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| 2025-10-09, 14:12 |
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Shibaura Machine: Acquisition of Majority Stake in the Mechanical Engineering and Automation Divisions of LWB Steinl GmbH
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Japanese machinery manufacturer Shibaura Machine has signed a Memorandum of Understanding to acquire 80 percent of the shares in LWB Steinl GmbH. By combining their expertise in injection molding machines and automation, both partners aim to strengthen their technological and system competence for fully automated production cells. To this end, the Mechanical Engineering and Automation divisions will be separated from the Steinl Group and integrated into the partnership. Their sales networks also complement each other: Shibaura Machine gains access to LWB’s customer base in Europe, while LWB will benefit from Shibaura’s well-established structures in Asia and the USA. The expanded market access is intended to ensure long-term growth. Advert All employees will be retained, and the LWB Steinl site in Altdorf will remain in place, becoming the headquarters and production hub in Europe. In addition, Shibaura Machine secured the right to acquire the remaining 20 percent of shares from the Steinl family in three years’ time. This would make the new company, Shibaura Machine LWB GmbH, a wholly owned subsidiary. Both parties have agreed not to disclose the purchase price.
 Dr. Georg Holzinger - (Pictures: Shibaura Machine). “Our strong presence in the Americas and the Asia-Pacific region forms the foundation for our strategic expansion. Europe, especially Germany, plays a key role in our growth strategy. For our strategic market entry, we specifically looked for a German partner who shares our standards of precision and quality. In LWB Steinl, we have found this partner. As a family-owned company, it embodies the same values that shape our Japanese corporate culture: trust, appreciation, and loyalty,” says Dr. Georg Holzinger, Managing Executive Officer at Shibaura Machine and future spokesperson for the management board of Shibaura Machine LWB GmbH. With the acquisition of a majority stake in the Mechanical Engineering and Automation divisions, the company aims to expand its product portfolio to include vertical injection molding machines and automation solutions, thereby covering both all-electric and hydraulic injection molding machines. It will also be able to offer customers new applications in the future. In addition to thermoplastics, it will be possible to process rubber, silicone, and elastomers. “Our global production network meets the diverse needs of our customers worldwide. Now, we plan to expand this network by adding the Altdorf site as our European headquarters and production hub. We are relying on LWB Steinl’s modern technology, employee know-how, and proven supply structures. This will strengthen our technology and system expertise for fully automated production cells and allow us to offer our European customers market-compliant delivery times, competitive production costs, and compliance with European standards such as OPC-UA, Euromap 77, and **Euromap 82,” Holzinger adds.  Shigetomo Sakamoto (l.) and Peter Steinl (r.) “The plastics and rubber industry is undergoing a profound transformation: machines are increasingly becoming commodity products. Companies must now position themselves for the future to remain successful with high product quality and competitive pricing. With Shibaura Machine, we will have a strong partner at our side to help us build on our strong foundation – through more efficient manufacturing and expanded global sales,“ says Peter Steinl, Managing Director of LWB Steinl GmbH, who will also be part of the management team in the new company. In the future, LWB Steinl machines and systems are expected to benefit from cost advantages in procurement and production at Shibaura Machine’s locations in Japan, China, and India. In addition to a more favorable mix of unit and labor costs, the company will benefit from high-quality components from its Japanese partner, such as injection units. Furthermore, Shibaura Machine’s global sales network will provide better access to markets such as Asia and the USA. “Japanese companies enjoy a high reputation in Germany – especially due to their technological expertise, innovative strength, sophisticated production and supply chain methods, and their advanced approach to digitalization. I am convinced that we will be able to successfully leverage Shibaura Machine’s platform competence and expertise in IIoT, smart machines, and data science for our products,” adds Steinl. Shibaura Machine LWB: Growing Together Through United Strength “The new company Shibaura Machine LWB GmbH will operate from a position of strength, rely on personnel stability, and aim for sustainable growth. We will offer plastic processors and injection molders long-term added value: top-class technology and system expertise for fully automated production cells, comprehensive knowledge of processes, applications, and technologies, and a strong focus on customer and service orientation. The brand names Shibaura Machine and LWB will remain,” Holzinger says confidently. He also sees positive long-term prospects for employees: “Employment contracts remain in place, and there will be no job cuts or relocation. On the contrary – we are deliberately relying on the extensive know-how and experience of the employees in Altdorf to continue serving our customers with the quality and precision that are a matter of course for us as a Japanese machinery manufacturer,” Holzinger emphasizes. To highlight the significance of this majority acquisition, Shibaura Machine will present an automated production cell at K 2025. This will feature a vertical injection molding machine from LWB and an industrial robot from Shibaura Machine’s Scara series. K 2025, October 8–15, 2025, Düsseldorf, Germany, Hall 15, Booth B21 More information: |
Shibaura Machine, Tokio, Japan
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