Engel acquires Trexel, maker of MuCell foaming technology

The injection molding machine maker sees growth potential in the technology, which makes parts lighter and uses less material.

Oct. 8, 2025

2 min read

Stefan Engleder, CEO of Engel, announced the company's acquisition of Trexel and its MuCell foaming technology at K 2025.

Engel announced at K 2025 that it is acquiring Trexel Inc., the developer of MuCell microcellular foaming technology for injection molding.

Trexel will maintain its independence within the company, with its own sales, service and R&D personnel, and will continue to serve customers regardless of machine brand.

Engel CTO Gerhard Dimmler said at a press conference Wednesday at K, “We believe in physical foaming and the benefits it brings. We have possibilities for scale that Trexel may not have had.

“Trexel has established a global footprint but has not been able to develop their footprint,” Dimmler said. “It is an important technology for us. We can develop global support and global supply chains.”

Engel has made advancements in both physical and chemical foaming, and the acquisition strengthens that role in physical foaming, the company said. Foamed products are a key to greater sustainability, as they are lighter and require less raw material.

“Trexel is a pioneer in physical foaming. We are convinced that this technology holds tremendous potential. With Engel in the background, Trexel can operate independently while benefiting from the global strength of our group,” Engel CEO Stefan Engleder said in a press release.

“Through this acquisition, we are accelerating the further integration of MuCell into the injection molding process. We also now have the ability to scale more easily — because we are convinced that foaming is a growth market,” Engleder said.

Going forward, Trexel, which has been headquartered in Wilmington, Mass., will operate as Trexel GmbH, headquartered in Austria. Levi Kishbaugh, who was named Trexel CEO in January 2023, will remain responsible for market and customer relations, and Johannes Kilian, who has worked for the Engel Group as its VP of process technologies and Inject 4.0, will join the management team. Sales and service sites in the U.S., Germany and China will remain unchanged.

Engleder declined to disclose terms of the acquisition.