Arburg reopens energy-efficient, expanded technology centre in Germany

German injection moulding machinery firm Arburg’s Technology Centre (ATC) in Rednitzhembach has been extensively renovated, modernised and significantly enlarged since the autumn of 2022.

The extensive renovation and expansion work includes an extension of the showroom and doubling the total floor space to 1,600 sq m.

The expanded showroom now offers space for nine Allrounder injection moulding machines with clamping forces ranging from 350 to 3,200 kN. These are used for sampling and training purposes and include one vertical machine and two multi-component Allrounders. The entire robotic portfolio is also covered, including integral pickers, linear Multilift robotic systems and six-axis robots.

In terms of energy efficiency, the new building is around 25% better than required by the Energy Saving Ordinance. The photovoltaic system alone generates 65,000 kWh/year, which is equivalent to the annual consumption of around 20 four-person households. A battery storage system ensures that 100% of the electricity generated can be used in the ATC.

A geothermal system with a heat pump was installed to heat the building in winter and to cool it in summer. This system has 24 probes, each 64 m long. In addition, there are surface heating systems such as heating/cooling ceilings and concrete core temperature control. Furthermore, the waste heat generated by machines and in the IT room is utilised directly in heating mode and in cooling mode by storing it in the geothermal system. Thanks to the innovative technology for heating and cooling, buildings and machines can be supplied with CO2-neutral energy, says Arburg.

“The ATC Rednitzhembach has played an important role for our customers for 30 years and underlines the great importance of this German site for Arburg," emphasised Michael Hehl, Managing Partner of Arburg and Spokesman of the Management Board, in his speech at the reopening recently, welcoming the guests and the Arburg team on behalf of the shareholders and the entire Arburg organisation. "We are very proud of what has been created here in the three years of the conversion phase: a building for the future that combines aesthetics with functionality and environmental protection in an outstanding way”.

“Regardless of whether Arburg is developing or building products and processes – high-tech and innovation are always combined with resource conservation and sustainability," says Hehl.

The Rednitzhembach Sales and Service Centre in Middle Franconia has been a popular point of contact for customers and interested parties from southern and eastern Germany since 1995. Today, ten employees work at the ATC, supported by twelve service technicians.

During the three-year construction period, the team in Rednitzhembach continued to provide comprehensive support for its customers. Administrative work was carried out in a rented office building nearby. Technical application training courses were held on the customers' premises and were very well received. Two Allrounders were installed on a toolmaking partner's premises for sampling, trials and technical application presentations.

At the “Open Day”, guests were able to see the new premises for themselves. Innovative applications could be viewed “live”on all nine Allrounders – from the electric Allrounder 270 A, which produced cutlery from a compound of bioplastics and sunflower seed shells, to the two-component Allrounder More 2000 for the fully automated production of Frisbee discs in a hard-soft compound. There were also exciting specialist presentations on hot topics such as digitalisation, smart assistants and turnkey.

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