Arburg

Arburg is a privately owned German machine-manufacturing company best known for injection moulding equipment used to produce plastic components. Its main production and administration centre is in Lossburg in the Northern Black Forest, where the company developed from a family business into an international supplier of machinery, turnkey production systems, automation and process technology. The company is associated particularly with the Allrounder range, a family of injection moulding machines designed for a broad set of applications and configurations. Arburg’s equipment serves manufacturers in automotive, communications, consumer electronics, medical technology, domestic appliances and packaging. Its portfolio extends beyond conventional injection moulding. Depending on the machine and application, the company supports multi-component moulding, thermoset and elastomer processing, liquid silicone rubber, gas- and water-assisted injection moulding, foaming, insert overmoulding, powder injection moulding, clean-room production and other specialised processes. It also supplies robotic systems, peripheral equipment and integrated production cells intended to connect moulding machines with handling, inspection and material-management operations. The company’s machines include hydraulic, hybrid and electric technologies, with published clamping-force ranges extending from approximately 125 to 6,500 kilonewtons. This range allows Arburg to address both relatively small precision components and larger industrial parts. Its control and automation development has been an important part of the brand’s identity: the company introduced graphical machine interfaces early in its history, later developed the Selogica control system and subsequently presented Gestica as a newer control platform. Arburg also operates in industrial additive manufacturing through ARBURG Plastic Freeforming, marketed through the freeformer system. Rather than relying on conventional filament-based 3D printing, the system processes standard plastic granulates and deposits individual droplets to build components layer by layer. The platform broadened Arburg’s offering from moulding machinery into digital and additive production, while remaining connected to its expertise in plastics processing. Internationally, Arburg operates through wholly owned organisations at numerous locations and through trading partners in additional markets. Reference material describes a network of fully owned organisations in 25 countries and sales representation in more than 50 countries. In addition to Lossburg, German facilities include technology centres in Radevormwald and Rednitzhembach. The company has also expanded its production, customer-support and training infrastructure in Germany and abroad. Ownership remains associated with the Hehl and Keinath families rather than a publicly traded parent. The wider Hehl Group reported consolidated turnover of EUR 750 million in 2018; this figure relates to the group and should not be treated as a current standalone Arburg revenue figure. Arburg promotes resource efficiency and circular-economy principles through its arburgGreenworld programme, which addresses the use, processing and recovery of plastics. The brand is positioned as a high-end, engineering-led supplier whose differentiation rests on machine reliability, application expertise, integrated automation, process breadth and long-term customer support.

