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It took 22 trucks to move the MX 4000 injection molding machine from KraussMaffei headquarters in Munich to Bremgarten, Switzerland, where container manufacturer Georg Utz AG took delivery of the behemoth. With a clamping force of 40,000 kN, it is reportedly the largest injection molding machine on Swiss soil.

Installation and setup of the production cell, which includes a two-story automation system, took 12 weeks, said KraussMaffei. The MX 4000 replaces an older machine with a clamping force of 27,000 kN that guzzled energy and offered limited technical capabilities, said Utz, which manufactures stackable containers that meet sophisticated logistics requirements including in-mold labeled barcodes and integrated RFIDs. The MX 4000 is up to the challenge, said Utz, and also will enable increased production volume through the use of stack and multi-cavity molds.

Utz makes approximately 20 different products weighing up to 50 kilograms, including pallets, boxes, and paloxes. Polyolefins such as polypropylene or high-density polyethylene are typically used, but the containers can also be molded from ABS or technical plastics.

The containers currently contain 35% of recycled material, which is set to increase to 80% as part of the Utz group’s sustainability goals. KraussMaffei molding machines assist in this effort via APCplus. Based on the melt viscosity, APCplus adjusts the changeover point and holding pressure, balancing out batch fluctuations that result from different raw materials and percentage of recyclate.

Utz runs a total of 50 KraussMaffei injection molding machines, 22 of them in Switzerland. It also operates production sites in Germany, France, Poland, China, the United Kingdom, United States, and Mexico.