Cooperation That Delivers Customer Value
HACK Formenbau and HB-Therm are intensifying their cooperation with the aim of creating sustainable added value for end customers through a shared understanding of the overall context.
When two technology leaders pull together, new potential develops. This also applies to HACK Formenbau and HB-Therm, who are working together on new innovations for plastics technology. This is achieved by combining knowledge in the areas of mould making and temperature control. Because if you think outside the box, you can see the bigger picture. It's about the interaction of machines, moulds and temperature control in higher-level production processes. After all, high-quality products can only be produced quickly and economically if all dependencies are recognised and comprehensively taken into account.
HACK Formenbau GmbH from Kirchheim unter Teck, Germany, is an internationally active company known for high-performance, precise injection moulds. The portfolio includes single-component, multi-component and multi-cavity moulds that are used in a wide range of industries - from medical, pharmaceutical and dental to optics, personal care and packaging through to technical applications. Typical product groups include Auto-Injectors, Well Plates, Insulin Pens, Inhalers, Electric Toothbrushes, Closures and Brushes. With a clear export orientation, HACK has established its markets worldwide. HACK and HB-Therm have known and appreciated each other for a lengthy period of time, although cooperation is not immediately obvious at first, as customers tend to purchase temperature control units together with the machine and initially less in connection with the moulds that run on them. It therefore makes all the more sense to cooperate in this direction in order to take a holistic view of the manufacturing processes and make them more effective, efficient and therefore more economical for the end customer.
Who is HACK and what makes the company special?
HACK GmbH was founded in 1956 by Siegfried Hack and is now managed by Gunnar Hack, the owner and sole managing director. In 1999, 2015 and most recently in 2025, the site was continuously expanded with new buildings and extensions. The production area has expanded from a restart of 300 square metres to 15,000 square metres today. HACK is characterised by continuous further development in production and mould making as well as the implementation of individual technologies.
HACK started out with a focus on precision mould making and was already supplying well-known customers back then - a claim that still applies today. Now internationally established and certified to DIN ISO 9001, the company is a one-stop shop offering services ranging from product development to the complete validation of production cells. HACK relies on extensive automation, an in-house technical centre for sampling and validation as well as digital solutions such as "mouldlife-sense" and "mouldlife process" from its own HACK Digital Solutions.
HACK sees itself not only as a mould manufacturer, but also as a strategic partner, consultant and developer for complete production cells and large-scale projects. This also makes the links to HB-Therm clear. The company's particular strengths lie in its high level of vertical integration, complete in-house development, design, commissioning and testing, close customer proximity and the high level of expertise of its employees. In terms of sustainability, HACK relies on green electricity and is bronze-certified by Ecovadis.
How HACK is responding to global challenges
The company is responding to the economic situation and global challenges such as customs duties with awareness and determination. A maximum understanding of quality is becoming increasingly important. Competition from Chinese mould makers is no threat either, as CEO Gunnar Hack points out: "HACK has unique competitive advantages thanks to its comprehensive range of services and digital expertise. Our technical centre plays a central role in this. We can develop and test innovations there - also together in our in-depth cooperation with HB-Therm." Today, HACK GmbH employs around 200 people and generates a turnover of 50 million euros.
Temperature control units from HB-Therm: From Series 4 to Series 6 in use
The companies have known each other for a lengthy period of time and HACK GmbH has relied on temperature control technology from HB-Therm for many years. Temperature control units from the Series 4 to the Series 6 are therefore in use in HACK's production halls and technical centre.
HACK GmbH currently uses various models up to the latest Thermo-6 generation. Gunnar Hack knows of "no competitor that is at the same technical level." A total of 16 temperature control units are in use, which can be flexibly connected to both technical centre machines and customer systems.
Simon Becker, Process Engineer at Hack Formenbau GmbH, says: "The integration of the new Thermo-6 units went smoothly and without any technical hurdles. We particularly appreciate the high process reliability, the flow monitoring, the various pump operating modes and the cyclical system water exchange function, as well as the modern design of the units." The Thermo-6 really comes into its own when it comes to the design and reliable maintenance of the Delta T for an optimum temperature balance. The high precision of the mould temperature control is of fundamental importance, as it influences both the product quality and the durability of the moulds. "Thanks to the ultrasonic flow rate measurement of the HB-Therm units, even the smallest volume flows from 0.4 L/min can be measured reliably and without delay - a decisive advantage for moulds with narrow cross-sections, for example."
Strategic partners: HACK and HB-Therm
HB-Therm is recognised by HACK as a strategic and future-oriented partner whose technology is leading in the market. The user-friendly command, innovative features such as the e-cockpit in the mobile app, adjustable pumps and simple connection to the injection moulding machines via various interfaces clearly set HB-Therm apart from other suppliers. Lifetime warranty on heater and flow meter is also seen as an important quality feature - especially compared to previous experiences with other manufacturers.
Communication between the system and Thermo-6 takes place via OPC UA interfaces, which can thus work closely with the company's own monitoring system "mouldlife-sense". The stand-alone, computer-based system works via a complete mould sensor system and is fully integrated into the plastic injection mould. It monitors the entire life cycle of the mould. The system allows precise monitoring of faults, downtime and maintenance. With the help of the sensors, a variety of critical influences, such as on the Thermo-6, are detected proactively and operators or optional controllers are notified before high costs are incurred.
