Crisis, resilience, expertise: How Miraplast bounced back stronger than ever with ENGEL technology after the floods

In September 2024, Miraplast was severely affected by flooding. Within a very short time, the entire production facility was flooded and the machinery came to a standstill. What followed was a massive effort – and the beginning of a comprehensive fresh start. Together with ENGEL, the team began assessing the damage and carrying out repairs immediately after the water receded. Some machines were repaired by ENGEL’s experienced service technicians. However, many had to be replaced in order to resume production as quickly as possible.

Thus, after the flooding in Würmla, just outside Vienna, a state-of-the-art production facility was established in less than a year: A total of nine ENGEL victory tie-bar-less injection moulding machines with clamping forces ranging from 900 to 1800 kN, as well as a fully electric ENGEL e-mac with a clamping force of 800 kN, were delivered, installed and handed over ready for production – most of them with integrated automation via ENGEL viper linear robots.

“The flooding was a major setback for us, but also a turning point,” says Markus Brunnthaler, Managing Director and co-owner of Miraplast. “We had to act quickly – and in ENGEL we had a partner who could not only deliver, but also problem solve with us.”

Miraplast has been active in plastics processing for more than sixty years. At its Würmla site in Lower Austria, the company develops and manufactures high-quality technical plastic parts as well as design-oriented household products for the European market. With two major brands – mira-tech and mira-home – Miraplast demonstrates its broad expertise across various areas of plastics applications.

mira-tech specialises in the development of plastic injection-moulded parts, the construction of injection moulds and series production. The brand offers solutions across the entire value chain – from planning and consultancy through to production and assembly. It stands for high quality standards, technical precision and the continuous development of the processes employed to meet the growing requests of a wide range of industries.

mira-home focuses on functional products for the kitchen, storage and the home. mira-home’s range includes over 300 reusable, durable articles that demonstrate just how prevalent plastic material is in everyday life. The products are available both through retail outlets and onlineat . Their constant availability is seen as a natural part of a modern lifestyle – and the competitive pressure is correspondingly high.

“What sets us apart is that we have the completevalue chain in-house – from the product idea through toolmaking to the finished series,” says Markus Brunnthaler. “This structure helps us to remain flexible and react quickly to new requests – both in the B2B sector and in the consumer goods market.”

In the consumer goods segment in particular, the reliability of production determines market position. Delivery failures, for example as a result of natural disasters, can quickly threaten a company’s survival. Competitive pressure from suppliers in the Far East, regulatory uncertainties, rising energy costs and the shortage of skilled workers further exacerbate these challenges.

Against this background, Miraplast decided not to view the flooding as a setback, but rather as a strategic turning point. Wherever possible, repairs were carried out, whilst at the same time investing in the comprehensive modernisation of the production cells. Today, this forms the backbone of a production environment that is flexible, efficient and future-proof.

“Just as our products are geared towards the needs of consumers, it is important to us that they are also easily recyclable and produced with the lowest possible carbon footprint. That is why our main focus was also on purchasing energy-saving machines,” says Markus Brunnthaler. The clear choice was the tie-bar-less ENGEL victory injection moulding machines, whose highly energy-efficient ecodrive drives not only achieve energy saving but also reduce cooling water consumption, emit less heat into the production environment and are significantly quieter than conventional hydraulic drives.

This extension has created a structure that combines proven processes with the latest machine technology. The compact yet powerful injection moulding machines integrate seamlessly into the existing infrastructure and open up new possibilities in terms of cycle time, automation and energy efficiency.

The new injection moulding machines are not only state-of-the-art, they are also highly automated. Almost all production cells are equipped with ENGEL viper linear robots. An automated pallet transfer system has also been integrated into several lines, transferring the parts into the packaging process without manual intervention. The automation is fully integrated into the machines’ CC300 control system in a seamless manner.

This integration ensures streamlined processes, greater process reliability and a noticeable reduction in the workload for staff – an aspect that is becoming increasingly important, particularly in times of a skills shortage . With the integrated control system, all movements and process steps can be monitored and adapted centrally, which represents a real advantage in a mixed-production environment combining standard items and customised projects.

The decision to opt for ENGEL’s tie-bar-less technology was central to the investment. This technology has already proven its worth in the past – thanks to the modernisation, Miraplast is now able to exploit its benefits even more effectively.

Without tie bars, the mould space can be utilised to the full. The unobstructed access from three sides also facilitates the integration of handling systems and maintenance. In practice, this means shorter set-up times and simplified maintenance of the injection moulding tools. Markus Brunnthaler endorses this from a production perspective: “The tie-bar-less injection moulding machines offer us real practical benefits, whether in terms of accessibility or Automation options. But they also bring advantages for moulds that remain mounted on a machine for a week or longer. Take slide moulds, for example. With these, maintenance work can be carried out whilst the mould is clamped in place, or the slides can be changed without being restricted by tie bars.”

At the same time, the tie-bar-less technology ensures that the mould is not subjected to unnecessary stress – a significant advantage for Miraplast when producing precision parts with delicate parting lines.

These machines make it possible to produce large products cost-effectively even in compact spaces, which is particularly important for articles subject to significant price pressure. By virtue of the large clamping area, there is often no need for a larger machine, saving space, energy costs and capital expenditure.

Miraplast has turned a natural disaster that threatened its very existence into an opportunity – by decisive action, a clear technological line and a close partnership with ENGEL. The new machines and automated production cells not only enable safe and efficient production, but also give the company the flexibility to react quickly to market developments.

Markus Brunnthaler looks to the future with confidence: “The investments made were not a short-term crisis response, but the consistent implementation of a long-term strategy that would have been pursued even without the flooding. Thanks to ENGEL, we have managed to become better, more flexible and even more sustainable.”

The tie-bar-ess ENGEL victory machines, in combination with digital process integration and automated workflows, make Miraplast more robust, efficient and more competitive than ever before. The aim remains clear: high quality, on-time delivery and flexibility – regardless of external factors.