From 1 January 2026, HB-Therm will appoint Arburg as the second distributor for its full product range in Spain. With a subsidiary in Arganda del Rey, south-east of Madrid, and another site in Montcada i Reixach (Barcelona), Arburg is to strengthen the market presence of the Swiss manufacturer of temperature control equipment in one of the key European markets. The cooperation will cover both the globally recognised Thermo-6 temperature control units and the new Flow-6 flowmeters and flow controllers, as well as digital solutions based on the Gate-6 interface server.
The expansion of distribution in Spain is a consequence of the long-standing cooperation between the two companies, developed in particular in Asian markets. Since 1 January 2024, Arburg has also represented HB-Therm in Portugal. In Asia, the Swiss company is present via Arburg in China and Hong Kong, as well as in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand. The new agreement is intended to strengthen the consistency of customer support for HB-Therm in Europe and facilitate the integration of temperature control systems with Arburg machine technology.
In addition to Thermo-6 units, the offering in Spain will include Flow-6 flowmeters and flow controllers. Thanks to the combination of Thermo-6 and the Gate-6 interface server, digitalisation of production processes is to become an integral part of users' daily work, in close alignment with the control and communication solutions offered by Arburg injection moulding machines. Both companies emphasise that standardisation of data exchange and the possibility of advanced monitoring and analysis of process parameters are of key importance.
Service and sales network as a pillar of cooperation
One of the main success factors of the partnership is Arburg's extensive sales and service network, on which HB-Therm can rely. Local presence enables fast service response, better adaptation of the offering to market specifics and direct contact with end users in the plastics processing sector.
Kurt Klopfenstein, Chief Sales Officer (CSO) at HB-Therm, highlights the importance of this cooperation for the company's market position: "This secures us an excellent market position, which we intend to expand further, particularly in the important European market of Spain." He also points to the convergence of the two companies' approaches: "Arburg and HB-Therm have long shared common values that make our cooperation especially efficient and partnership-driven. These include the highest quality standards, centralised production at a single location, and short regional supply chains."
Basing distribution on Arburg's existing service infrastructure in Spain is intended to facilitate integration of temperature control systems with injection moulding machines at customers' production facilities. For plastics processors, this means access to a single, coordinated technical support network for both machines and peripheral equipment.
Allrounder injection moulding machine equipped with HB-Therm Thermo-6 temperature control units.
Family-owned companies and integrated process solutions
HB-Therm and Arburg are family-owned companies that have significantly influenced the development of the plastics industry in recent years through their own technological solutions. A key common area is the integration of temperature control systems with injection moulding machines, implemented among others via the OPC UA communication standard. This enables extensive data exchange between Thermo-6 units and Arburg injection moulding machines and forms the basis for further digitalisation of processes and real-time monitoring.
The partnership has been deepened through the introduction of solutions tailored to specific customer requirements. Special versions of Thermo-6 units are now available as so-called A1 units. They can be distinguished by their specific housing colour and a screensaver featuring the Arburg logo. The temperature control units are also fully integrated into the arburgXworld digital platform, where users have access to all key information, including data from the digital twin of the device.
This approach is intended to allow customers to make better use of synergies in the production environment and to increase transparency of temperature control processes. Access to data via the digital platform facilitates performance analysis, maintenance planning and optimisation of operating parameters for both machines and peripheral equipment.
Thermo-6 and Flow-6 units with extended warranties
HB-Therm underlines the high quality standards of its temperature control solutions by offering a globally unique lifetime warranty. It covers the heater and flowmeter in Thermo-6 units, and the entire measuring section of the new Flow-6 flowmeters. In practice, this reduces the risk of downtime caused by failures of key components and is intended to provide additional security for users sensitive to process stability.
The portfolio includes, among others, larger Thermo-6 units designed for more demanding applications where high flow rates of the temperature control medium and significant heating capacities are required, typical of complex injection moulds or processes with high heat density.
The synergies resulting from combining HB-Therm temperature control devices with Arburg injection moulding machines are primarily addressed to plastics processing plants seeking consistent, integrated production systems. Shared quality standards, the possibility of advanced digital integration and the support of a single sales and service network are intended to create conditions for further development of both companies in the Spanish market.
According to HB-Therm, the new distribution agreement creates favourable conditions for joint market development. The presence of Arburg as a new distributor in Spain is expected to facilitate the implementation of integrated, digitally supported temperature control systems in production plants, which is in line with the broader trend of automation and digitalisation of processes in plastics processing.
The Thermo 6 temperature control units in size 62 expand the product portfolio for particularly demanding requirements. They enable flow rates of up to 140 L/min and heating capacities of up to 32 kW.