Digitalisation as a topic for the future
The company's own subsidiary "HACK Digital Solutions" underlines the commitment to Industry 4.0 and digitalisation. According to HACK, the Thermo-6 technology is much more advanced and ahead of all others. Ideal conditions for integration into existing systems. This includes extensive data acquisition and recording as well as analysing it with preventative suggestions for action. Added to this is the simple command and the extended Remote features that are essential for the times, such as remote maintenance via e-cockpit. The connection to the injection moulding machines is "plug and play" and the controllable pumps, together with the comprehensive monitoring quality, are essential for energy-efficient and reliable operation.
The partnership has developed very positively overall. In addition to the expansion of the machine park with Thermo-6 units, joint training measures were also initiated to deepen knowledge of temperature control technology at HACK and to strengthen user expertise in the long term through intensive knowledge transfer. The close collaboration enables both partners to develop even more innovative solutions and sustainably increase process efficiency.
What the intensified partnership means for HACK
HACK has regarded cooperation as a central component of its own strategic orientation for over 20 years. As a result, the company is continuously expanding its portfolio and combining different areas of expertise as a general contractor to provide holistic customer support.
The cooperation with HB-Therm is based on the vision of understanding injection moulds and temperature control units as a holistic system. This system approach plays a decisive castor role in the quality and efficiency of the injection moulding process - especially when it comes to topics such as wear prevention, rheology and article accuracy. HACK sees temperature control units as an integral part of future mould construction and is aiming to expand its expertise and develop innovative products through this collaboration. According to Marco Lammer, Area Sales Manager at HB-Therm, both partners know how important mould design, such as cooling channels, is for the efficiency of a temperature control unit. "We also see a lot of potential here to provide added value for the end customer. Therefore, it is of course advantageous to set and validate the temperature control units at the same time. Ultimately, this brings a lot for energy-efficient temperature control. HACK and HB-Therm can therefore also make evidence-based recommendations to customers for HB-Therm units in a tested overall system solution."
Concrete added value for all customers
Gunnar Hack emphasises: "This results in concrete added value for our end customers: instead of individual components, we offer a perfectly coordinated complete system in a package - from the pilot phase to series production. HACK's technical centre enables practical training along the entire process chain, which we consider to be extremely valuable for the transfer of knowledge.
The partnership with HB-Therm brings synergies - not only in the area of joint customer training, but also in the area of digitalisation. Topics such as usability, sustainability and Industry 4.0 concepts as well as predictive maintenance are being driven forward together. Functions such as Flow rate measurement and the adjustable Pump on the Temperature control units enable precise adjustment to our moulds, which increases energy efficiency and flexibility."
How HB-Therm sees the intensified cooperation
The cooperation between HB-Therm and HACK also marks a strategically and technically promising step for HB-Therm, which is aimed at closer integration and the earliest possible integration of temperature control technology into end customers' projects. According to CEO Reto Zürcher, HB-Therm aims to "achieve a noticeably positive effect and thus strengthen the trust of potential partners through this comprehensive involvement in development processes and mould approvals. Close customer contact is at the centre of this, because we see ourselves not just as a supplier, but as a long-term partner. The cooperation offers us comprehensive support across engineering, equipment design, installation, training and service, supplemented by joint process specifications with a focus on temperature control technology."
Marco Lammer adds: "The joint support covers areas such as engineering, unit design, installation and connection of the units, comprehensive training on the specific applications, comprehensive process specifications including temperature control technology content and service. HACK and HB-Therm have a lot in common, which is why the cooperation has been very positive from the restart in terms of strategy, technology and people."
The exchange of knowledge with HACK also promotes the targeted further development of temperature control units, particularly through direct dialogue with the mould making department. Special attention is paid to the practical training sessions in the technical centre. Customers experience the units in real applications and can be trained directly on examples, especially during mould acceptance tests. This opportunity improves knowledge transfer and strengthens customer loyalty.
Next common goals are sustainability and user-friendliness. An intelligent, jointly developed temperature control concept is intended to offer end customers both ecological and economic benefits. The long-term partnership is open and full of ideas for both sides: new projects and opportunities will grow through the exchange, which will primarily benefit end customers.
At the K 2025 trade fair, an intelligent production cell for the pen market will be presented at the Arburg stand in collaboration with Arburg and HACK.
What does the (joint) future look like?
HACK is pursuing ambitious goals for the future: Global growth through service expansion, digitalisation of processes and development of new products with a focus on complete solutions. The integration of additive manufacturing, digital infrastructure and the development of a digital expertise database for shared knowledge are part of the strategy - and will bring global transparency to all production facilities of customers and partners alike. The Topic of sustainability will continue to play a central castor - for example through circular economy projects and the reduction of material consumption.
Gunnar HACK concludes: "The partnership with HB-Therm and its combination of expertise, technology transfer, digitalisation and strategic services paves the way for innovative and sustainable solutions in plastics processing for both companies - and therefore also for customers."
