KraussMaffei sets new standards in ColorForm technology

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KraussMaffei sets new standards in ColorForm technology

August 26, 2026

RubberWorld

Parsdorf, Germany – KraussMaffei is consistently advancing the development of ColorForm technology and is presenting two innovations for the in-mold coating of thermoplastic components. With a newly developed multi-color mixing head, color changes can now be carried out fully automatically and directly within the production process. At the same time, together with its long-standing development partner Siegfried Hofmann GmbH, the company has succeeded in reducing the polyurethane coating thickness to just 0.1 millimeters. Both developments increase the cost-effectiveness and flexibility of the ColorForm process and open up new fields of application for high-quality visible surfaces.

KraussMaffei is presenting a new mixing head technology for the flexible ColorForm series production of colored components. Multiple colors are available at the mixing head simultaneously and can be selected automatically during the production process without replacing color nozzles, changing color modules, or removing the mixing head.

“With the new mixing head, we enable fully automatic color changes directly during the ongoing production process. This provides maximum flexibility, shortens setup times, and makes the production of variants significantly more cost-effective,” says René Dierkes, Head of Global Multi-Technology Projects at KraussMaffei.

Until now, a color change in ColorForm applications has required manual intervention at the mixing head. Color nozzles, color units, or color modules have to be changed. Although the process is already carried out at high speed, it still requires an interruption of the production process.

The new technology eliminates this step. All required colors remain permanently connected to the mixing head. The system automatically selects the desired color while the other materials continue to circulate in the loop. The color change takes place directly within the process, quickly, reliably, and without mechanical retooling.

KraussMaffei and Siegfried Hofmann GmbH have reached another milestone in reducing the PU layer thickness. The two companies have been jointly advancing ColorForm technology since 2008. They have now succeeded in coating thermoplastic components directly in the injection mold with a polyurethane layer of only 0.1 millimeters. While ColorForm has previously produced high-quality, scratch-resistant surfaces with layer thicknesses of up to 0.5 millimeters, the new development enables significantly more resource-efficient production while maintaining the same high surface quality.

“By reducing the PU layer thickness from 0.5 to less than 0.1 millimeters, we are achieving a major technological leap. The resulting material savings of up to 80 percent significantly reduce the material costs for each individual component,” says Andreas Bierbaumer, Technology Manager at KraussMaffei.

The reduction of the PU layer

*Source: Rubber World. For reference only.