KraussMaffei now building extruders in U.S.

KraussMaffei has added production of pipe and profile extruders at its facility in Florence, Ky.

As of Jan. 22, the company is assembling two of its largest extruders for high-demand industrial applications in the U.S. A KME150-36B/R extruder is being built for a large 54-inch HDPE pipeline, and a KMD164-32P/L sheet extruder is being tested for a large foam PVC production line.

Additional extruders in the same lines will be built in Florence as they are ordered. 

“We haven’t altered the design of our extruders. Our customers value the quality of German engineering, and by leveraging local supply chains, we are able to deliver machines that meet their specific needs with even greater efficiency,” said Doug Alexander, business development and expert sales manager at KraussMaffei. 

The move will reduce lead times in the growing North American market, enhance regional customer support and access to parts, and strengthen local engineering resources, according to the company.

It has been in the works since 2023, Alexander said, well before the recent turmoil in international trade and tariff threats. 

Most of KM’s extrusion equipment is manufactured at its plant in Laatzen, Germany. The Kentucky facility adds upstream and downstream equipment and power panels, and completes assembly for single- and twin-screw extruders 133mm and smaller. There is also an extrusion lab in the Innovation Center in Florence. 

Click through the photos above for a look at the equipment being built.