The world’s leading injection moulding machinery maker, Haitian International (Hong Kong / China; www.haitianinter.com), is raising the output of its German subsidiary Zhafir Plastics Machinery (Ebermannsdorf; www.zhafir.com). During its recent open day, Haitian chief strategic officer Helmar Franz said the plant expansion is due to start production in 2015, turning out electrical machines for the European market. The group sees a particularly strong growth potential for electrical machines with a clamping force of more than 1,000 kN.

The double-digit million euro investment will go towards a new production hall, situated on 16,000 m² of grounds. Once on stream, the company will be able to double the site’s current annual output of 500 “Mercury”, “Venus” and “Zeres” machines. Haitian also plans to rely more on local suppliers for parts used in its “Venus” range, reducing its dependence on components sourced from China.

The company is also in the midst of raising its output in China by means of expanding existing and building completely new sites. The ongoing efforts mean Haitian will operate 13 Chinese and international facilities by next year.