Arburg traces its origins to a Hehl family business established in 1923. The company initially developed as a manufacturing enterprise in Lossburg and later focused its industrial identity on plastics-processing machinery. A major turning point came in 1956, when Arburg began serial production of injection moulding machines. This shifted the business toward repeatable industrial equipment and created the foundation for the Allrounder brand that would become its principal product family. The company reached an early scale milestone in 1960 with the sale of its thousandth injection moulding machine. In 1961, Arburg patented the Allrounder principle. The concept allowed a machine to be configured for different working positions and moulding arrangements, helping the company present its equipment as flexible rather than tied to a single production geometry. Arburg followed this with the development and manufacture of a two-colour machine in 1962, reflecting the company’s interest in expanding the range of processes that could be handled by its equipment. Control technology became another recurring theme in Arburg’s development. The company produced an injection moulding machine with a graphical user interface in 1982 and introduced the Selogica control system in 1993. These developments supported the move from purely mechanical and hydraulic machine operation toward more integrated programming, monitoring and process management. Over time, controls became an important part of the customer experience and a means of coordinating machine functions with automation and production workflows. Arburg continued to enlarge its manufacturing base in Germany. In 2000, the inauguration of the Arburg II expansion added approximately 36,000 square metres of production space and brought the reported total to about 146,000 square metres. In 2006, the company extended the Allrounder range to machines with clamping forces of up to 5,000 kilonewtons. A new customer centre opened in 2009, strengthening the company’s ability to demonstrate equipment, processes and applications to customers and partners. Training has remained part of the company’s long-term operating model. In 2012, Arburg marked 60 years of training and reported that approximately 1,500 trainees had passed through its programme. The company’s technical education activities, customer demonstrations and application support have helped reinforce its reputation as a process specialist rather than simply a machine supplier. In 2013, Arburg entered a new adjacent field by presenting the freeformer, an industrial additive manufacturing system marketed as ARBURG Plastic Freeforming. The system uses plastic granulate and droplet-based deposition, allowing the company to apply its knowledge of polymer processing to an additive production method. The larger freeformer 300-3X was presented in 2018, broadening the system’s industrial scope. The 2015–2018 period also included several public recognitions. Senior partner Eugen Hehl was inducted into the Plastics Hall of Fame in 2015, while the freeformer and the Allrounder 1120 H received design and industry-related awards in subsequent years. In 2016, Arburg inaugurated another assembly hall at Lossburg, increasing the reported site area to roughly 165,000 square metres. The same year, the company presented the Allrounder 1120 H with a 6,500-kilonewton clamping force and the Gestica control system. Arburg’s international development has combined German production with local subsidiaries and distribution partners. Reference material describes wholly owned organisations in 25 countries and trading partners in more than 50 countries. Its machines are used across automotive, communications, consumer electronics, medical technology, appliances and packaging. The company has also developed specialised application technologies, including multi-component moulding, silicone processing, gas- and water-assisted moulding, foaming, insert overmoulding, powder injection moulding and clean-room solutions. Environmental and resource-efficiency issues have become more prominent through the arburgGreenworld programme. The initiative frames plastics processing within a circular-economy approach and addresses the sustainable use of resources. Arburg remains privately owned by the Hehl and Keinath families and continues to operate as a global supplier of injection moulding machinery, automation, peripherals and industrial additive manufacturing technology.

1. 2020New training centre inaugurated

   Arburg opened a new training centre in support of technical education and skills development.

   Source
2. 2018Freeformer 300-3X presented

   The company presented the larger freeformer 300-3X additive manufacturing system.

   Source
3. 2016Lossburg assembly expansion completed

   A new assembly hall expanded the reported Lossburg site to approximately 165,000 square metres.

   Source
4. 2016Allrounder 1120 H presented

   Arburg presented the Allrounder 1120 H with 6,500 kilonewtons of clamping force and the Gestica control system.

   Source
5. 2013Freeformer presented

   Arburg presented its freeformer industrial additive manufacturing system.

   Source
6. 2009New customer centre opened

   Arburg inaugurated a new customer centre for demonstrations, applications and customer support.

   Source
7. 2006Allrounder range reaches 5,000 kN

   Allrounder injection moulding machines became available with clamping forces up to 5,000 kilonewtons.

   Source
8. 2000Arburg II expansion inaugurated

   The Arburg II expansion added approximately 36,000 square metres of production space at Lossburg.

   Source
9. 1993Selogica control system introduced

   Arburg introduced the Selogica control system for its machinery.

   Source
10. 1982Graphical user interface introduced

    The company produced its first machine featuring a graphical user interface.

    Source
11. 1962First two-colour machine developed

    Arburg developed and produced its first two-colour injection moulding machine.

    Source
12. 1961Allrounder principle patented

    Arburg patented the flexible Allrounder machine principle.

    Source
13. 1960Thousandth machine sold

    The company sold its thousandth injection moulding machine.

    Source
14. 1956Serial injection moulding production begins

    Arburg began serial production of injection moulding machines.

    Source
15. 1923Hehl family business established

    The business that developed into Arburg was established as a Hehl family enterprise.

    Source

Premium, engineering-led supplier of injection moulding machinery, integrated automation and plastics-processing technology.

• AllrounderInjection moulding machines1961

  The Allrounder family is Arburg’s core injection moulding platform. It includes hydraulic, hybrid and electric machine configurations covering a wide range of clamping forces and production requirements. The Allrounder principle was patented in 1961 and is associated with flexible machine layouts and working positions. Machines in the range can be configured for standard moulding as well as specialised processes, automation and integrated production cells.

