Expertise where and when it’s needed

Whether it's tool setting, process optimization, or troubleshooting defects – today, there is often one thing missing at crucial interfaces in injection molding production: experience. The manufacturing labor shortage hits exactly where expertise is indispensable.

ENGEL is responding to this challenge with two powerful injection molding software solutions that support operators when it matters most:

• The process checklist – for systematic and traceable optimization

• The solution guide – for confident action in the event of alarms and component errors

Both tools bring expert knowledge directly to the machine – ensuring smooth production and enabling manufacturers to consistently produce high-quality injection molded parts, even with less experienced staff.

Production halls are running, tools are changing, new components are arriving. And this is exactly where success is decided:

• Was the tool set up correctly?

• Were all optimization steps followed?

• Was the correct response made in the event of a malfunction – or was the machine simply restarted?

In the past, experts routinely caught such errors. Today, these minds are missing – and with them, often the knowledge of what is "right" and "wrong." The consequences: scrap, tool damage, production delays.

The digitization of knowledge is becoming the key to closing this gap.

The process checklist is your intelligent roadmap through every optimization. Directly in the machine control system, it guides you through all the relevant steps – from initial setup to final fine-tuning:

• Which iQ products are active?

• What has already been optimized – what is still missing?

• Which measures lead to stable series production the fastest?

Flexibly adaptable to company standards, transparently documented, and ideal for shift changes or series starts under time pressure.

The result: less friction loss, less friction loss, greater repeatability, and higher reliability in the injection molding process – delivering high-quality injection molded parts even without experienced personnel.

Example: A sampling technician starts the optimization – and his colleague can pick up exactly where he left off a few days later. No paperwork. No friction losses.

The solution guide is the smart answer to typical problems that occur every day:

• The alarm sounds.

• The experienced setup technician is not there at the moment.

• The machine is simply restarted – and the error repeats itself.

That's now a thing of the past. The solution guide links alarms to specific instructions: What needs to be done? Who needs to be informed? What steps are absolutely necessary?

The machine will not restart until the defined work instructions have been confirmed.

Component errors from quality control can also be integrated. If, for example, an inspector detects a mold error, they can trigger a specific solution to the problem on the control display at the touch of a button.

The result: standardized troubleshooting, informed action – and reliable injection molding process optimization even without years of experience. With ENGEL’s Solution Guide, knowledge stays accessible – ensuring consistent production of high-quality injection molded parts.

What used to rely on years of experience is now backed by injection molding software. What was once individual knowledge is now accessible to the entire team. ENGEL brings expertise directly to where it’s needed: to the machine. In production. At night. At the start of series runs. In the event of a breakdown. During setup.

iQ weight control plus noticeably reduces complexity during setup by cutting more than 40 process parameters down to just two values: pressure and time. This makes injection molding process optimization straightforward, especially for less experienced employees, since the system automatically manages complex control tasks. As a result, stable processes are reproducible and manufacturers can start producing high-quality injection molded parts without relying on years of specialist knowledge.

iQ process observer monitors up to 500 process variables simultaneously, detecting deviations before they become rejects. For companies facing the manufacturing labor shortage, this is a game changer and highlights how skilled labor shortage digitalization is reshaping production: the injection molding software analyzes processes, suggests improvements, and provides continuous oversight without requiring a permanent expert at the machine.

Parameter-Limits ensures that processes remain stable – even without constant monitoring. With Parameter-Limits, permissible tolerance ranges for process parameters can be precisely defined and stored directly in the control system. The function prevents unwanted changes by inexperienced operators and ensures that critical settings are not accidentally overwritten. This is a real safety anchor, especially in times of skilled labor shortages in production. Parameter knowledge is protected, process stability is guaranteed, and plastic parts are injection molded without errors, even with changing personnel.