What does this mean for workers? Engel's move touches 1 job, which employs about 150,000 people in the U.S. For molding, coremaking, and casting machine setters, operators, and tenders, metal and plastic, AI and robots already touch about 2h 12m of a typical 8-hour shift. A single company's move is an early signal for these jobs, and the time cards show how far the change has spread nationally.
Announced means the company said it would do this; nothing is running yet.
On the floor
- Engel AI assistant can now change injection molding machine settings
Engel's EVA assistant answers operator questions by text or voice and, after the operator confirms, passes approved changes to the machine control. It is optional on new cells and can be retrofitted to CC300 or C3 controls.
PlasticsToday · Molding, Coremaking, and Casting Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic