ENGEL Unveils World's Largest Injection Moulding Machine: duo 12000 US for Large-Format Components

With the duo 12000 US, ENGEL is expanding the industrial production of large-format plastic components. The two-platen injection moulding machine enables the cost-effective production of complex structures in a single step, reduces assembly effort and improves the carbon footprint. It thus opens up new prospects for applications in mobility, infrastructure and industry.

With a clamping force of 110,000 kN, the duo 12000 US ranks among the most powerful injection moulding machines worldwide. It was developed for components with projected areas exceeding 2.5 m² and enables the production of large-area components in an integrated process.

Functional integration and a reduced number of components lower assembly costs and production costs. At the same time, new possibilities arise in lightweight construction, particularly for applications in e-mobility and infrastructure.

The machine allows the production of complex structures in a single manufacturing step. This brings several advantages:

• Reduced material usage
• Simplified production logistics
• Time and cost savings
• Improved carbon footprint over the product lifecycle

Two injection units operating in parallel, with screw diameters of up to 210 mm, enable shot volumes of up to 65,000 cm³ and uniform mould filling.

With a length of around 24 metres and a weight of 551 tonnes, the system is one of the largest industrial production systems in the plastics sector. Despite these dimensions, it remains space-saving thanks to its modular design.

Particularly noteworthy is the high precision: components can be manufactured with an accuracy in the range of a few hundredths of a millimetre. This opens up new possibilities in material design and functional integration.

In the automotive sector, gigamoulding is driving the development of new vehicle architectures. Applications such as battery housings or underbody structures benefit from:

• weight reduction
• higher structural rigidity
• reduced assembly complexity

New fields of application are also emerging in technical injection moulding, for example in logistics, water management or large-volume infrastructure components.

The duo 12000 US supports the replacement of traditional materials such as metal or concrete with plastic. This simplifies transport and installation and improves resource efficiency. At the same time, the technology contributes to the implementation of sustainability and the circular economy in industrial production.