Polyurethane (PUR) flooding for finishing plastic surfaces is gaining importance in the plastics industry, in particular in automotive interior and exterior applications. In response, ENGEL has set up a dedicated clearmelt competence center to support customers in implementing complex PUR projects on a global scale. By consolidating more than two decades of in-house PUR know-how and coordinating closely with system partners, the company aims to provide structured support along the entire project chain, from the initial idea through to stable series production.
The ENGEL clearmelt process, in which a polyurethane layer is applied directly inside the injection mould, is positioning itself as an alternative to downstream coating of thermoplastic parts. According to the company, the integrated PUR flooding step enables surface properties that are not achievable with pure thermoplastics alone, such as high scratch resistance and a pronounced visual depth effect. At the same time, omitting separate coating steps can shorten the process chain, simplify logistics and reduce overall manufacturing costs. The new competence center is intended to help customers identify and realise this potential in series applications and to transfer projects into production with defined process stability.
From concept to series production with a single point of contact
At the clearmelt competence center, Engel positions itself as a system provider for complete production cells. The company specifies the injection moulding machine and matching peripherals and also assumes responsibility for communication and coordination with system partners in areas such as PUR dosing technology, tooling and raw materials. For the customer, this is intended to translate into a single point of contact for all technical and organisational questions related to the PUR flooding application.
ENGEL assigns a dedicated PUR expert to oversee each project, from the first concept discussion through to the start of series production. This role includes defining the technical scope, coordinating timelines and managing interfaces between machine technology, PUR systems, tools and automation. The company emphasises that this centralised project responsibility is designed to reduce complexity for the customer, accelerate decision-making and increase overall efficiency during development and industrialisation.
Interdisciplinary expert support and global technology network
The clearmelt competence center operates with an interdisciplinary team from development, application engineering and sales. Based on the customer’s 3D part data, the team performs a detailed analysis to determine the most suitable process layout. This includes the selection of machine size, clamping and injection configuration, PUR unit parameters, mould concept and any required automation steps. On this basis, ENGEL defines the configuration for technology trials and for the future production cell.
Practical trials are carried out at the competence center to evaluate process windows, cycle times and achievable surface qualities. These trials culminate in final sampling of the series part, which is intended to provide the basis for scaling into production. The end-to-end support is designed so that new clearmelt applications can be transferred into regular manufacturing quickly, with reproducible quality and with a clear understanding of the process limits.
The competence center is not limited to the technology locations in Schwertberg and St. Valentin in Austria. ENGEL integrates its global technology hubs in Asia and North America into the clearmelt offering, aiming to support customers close to their production locations. This global footprint is particularly relevant for automotive and other international industries that require harmonised surface concepts and processes across several plants and regions.
Integrated PUR technology and available machine portfolio
ENGEL fully integrates polyurethane technology into its injection moulding machine portfolio and embeds PUR-related functions into the CC300 control system. The unified control environment is intended to support process stability and intuitive operation, while also facilitating higher levels of automation. Customers thus work with a single control interface for both thermoplastic injection and PUR flooding steps.
To cover a broad range of applications and component sizes, the clearmelt competence center in St. Valentin provides duo two-platen injection moulding machines with clamping forces from 7,000 to 55,000 kN for trials and sampling. This spectrum allows feasibility studies and pre-series tests on parts of varying dimensions, from interior trim elements to larger structural or decorative components. Additional test capacities are available via cooperation partners, including toolmakers and raw material suppliers, which can contribute their own equipment and material expertise to joint development projects.
Image shows a green injection moulding machine with a light grey PUR dosing system for clearmelt in the foreground
Positioning as a system partner for demanding PUR applications
With the establishment of the clearmelt competence center, Engel underlines its ambition to act as a system partner for demanding PUR flooding projects. The offering combines integrated machine and control technology with project management, process engineering and access to a network of external partners. For processors, this is intended to provide planning reliability and a clear structure for the development and industrialisation of PUR-flooded components.
According to the company, the central benefit for customers is the availability of a single, technically competent partner who assumes responsibility for the overall solution, from the first concept ideas through to validated series production cells. In the context of increasing requirements on surface quality, scratch resistance and design freedom, particularly in the automotive sector, the clearmelt competence center is positioned as an instrument to accelerate implementation of PUR flooding technologies and reduce the risk associated with complex multi-technology projects.
