ENGEL part finder: the spare parts scout for your pocket

ENGEL part finder is being launched at FAKUMA 2023. With this smart application for identifying spare parts, ENGEL is demonstrating how effective this new tool can be for plastics processors in everyday operations: a simple, time-saving solution to improve machine availability and to boost production efficiency.  A smartphone is all you need.

To guarantee efficient production with a high level of machine availability, the right spare part needs to be on site quickly when the need arises. Because an injection moulding machine or production cell consists of many parts, purchasing spare parts is often more complex than it might appear at first glance. For one thing, injection moulding machines have often been in use for many years, or even decades. The expert knowledge of the system's details is often lost when a long-standing machine operator retires. Another factor is that parts wear and get dirty, which makes part identification difficult in any production environment. Additionally, companies are using digital tools to compensate for the lack of skilled personnel in the industry.

The solution goes by the name of ENGEL part finder - an application that lets users identify and order virtually any part of an ENGEL injection moulding machine in an uncomplicated way. The development of part finder took into consideration the feedback from customers who tested the system. The result is an intuitive and easy-to-use tool to support day-to-day operations.

Available free of charge as a feature of the ENGEL e-connect customer portal, part finder is always at hand when needed: all it takes is a mobile device with online access or a computer with an internet connection. Users who are logged in can launch the web application while working on the customer portal.

The tool offers various options for identifying parts, including a convenient, image-based spare parts search function. Users can take a picture of the part in question with their mobile phone or tablet cameras, and define the image section to be used for the search. Alternatively, images can be mailed to the Purchasing department. The purchasing coordinator can then use the image file in part finder to identify the part. Besides this visual search, the smart software supports the user with various advanced options, such as a key word and synonym search and a smart parts list search.

One of part finder's main advantages is that it cannot only identify new parts of the latest machine models, but it can also recognise dirty, worn or defective parts of older machines – from cables to pumps. The part finder's database includes injection moulding machines which are up to 20 years old, along with other systems. In the exceptional case that part finder is unable to find the part a user is looking, experts from ENGEL Customer Service are happy to provide support.

The order function is a big help in daily operations. The identified parts can be ordered with a single click in ENGEL part finder – and the shopping cart feature also allows ordering multiple parts. On initiating the order process with a click, the application generates an email, which can either be sent directly to ENGEL as an order or forwarded internally for approval. This helps avoiding ordering wrong parts by mistake and improves efficiency in spare parts procurement.

ENGEL part finder is therefore a valuable tool in daily operations and maintenance. “The ENGEL part finder will even work for injection moulding machines that have been in use for a long time and therefore make sure they are back in production far quicker after a standstill”, says Product Manager Digital Solutions, Mateusz Rychlik. “In times when human resources are scarce, this provides essential support for efficient injection moulding production”.  

ENGEL at Fakuma 2023: hall A5, stand 5204