en.Wedoany.com Reported - Chinese injection molding machine manufacturer Haitian International has established a strategic partnership with Germany's Hennecke to jointly develop integrated polyurethane (PUR) injection molding and in-mold coating (IMC) technology for the automotive and other industries. This collaboration aims to protect in-mold colors through a single-process PUR coating, eliminating the need for post-mold painting, in line with the global automotive industry's accelerating shift toward greener and higher-end manufacturing.

Haitian stated that combining Hennecke's expertise in PUR processing with Haitian's injection molding technology will strengthen Haitian's turnkey, paint-free PUR solutions. Founded in 1945, Hennecke has over 80 years of experience in high-pressure PUR metering and mixing technology, covering high-pressure mixing heads, precision metering pumps, and in-mold coating technologies.

Haitian noted that compared to traditional injection molding plus post-mold painting, the in-mold coating process offers higher efficiency, lower emissions, and more consistent quality. During an open house event at its newly established Global Applications Center in Ningbo, China, Haitian demonstrated an IMC application: overmolding PUR onto a PC/ABS substrate to mold and coat an automotive grille. Hennecke's pumps and metering systems are fully integrated into the injection molding machine's Keba controller. In North America, Haitian is represented by Absolute Haitian.

In 2025, Austrian injection molding machine manufacturer Engel announced a collaboration with Cannon to use the latter's PUR technology for PUR overmolding. Engel had previously worked with Hennecke on PUR projects.