When every gram counts in automotive and every cent in packaging, is it possible to make a part lighter from the inside? That is exactly what MuCell technology does: by working microscopic gas cells into the plastic, it produces the same part up to 20% lighter.
How Does the Technology Work?
In the MuCell process, nitrogen (N₂) is injected into the melt as a supercritical fluid (SCF) during plasticizing and dissolves in the melt. Four steps:
1. Nitrogen is delivered to the screw in a controlled amount via the dosing unit 2. The SCF forms a single-phase solution with the melt inside the screw 3. As the melt enters the mold during injection the pressure drops; the dissolved gas nucleates as millions of microcells 4. The cells grow, fill the part from the inside and pack it with their own pressure toward the mold
The result: a sandwich structure with a compact outer skin and a microcellular core.
More than Weight: Process Gains
What makes MuCell attractive is not only lightness but the fact that the gas pressure takes over the job of holding pressure:
- No sink marks: Thick sections are packed from the inside — the classic sink mark problem we described in our molding defects guide is physically eliminated
- Minimal warpage: Because there is no holding pressure, internal stresses and direction-dependent shrinkage differences largely disappear — a marked advantage for parts where flatness is critical
- Lower clamping force: Because the cavity pressure falls, the same part can be molded on a smaller-tonnage machine
- Shorter cycle: The holding phase is shortened or eliminated; a 10–30% gain in cycle time is typical
- Clean chemistry: Nitrogen is an inert gas — unlike chemical blowing agents it leaves no residue, and the part keeps its recyclability
Which Parts Is It Suitable For?
The best results are obtained with filled (glass fiber, mineral) technical plastics: PA, PP, PBT, PC/ABS... Typical applications are automotive interior/exterior structural parts, electronics housings, logistics crates and thick-section technical parts. On visible parts requiring a Class-A glossy surface, the surface texture needs additional measures (variable mold temperature, etc.). It works with almost all polymers except LCP.
Integration into an Existing Machine
MuCell can be installed without the need for a new machine. The components of the system:
- SCF dosing unit: T-Series Satellite — doses the nitrogen in a supercritical state according to the recipe
- Nitrogen booster: NC-250 (215 l/min) and NC-500 (500 l/min) — raise the line nitrogen to a working pressure of 300–330 bar
- Screw and barrel set with SCF injectors: Adapted to the existing machine
On the machine side there are two routes, OEM integration or conversion of an existing machine (MMU); in both, application support in Turkey is provided by Teknik Part.
When Do the Numbers Add Up?
The rule of thumb: if the part weight is high, the volume large and the raw material expensive, the payback is fast. Even a 10% weight reduction means tons of raw material in production of hundreds of thousands of parts a year; add to that the cycle gain and the ability to use a smaller machine.
For a MuCell suitability analysis and sample trial for your part, get in touch with us — as Trexel's representative in Turkey, we run the process from feasibility through to commissioning.