Engel Austria GmbH announced the expansion of its technical center in St. Valentin, Austria, with what Engel said is by far the largest technical center injection molding machine (IMM) in the world — a duo 5500 combi M with about 6,182 tons of clamping force. This IMM was developed to meet the demands of the automotive industry and technical injection molding, and is now available for customer trials.
The automotive trend of using plastic parts to reduce vehicle weight, improve fuel efficiency and lower production cost requires larger IMMs to produce these parts. The technical center’s duo 5500 combi M measures about 105 feet long, 43 feet wide, 22 feet high and weighs 545 tons. It features two movable horizontal injection units, a combi M injection unit and two six-axis Engel robots. For PU applications, two Cannon systems are available, one for small-volume applications and one for high-volume applications. The extra-large mold space accommodates molds weighing up to 165 tons, with possible shot weights up to 92.5 pounds.
The addition of the IMM opens extensive possibilities for part and technology development and sampling. Engel aims to use this machine to enable technologies and components in completely new dimensions in collaboration with its customers and partners.
With headquarters in Schwertberg, Austria, Engel Austria is a leading manufacturer of plastics processing machinery.
Last year, Engel installed two 8,200-ton IMMs at a Kentucky plant that makes underground stormwater storage solutions.
