11/26/2025

ENGEL uses 14 Thermo-5 temperature control units at its duo 5500 combi M technical centre in St. Valentin.

ENGEL is represented worldwide with 11 technology centres and 22 training centres. These centres enable customers to benefit from ENGEL technologies and experience their advantages. This is achieved through a modern and broad-based machine portfolio and professional support from application engineers directly at the machine.

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Temperature control of the large-scale plant about HB-Therm 

For large plastic components, homogeneous temperature distribution is essential to prevent warping and achieve consistently high parts quality. The duo 5500 combi M required high flow rates and high temperatures, as well as long service life for the units. As part of the project, ENGEL therefore relied on state-of-the-art temperature control technology from HB-Therm: a total of 14 Thermo-5 size 4 temperature control units ensure precise energy supply and removal. Thanks to speed-controlled pumps and integration via OPC UA/Euromap 82.1 into the ENGEL CC300 control system, this system ensures demand-oriented, energy-efficient and process-dependent temperature control. The corresponding screen page includes monitoring of the flow temperature, alarm messages and the flow rate of the temperature control units. 
The 14 temperature control units were installed under the machine platform to save space, with high-quality steel-coated PTFE hoses ensuring minimal heat loss at 180 °C/20 bar. Thanks to the installation close to the mould under the platform, pipe lengths and thus pressure and heat losses are reduced to a minimum.

Technological diversity and new injection moulding possibilities

Until now, large plastic parts were often manufactured using alternative production processes outside of injection moulding. The availability of an injection moulding machine of this size in a technical centre now opens up completely new perspectives for parts and technology development as well as for sampling under real production conditions.
The following technologies are available to customers on the technical centre machine:

• clearmelt – flooding of visible parts with a PUR coating
• foammelt – foam injection moulding for lightweight construction and minimising warping
• organomelt – procedure with long glass fibre or tape reinforcement
• coinmelt – injection moulding
• optimelt – High-quality optical components made from transparent plastics
• combimelt – multi-colour injection moulding
• foilmelt – Back moulding of decorative/functional films

Johannes Kilian, Head of Process and Application Technology, explains: "The duo 5500 combi M gives customers, toolmakers and OEMs the opportunity to evaluate new technologies in previously unattainable dimensions."

Mechanical core components and shot weights 

Equipped with three injection units and screw diameters of 150 mm, 170 mm and 190 mm, the duo 5500 combi M covers a very wide range of shot weights from 1 to 40 kg. This means that both delicate interior parts and solid battery trays for electric vehicles can be produced. The clamping plate, measuring 3,500 x 3,500 mm, also allows the use of highly complex, multi-cavity moulds with a total weight of up to 150 tonnes.

Innovative temperature control technology 

The precise temperature control of large moulds is one of the biggest challenges in plastic injection moulding. That is why ENGEL relies on HB-Therm's temperature control technology in this case," says Martin Holzer, Product Manager smart machine and temperature control, summarising the project cooperation. Every HB-Therm temperature control unit works with speed-controlled pumps that automatically adjust their output according to the heat demand. Integration into the ENGEL CC300 machine control system via OPC UA allows temperature profiles to be stored directly in the machine control system, enabling seamless set/actual comparison in real time," says Holzer.

Digital networking and Industry 4.0 module 

• A unique feature of the duo 5500 combi M is its comprehensive digital equipment and comprehensive remote solutions, which enable flexible machine monitoring and efficient support: 
  e-connect.24 enables worldwide remote access to the control system. Technicians can perform diagnostics and fault finding from headquarters while the machine continues to produce. 
• e-connect Portal provides a clear dashboard view of all relevant machine data in real time: running times, reasons for downtime, energy consumption and quality parameters.

In addition, there are data science solutions, such as predictive maintenance, to prevent machine downtime, optimise maintenance intervals and reduce production losses: 

• iQ process observer benefits from AI to detect deviations in the injection process and issue specific recommendations for action – from adjusting the injection pressure to changing the temperature profiles. 
• part finder benefits from AI to automatically identify spare parts. It reduces the search effort and speeds up the maintenance process by suggesting the right components. 
• e-connect.monitor uses ultrasonic sensors to assess the wear and tear of the plasticising screw without dismantling it. Algorithms calculate the current condition of the technical components, enabling a forward-thinking maintenance schedule. 
• VirtMould, the digital twin, mirrors all machines, mould and process parameters in real time in a virtual environment, enabling virtual injection moulding processes, optimisations and training without downtime of the real system.

ENGEL–HB-Therm partnership 

ENGEL and HB-Therm have maintained a close and successful cooperation since 2019. The collaboration is based on partnership and exchange on an equal footing, shared quality standards and a clear focus on efficiency.  
The products for the complete systems offered by ENGEL as standard are the e-temp temperature control units, the intelligent e-flomo plus temperature control water distributor and the iQ flow control digital assistance system. Thanks to this intelligent temperature control solution, which is integrated into the CC300 machine control system, customers benefit from energy savings of up to 80%.
Johannes Kilian says: "The aim is to reduce waste and significantly increase energy efficiency. By integrating intelligent temperature control technology into the injection moulding machines, the end customer receives a turnkey solution from a single source." Technical exchange on an equal footing and joint service processes ensure fast reaction times and high product quality.
"Customers greatly appreciate the process consistency and energy savings they have achieved. 
They particularly like the fact that the system is easy to use and errors are avoided," says Kilian, giving a positive assessment of the cooperation.

Sustainability and energy efficiency 

ENGEL pursues a clear sustainability strategy that is firmly anchored in the company's principles. In addition to the Ecovadis Platinum award, the company has committed itself to the Science Based Targets Initiative to reduce its internal CO₂ emissions (Scope 1 and 2) by 50% and Scope 3 emissions by 42% by 2030. The aim is to achieve complete climate neutrality ("net zero") by 2050. 
The duo 5500 combi M contributes to this with its energy-efficient HB-Therm temperature control technology: thin-walled insulation of the pipes, placement of the units close to the moulds, pump-related speed control and minimised hydraulic losses ensure up to 20% lower energy consumption compared to conventional systems. At the same time, the homogeneous temperature distribution guarantees consistent parts quality even with extremely large size components.

Outlook and further development 

Series 6 housing sizes 61 and 62 have been in series production since July 2025. The units have already established themselves very well on the market on the part of HB-Therm, and customer demand is steadily increasing. Of course, the increase in efficiency is particularly well received," says Holzer.
Compared to the e-temp 5, the new e-temp 6 units are equipped with their own control system directly on the unit. This makes them stand-alone capable. This results in further advantages: thanks to their own display and integrated control system, the e-temp 6 units remain complete and operational even in the event of failures and are much easier to wait in the event of servicing. 
In future, extended MES interfaces are planned to seamlessly integrate production data into company-wide manufacturing management systems, as well as BDE/MDE recording direct at the machine. In the long term, ENGEL aims to expand its production presence in America and Asia in order to be able to offer customers worldwide tailor-made large-scale systems even more quickly. Together, the companies want to establish existing systems more broadly in the market and continuously drive forward digital integration. While ENGEL is considering production facilities in America, Europe and Asia, HB-Therm's manufacturing will remain exclusively in Switzerland – but ENGEL will strengthen its global presence all the more.