Polyurethane Reaction Technology and Injection Molding Extrusion Collaborative Innovation, Leading a Sustainable Future

As the world's only supplier capable of providing a complete polymer processing chain solution, KraussMaffei has always led the industry's future through innovation. At the upcoming K 2025 exhibition, KraussMaffei will present two major innovative breakthroughs by deeply integrating advanced polyurethane processing technology with injection molding and extrusion techniques, respectively.ColorForm in-mold painting technology and purified glycoLine PU technology.

With increasingly stringent global environmental regulations for coating, the ColorForm polyurethane spray technology, which has been on the market for 15 years, is now facing unprecedented development opportunities. At the exhibition, KraussMaffei and its partner Leonhard Kurz will...Achieve efficient integration of ColorForm and film decoration systems through the innovative in-mold film thermoforming concept.The technology will be presented at the Leonhard Kurz booth (Hall 5 / A19), where you are welcome to experience the live demonstration of the KraussMaffei GXW 650 (with a rotary table) producing 720 mm long three-component automotive headlight parts.

KraussMaffei's ColorForm technology seamlessly integrates reactive molding equipment with injection molding technology, allowing thermoplastic components to be directly coated with polyurethane within the injection mold. This system supports high customization of color and texture, and features a self-healing surface, greatly expanding the possibilities for product design and functionality.

This technology enables high-precision coating control at a level of 0.1 millimeters.Offering a rich selection of special effect finishes and customizable tactile sensations, it meets diverse aesthetic and texture requirements. In addition to outstanding chemical resistance, ColorForm also features surface micro-scratch self-healing capability, significantly enhancing component durability. Its unique optical depth effect further endows products with a distinctive and captivating visual appeal.

The KraussMaffei dosing machine can achieve a maximum flow rate of 500 grams per second, efficiently meeting the production demands of large components.The integration of professional color matching units further ensures that automotive interior and exterior parts meet stringent design standards in terms of color and texture. Customers can obtain a complete turnkey solution ranging from injection molding machines and polyurethane metering systems to fully integrated automation, enabling reliable one-stop production.

Purification glycoLine PU technology constructs a sustainable cycle.Through an extruder in a continuous chemical process, polyurethane components from discarded refrigerators and other products are converted into polyols containing recycled content (rPolyol). This can serve as a starting material for new applications and can be processed in metering units without any adjustments.

Currently, the disposal of refrigerator insulation polyurethane largely relies on incineration for energy recovery (such as in cement production). However, with the tightening of global heat recovery policies, this traditional method faces severe challenges. KraussMaffei, in collaboration with BASF, Rampf (a sustainable regenerated polyol producer), and Remondis (a waste electrical appliance processor), is jointly promoting the industrial application of continuous chemical depolymerization recycling technology for polyurethane.

In the purification of glycoLine PU process,Using a co-rotating twin-screw extruder (ZE BluePower),It only takes a few minutes to process refrigerator polyurethane foam from the Remondis recycling plant.Even if the impurity content is as high as 30%.(including other plastic and metal residues) It can still operate stably.

Through the ethylene glycol depolymerization process optimized by RAMPF, polyurethane recyclates are thoroughly mixed with depolymerizing agents and additives in an extruder. KraussMaffei Innovation Center has further optimized the polyol filtration process through extensive testing to meet high market standards. The recovered polyols obtained can be used as raw materials for BASF’s innovative polyurethane systems, enabling the production of high-quality rigid foam containing recycled components.

This technology not only significantly increases the recycling rate of materials, but also has achieved commercial viability, providing a truly feasible industrial path for the polyurethane circular economy.

The brand new RimStar metering machine empowers operational innovation through digitalization.Its user-friendly interface significantly lowers the threshold for use and lays a solid foundation for achieving autonomous operation in the future.

At the K show, you will witness a complete live demonstration of beverage insulation foam materials processed using polyurethane systems containing recycled components. The KraussMaffei reaction molding technology team will also showcase the RimStar series metering machines equipped with multiple new features, which have been fully digitally upgraded and are well prepared for autonomous operation.

By integrating digital analysis tools such as dataXplorer, the system can automatically collect and evaluate all critical process parameters.Based on these deep data analyses, future production systems will achieve automatic adjustment of process parameters and gradually realize unmanned operations in specific processes, continuously advancing intelligent manufacturing.