Company visit: PIM International, Vol.2 No. 3 September 2008, pages 49-52, 1947 words

Author: Nick Williams, PIM International, Shrewsbury, UK

Arburg GmbH + Co KG is for many synonymous with injection moulding machines for PIM. With their trademark yellow and green livery, the company’s machines are a common sight in PIM factories from Europe through to America and Asia. Nick Williams, Editor of Powder Injection Moulding International, reports from his recent visit to Arburg’s headquarters and manufacturing complex at Lossburg, deep in the heart of Germany’s Black Forest.

Arburg is a leading global manufacturer of low and medium clamping force plastics injection moulding machines, with a history in the industry stretching back more than 50 years. Founded by Arthur Hehl in 1923, the company initially manufactured surgical instruments, diversifying into the production of a wider range of engineered products in the late 1940’s. The first steps into the field of injection moulding took place in 1954 when Karl Hehl designed and built a machine to over-mould camera flash leads in plastic. This development was purely in an effort to improve in house production of flash equipment, however in the years that followed commercial production of injection moulding machines began for the open market.

In 1961 Arburg launched the first machine based on the Allrounder principle. The swivelling clamping and interchangeable injection units, offering up to ten different working positions, revolutionised the design of plastic injection moulding machines. Further milestones came in 1975 with the introduction of microprocessor technology, and in 1982 with the launch of the first graphical user interface. The company now produces a broad range of electric and hydraulic machines from 125 kN to 5,000 kN clamping force...

Further sections of this article include:

- The manufacturing facility at Lossburg
- The story of PIM at Arburg
- Working with customers to establish MIM production
- Adapting injection moulding machines for PIM
- Moulds for PIM
- New challenges for PIM
- Marketing PIM
- Energy saving – 'e²'
- PIM automation
- Outlook

Figures and Tables:

Fig. 1 Aerial view of Arburg’s 146,000m² headquarters and manufacturing facility in Lossburg

Fig. 2 The first Arburg injection moulding machine, hand operated with parting line injection

Fig. 3 The PIM team at Arburg: From left, Uwe Haupt, Marko Maetzig and Hartmut Walcher

Fig. 4 A view of the PIM laboratory

Fig. 5 Injection moulding machines being assembled. Over 60% of all components are produced in-house by Arburg

Fig. 6 Arburg’s Multilift robotic system

Fig. 7 The manufactuing centre in Lossburg is designed around a modular system that allows for easy expansion in the future