 4,000-ton two-color machines are on the way.

Given that new energy vehicles are becoming larger, as well as components are more integrated and modularized, these apparent trends are also driving demand for larger automotive components. Two-color machines have to feature greater clamping force and more stable performance to adapt to this trend.