Maximum Efficiency for Metal-Plastic Composite Parts
•February 20, 2026
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Why It Matters
The upgrade gives Swoboda a competitive edge by meeting rising cost pressures and supporting the shift toward renewable‑energy equipment, while showcasing Wittmann’s modular automation as a model for other global sites.
Key Takeaways
- •New cell doubles production capacity for switchbox housings.
- •Vertical Wittmann machine offers intuitive control and easy maintenance.
- •Six‑axis robots handle diverse inserts via automated transfer system.
- •Automation reduces unit cost and dependence on automotive market.
- •Local Wittmann support enables rapid training and spare‑part availability.
Pulse Analysis
The push for higher efficiency in metal‑plastic composite manufacturing is reshaping mid‑size producers like Swoboda CZ. Faced with mounting cost pressure and a surge in demand for renewable‑energy components, the Czech plant opted for a fully automated cell that integrates a high‑clamping‑force vertical injection‑moulding machine. By consolidating the moulding, insert handling and inspection steps into a single, tightly coordinated workflow, Swoboda can produce twice the volume while keeping per‑part expenses low, a critical advantage in a market where margins are tightening.
Wittmann’s vertical machine is at the heart of this transformation. Its 270‑ton clamping force and two‑station rotary table provide the raw power needed for large, fibre‑reinforced plastic over‑moulds, while the machine’s intuitive control interface lets operators with limited experience achieve consistent quality. A distinctive design places temperature‑control media connections above the mould, eliminating the need for a central rotary distributor and dramatically simplifying maintenance and change‑over. Combined with a six‑axis robot that swaps inserts and a secondary robot that pre‑positions parts, the system delivers high repeatability and minimal downtime.
Beyond the Jihlava facility, the solution sets a benchmark for Swoboda’s worldwide network and for other manufacturers seeking to modernise legacy lines. The local Wittmann subsidiary’s spare‑parts depot, training centre and technical support accelerate implementation and reduce risk, reinforcing the partnership’s strategic value. As the industry moves toward circular‑economy practices and greater use of recyclable or renewable raw materials, such fully integrated, energy‑efficient cells will become a template for scaling production while maintaining stringent quality standards.
Maximum efficiency for metal-plastic composite parts
Swoboda CZ is located in Jihlava, Czech Republic, 120 kilometres south-east of Prague. The plant, which is part of the global Swoboda Group, specialises in complex metal-plastic assemblies, as Václav Dostal, managing director of Swoboda CZ s.r.o., explains. For the local team, the switchbox housing components are not a new product, but the production process has changed entirely. “The cost pressure has risen enormously,” says Dostal. “That is why we decided to invest in a new, fully automatic production cell.”
The development of this process can be clearly traced during a company tour. For the two previously installed production cells are still up and running. They work semi-automatically. “With the new process, we have doubled our capacity,” says Dostal. With this product, Swoboda benefits from the global expansion of renewable energies. The Czech team is particularly proud of this project. Orders of this kind help them to reduce their dependency on the automobile industry.
Vertical machine from Wittmann supports efficient automation
In the course of developing the new production process, the automation concept was completely redesigned. However, some tried and tested features were left unchanged, such as leaving a large Wittmann vertical injection moulding machine with 270 tons clamping force standing at the centre of the production cell, equipped with a two-station rotary table, plus temperature controllers also supplied by Wittmann.
“The vertical machine models from Wittmann offer a particularly high degree of convenience for our production staff,” says production manager Pavel Bohuněk, who then emphasises that all the vertical machines on the shop floor have come exclusively from the Wittmann Group. Some of these have already performed their reliable service for many years.
What does convenience mean for Swoboda? Two things, Bohuněk explains. Firstly, it comes from the intuitive user interface of the Wittmann machine control system, which enables even production staff with little experience to achieve a consistently high standard of parts quality, and to restart the process efficiently after a standstill. Secondly, the production manager points to a structural specialty of the vertical machines from Wittmann, included in the delivery as standard for all models with a two-station rotary table. “This concerns the supply of the temperature control media,” specifies Michal Slaba, managing director of Wittmann Battenfeld CZ: “The connections are placed above, so that a central rotary distributor can be dispensed with. This ensures exceptionally easy accessibility to the moulds, which simplifies both automation and manual work, such as maintenance servicing.”
Sophisticated transfer system coordinates individual production steps
The mould bottom halves are positioned on the rotary table to produce the switchbox housing components. The large six-axis robot removes the finished parts from the cavities and simultaneously refills them with new inserts. “The challenge this part presents to us is the large number and diversity of the insert parts, which the automation system must handle safely,” says Dostal.
Another robot assists the large six-axis robot. It is responsible for pre-positioning the insert parts in frames. The parts to be over-moulded include several signal pins, power pins and sockets. Some inserts are presented to the robot in trays. Some of the pins are punched and bent in-line via reel-to-reel systems. The impressive feature though is the transfer system inside the production cell. Via a rail system, the frames are transported to the clamping unit, where the multi-axis robot takes over the complete insert sets and places the pins and sockets into the mould cavities. They are then over-moulded with white, fibreglass-reinforced plastic material.
The freshly injection-moulded components are transported away from the clamping unit by the transfer system. They are passed to camera inspection and DMC marking, deposited in trays and then leave the production cell. All empty frames and transport carriages are returned automatically to their starting points at the end of the cycle.
Setting benchmarks for other locations worldwide
The entire automation has been developed and built on site. Automation solutions from Jihlava are also in operation at other Swoboda locations around the world. The new production process for making switchbox housing components is exemplary. The complete automation of all process steps and the excellent repeatability of the Wittmann injection moulding machine have successfully increased the efficiency and made it possible to reduce the unit costs. Moreover, they ensure high process stability and consistency of quality standards.
In the Czech Republic, Wittmann and Swoboda are living a genuine partnership. Effective assets here are the short distances and good facilities of the Czech Wittmann subsidiary with its own spare parts depot, training centre and technical centre. “When it comes to optimising processes by boosting their efficiency, we are an important sparring partner for many of our customers,” Michal Slaba points out.
The temperature control media connections come from above, so that the injection moulding machine does not need a central rotary distributor. This ensures very comfortable access to the moulds
About The Wittmann Group
The Wittmann Group is a globally leading manufacturer of injection moulding machines, robots and auxiliary equipment for processing a great variety of plasticisable materials – both plastic and non-plastic. The group of companies has its headquarters in Vienna, Austria and consists of two main divisions: Wittmann Battenfeld and Wittmann. Following the principles of environmental protection, conservation of resources and circular economy, the Wittmann Group engages in state-of-the-art process technology for maximum energy efficiency in injection moulding, and in processing standard materials and materials with a high content of recyclates and renewable raw materials. The products of the Wittmann Group are designed for horizontal and vertical integration into a smart factory and can be interlinked to form an intelligent production cell.
The companies of the group jointly operate ten production plants in seven countries, and the additional sales companies at their 35 different locations are present in all major industrial markets around the world.
Wittmann Battenfeld pursues the continued strengthening of its market position as a manufacturer of injection moulding machines and supplier of comprehensive modern machine technology in modular design. The product range of Wittmann includes robots and automation systems, material handling systems, dryers, gravimetric and volumetric blenders, granulators, temperature controllers and chillers. The combination of the individual areas under the umbrella of the Wittmann Group enables perfect integration – to the advantage of injection moulding processors with an increasing demand for seamless interlocking of processing machines, automation and auxiliaries.
Cover photo: The automation equipment with a sophisticated transfer system encloses the injection moulding machine
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