8,000 ton clamping force: Engel: Record-breaking machines from St. Valentine for America

Injection molding machine manufacturer Engel has set a new record with two injection molding machines delivered to the US. With a clamping force of 8,000 tons each, they are the largest machines ever built at the St. Valentine plant.

ST Lover. Both Engel machines were operated at Infiltrator Water Technologies (IWT) in Winchester, Kentucky. A subsidiary of Advanced Drainage Systems (ADS) manufactures water management products there.
Two Duo 130000/130000H/8200 combi US machines each equipped with two 85,000 cm³ injection units. Maximum shot weight is 122 kg. With a length of 29.3 m and a width of 6.4 m, the machines are huge, but the footprint is small in terms of clamping force and injection size. This is where the two-plate design of the larger Engel machines comes into its own.

Special challenge

Although the St. Valentine’s plant was used to build large engines, the two 8,000-ton engines presented a particular challenge. “I am honored to have worked on this project,” said Jim Moran, business development manager for Engel North America. “If only you could imagine everything that was needed to transport machinery from Austria to America. For example, slabs were transported on boats on the Danube,” Moran describes. He continues to explain: “Before delivery, each machine is fully assembled and tested at the ENGEL factory, then dismantled again for transport to the US.”

29 trucks

Intruder invested in building a new hall to accommodate the massive machinery. Machine parts were delivered in 29 truckloads from Austria. The first machine was installed in two months and the building, infrastructure and perimeter were completed simultaneously. This included a 135 ton overhead crane for moving the equipment in and out, which was also used to set up the machine. Engel received the order in November 2020. The first machine was delivered in February 2022. Now, a year later, a second same machine has been delivered.