• Allrounder 1120 HLarge injection moulding machine2016

  The Allrounder 1120 H is a large injection moulding machine presented in 2016. Its reported clamping force reaches 6,500 kilonewtons. The machine was shown with a new design and the Gestica control system, representing Arburg’s effort to combine high-force moulding capability with a newer interface and control architecture.

• freeformerIndustrial additive manufacturing system2013

  The freeformer is Arburg’s industrial additive manufacturing system, marketed as ARBURG Plastic Freeforming. It processes plastic granulate and builds components by depositing individual material droplets in successive layers. The platform extends Arburg’s polymer-processing expertise beyond moulding and is intended for industrial production and development applications.

• freeformer 300-3XIndustrial additive manufacturing system2018

  The freeformer 300-3X is a larger member of the freeformer additive manufacturing family presented in 2018. It broadened the system’s capacity and industrial positioning while retaining the granulate-based, droplet-deposition approach used by ARBURG Plastic Freeforming.

• SelogicaMachine control system1993

  Selogica is an Arburg control system introduced in 1993. It forms part of the company’s long-standing effort to simplify programming and coordinate injection moulding machine functions, supporting repeatable production and integration with automated processes.

• GesticaMachine control system2016

  Gestica is a newer Arburg control system presented alongside the Allrounder 1120 H in 2016. It represents the company’s modern control and user-interface direction for injection moulding equipment.

• arburgGreenworld

  Global

  ArburgGreenworld is the company’s sustainability and circular-economy programme. It focuses on the responsible use of resources and the role of plastics processing in more circular production systems.

  Outcome. The programme provides a sustainability framework for Arburg’s machinery, application expertise and plastics-processing activities.

  Source

• 2018Expand the freeformer line with the 300-3XProduct launch

  Arburg had introduced its freeformer additive manufacturing platform in 2013.

  What changed. The company presented the larger freeformer 300-3X.

  Aftermath. The product broadened the capacity and industrial range of Arburg’s additive manufacturing offering.

  Source
• 2016Introduce the Gestica control system with the Allrounder 1120 HGeneration change

  Arburg was continuing to develop machine controls after earlier graphical-interface and Selogica milestones.

  What changed. The company presented the Allrounder 1120 H with a new design and Gestica control system.

  Aftermath. The presentation marked a new control direction for the company’s injection moulding equipment and accompanied a machine with 6,500 kilonewtons of clamping force.

  Source
• 2016Expand Lossburg assembly capacityStrategy

  Arburg continued to invest in its German manufacturing base while serving an expanding international market.

  What changed. The company inaugurated a new assembly hall at Lossburg.

  Aftermath. The reported Lossburg site area increased to approximately 165,000 square metres.

  Source
• 2013Enter industrial additive manufacturing with freeformerProduct launch

  Arburg had established expertise in plastics processing through injection moulding machinery and related automation.

  What changed. The company presented the freeformer, an industrial additive manufacturing system using plastic granulate and droplet-based deposition.

  Aftermath. The launch expanded Arburg’s portfolio into industrial 3D production while remaining connected to its polymer-processing capabilities.

  Source

• 2020Arburg opens a new training centre

  The company inaugurated a new training centre, continuing its long-running emphasis on technical education and workforce development.

  Other
  Source
• 2018Arburg expands the freeformer family with the freeformer 300-3X

  Arburg presented the larger freeformer 300-3X additive manufacturing system.

  Product launchProduct generation
  Source
• 2016Arburg presents the Allrounder 1120 H and Gestica control system

  The company presented a large Allrounder machine with a 6,500-kilonewton clamping force and introduced the Gestica control system in connection with the machine’s new design.

  Product launchProduct generation
  Source
• 2016Arburg expands its Lossburg production site

  A new assembly hall increased the company’s Lossburg site to approximately 165,000 square metres, according to the cited company history.

  Other
  Source
• 2013Arburg presents the freeformer additive manufacturing system

  Arburg introduced its freeformer platform, extending the company’s plastics-processing portfolio into industrial additive manufacturing.

  Product launch
  Source

1. Arburg
2. Arburg official website