At Fakuma 2026, SHIBAURA MACHINE LWB and E.P.F. Elettrotecnica S.r.l. will present advanced solutions for injection molding, production automation, and digital quality and process monitoring, boosting productivity, stabilize processes, and raise overall equipment effectiveness (OEE) in plastic processing.

SHIBAURA MACHINE LWB will operate a fully electric injection molding machine with automated part removal by a linear handling system while EPF will present its SUPATA Smart Feeder, which features automated quality inspection for maximum manufacturing flexibility and complete traceability.

SHIBAURA MACHINE LWB: All-electric injection molding machine with automated part removal by linear handling

SHIBAURA MACHINE LWB will present a fully electric injection molding machine EC100SXIII with a clamping force of 100 metric tons. In live operation, the injection molding machine will produce a business card box from polypropylene (PP). A Cartesian linear handling system will place the parts onto a conveyor belt.

SHIBAURA MACHINE LWB’s EC100SXIII.

The solution demonstrates the high precision, process stability, and energy efficiency of modern all-electric injection molding technology.

A key innovation is the new S-Concept Resin Viscosity Measurement, which continuously monitors resin viscosity and automatically adjusts processing parameters in a closed control loop to ensure consistent part quality, even when processing regrind material.

The seamless interplay of machine, automation, and digital process intelligence raises overall equipment effectiveness (OEE), reduces downtime, and enables highly productive manufacturing with maximum process reliability.

EPF: Intelligent quality control for flexible manufacturing

EPF highlights its SUPATA Smart Feeder with Automated Vertical Warehouse, illustrating how intelligent quality control enhances flexible, highly automated production.

EPF’s SUPATA Smart Feeder with Automated Vertical Warehouse.

In a live demonstration, the system processes several components in a single production flow, conducts full dimensional and surface inspections with integrated vision technology, and assigns batch data automatically to ensure complete traceability.

Rapid recipe changes, optional automatic gripper swaps, and seamless integration into automated production lines allow manufacturers to oversee growing product variety efficiently while maintaining high-quality standards.

Planned joint venture for Southern Europe

SHIBAURA MACHINE and EPF are taking their strategic partnership to the next level with a planned joint venture for Italy and Southern Europe. After signing a Memorandum of Understanding in July 2026, both companies will unite SHIBAURA MACHINE’s global injection molding expertise with EPF’s strengths in automation and engineering.

Together, they will offer customers complete one-stop solutions for automated production cells. The joint venture will boost regional sales and service, while advancing SHIBAURA MACHINE’s long-term growth in Southern Europe. Both partners plan to finalize agreements and close the transaction by the end of 2026.