CHINAPLAS 2026, the international trade fair for the plastics and rubber industry, commenced on April 21, 2026. The event is being held at the National Exhibition and Convention Center (NECC) in Shanghai, China, and will run through April 24.

At this year's CHINAPLAS, four key themes have been highlighted: "Circular Economy," "Digitalization," "Innovative Materials," and "China's High-End Technology." The exhibition floor is a hub of intense technological competition, with participants showcasing innovations geared towards the next generation of manufacturing. While this mega-exhibition brings together cutting-edge solutions from around the world, PlaBase cannot overlook the activities of Japanese companies, which are making their presence felt with their solid technological capabilities.

In response to major global industry trends and the rapidly emerging local manufacturers, how are leading Japanese companies planning to respond with their innovative products, technologies, and solutions? This article will highlight the booth presentations and key features of Japanese companies that warrant particular attention, selected from among the numerous exhibits at CHINAPLAS 2026.

Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Group:
⁠Charting a New Circular Economy for engineering plastic resins with "Circular Methanol" from CO₂ and Waste Plastics

Even in the engineering plastics sector, where high quality is demanded, efforts to reduce environmental impact are urgently needed for achieving a carbon-neutral society. Amidst this, the Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Group (exhibiting jointly with Mitsubishi Engineering-Plastics and others) is proposing an approach to reuse "circular methanol," manufactured from raw materials like CO₂, waste plastics, and biomass, as a raw material for engineering plastic resins.

At their booth, along with a vision for sustainable manufacturing centered on this circular methanol, they are exhibiting a wide range of high-performance polymers that support the forefront of various industries. Key materials essential for the automotive, electronics, and packaging sectors are gathered here, including polycarbonate resins like "Yupilon Sheet/Film" and "Yupilon/Novarex," known for their high transparency and impact resistance; polyacetal resins "Yupital/Kepital," excellent in friction and wear resistance and long-term durability; and high-barrier nylon resin "MX Nylon," widely used from food packaging to industrial applications.

Zone: 7.2
⁠Booth: C80

Sumitomo Heavy Industries:
⁠"AI Molding 2.0" Pioneers the Next-Generation manufacturing floor with Injection Molding Solutions for Ultimate Precision and Speed

As challenges on manufacturing floors, such as labor shortages and the aging of skilled technicians, become increasingly severe globally, the automation and intelligence of molding processes have become one of the biggest concerns in the plastics industry. At CHINAPLAS 2026, Sumitomo Heavy Industries (with its local Chinese subsidiaries: Sumitomo (Shanghai) Plastics Machinery and Demag Plastics Machinery (Ningbo)) will present live machine demonstrations embodying the next-generation smart factory, centered around an intelligent molding system named "AI Molding 2.0."

A highlight of the booth will be a molding demonstration (2-cavity) of mobile phone back covers using the all-electric injection molding machine "SE180EV-S-SHR-C560." This series features improved filling speeds and highly responsive acceleration/deceleration. High-response acceleration, which reaches the target speed range in a short time, enables faster filling and cycle times, especially for thin-wall parts, contributing to increased production efficiency. Additionally, high-response deceleration, maintaining high speed until just before the target position, contributes to minimizing internal stresses that can lead to warpage and deformation, thereby enhancing product quality. Furthermore, it can quickly fill narrow cavities before the molten resin solidifies, delivering high performance in multi-cavity and thin-wall molding.

In this exhibition, by combining these excellent basic hardware capabilities with the company's proposed intelligent molding system, "AI Molding 2.0," Sumitomo is presenting new production solutions for challenging thin-wall and precision molding.

Furthermore, as a solution specialized for the packaging sector, a molding demonstration (12-cavity) of yogurt cups using the hybrid high-speed injection molding machine "Systec 450 CSP+" will also be featured.

Zone: 4.1
⁠Booth: D24

Daicel (Polyplastics):
⁠First Exhibition as "New Daicel" – Showcasing Group Synergy with engineering plastics for Semiconductors & xEVs and Circular Materials

Polyplastics, a long-standing leader in the engineering plastics industry, has been integrated as the High-Performance Polymers (HPP) division of its parent company, the Daicel Group, and is making its debut at CHINAPLAS 2026 under the new identity of "New Daicel."

At its booth, where over half a century of expertise in the engineering plastics field and the technological prowess of the 100-year-old Daicel Group converge, a wealth of innovative materials supporting next-generation industries are being showcased, centered around seven themes including "xEVs (electric vehicles)," "Semiconductor Solutions," and "Sustainability."

Of particular note are the high-performance material solutions for the rapidly growing xEV and semiconductor sectors in the Chinese market. For semiconductors, they are exhibiting liquid crystal polymer "LAPEROS LCP" for next-generation IC trays and cyclic olefin copolymer "TOPAS COC," used in advanced wafer carriers and other applications. Furthermore, a wide range of key components for new energy vehicles, supporting the safety and efficiency of smart mobility, are lined up, demonstrating the strength of super engineering plastics that perform even in harsh environments.

The exhibition specifically introduces low-carbon materials contributing to circular economy solutions, such as "CAFBLO," an innovative bioplastic, and new grades of POM (polyacetal) resin that partly utilize PCR (post-consumer recycled) materials. This demonstrates their commitment to balancing environmental considerations with material functionality, thereby contributing to the sustainability of the plastics industry.

Zone: 7.2
⁠Booth: C75

Matsui Manufacturing:
⁠Redefining "The Future of molding factories" with Next-Generation Resource Management Guided by AI and Energy Efficiency

In response to rising energy costs and on-site challenges in plastic molding factories, Matsui Manufacturing Co., Ltd. (local subsidiary: SHANGHAI MATSUI MACHINERY CO., LTD.) is presenting a variety of proposals under the theme "In Search of Solutions for the Future," aimed at fundamentally resolving the issues faced by factories.

One of the highlights at the booth is likely the optical-grade dehumidifying hot air dryer "MJ6-i-OPT," selected as CHINAPLAS's official "Innovation of the Year 2026." Designed for advanced devices and lens molding requiring micron-level quality control, it ensures the supply of clean dry air through a high-performance filter that captures 99.9% of 0.3µm fine particles and achieves stable drying at an ultra-low dew point (consistently -40°C) with its honeycomb rotor. Its sealed structure, which thoroughly prevents foreign matter contamination, is highly regarded as an innovative technology fundamentally supporting next-generation high-value-added molding.

Furthermore, within the booth, based on the company's "factor4" concept for improving resource productivity, they are featuring multifaceted exhibits across seven themes directly addressing on-site challenges. These include stabilizing the quality of recycled materials for automotive and connector applications, revolutionary recycling technology enabling the addition of recycled materials to optical transparent parts, and resolving the three major pain points in container molding, thus meticulously meeting the stringent demands of each sector. In addition to new material molding technologies using AI for materials like PEEK and sharing expertise in powder extrusion molding, they are also unveiling six new product models related to drying, mold temperature control, and grinding, including the global model "plas-aid." Through proposals such as "Plascom," a specialized e-commerce platform offering comprehensive molding support, Matsui is strongly backing next-generation sustainable manufacturing.

Zone: 4.1
⁠Booth: D51