Published by pultrx, the export trading company of Henan Zhongsheng. This is a buyer planning guide; the manufacturer confirms project specifications in writing.
Who builds pultrusion machines
Pultrusion machinery is a small, specialised market. A handful of builders in Europe and North America publish full specification tables; several Chinese builders publish catalogue ranges. Some profile producers also build machines, Strongwell, with its PULSTAR range, is one example. The table below uses each builder's own published figures as of November 2026. It is a reading aid, not a ranking: a catalogue number does not show what a machine achieves on your profile.
| Builder | Puller types | Published pull force | Published line speed | Notes from the builder |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pultrex, Manningtree, UK (KraussMaffei group) | Electro-pneumatic gripper pullers; caterpillar for lower forces | 3 to 20 t (3,000 to 20,000 kgf), Px250-3T to Px1000-20T | Maximum 5.0 m/min on the 3 t machine, falling to 2.0 m/min on the 20 t machine | 660 mm clamping length; 2 to 8 die heating zones standard, up to 24 optional; open bath or injection box; up to four profiles at once |
| Strongwell PULSTAR, Bristol, Virginia, US | Dual reciprocating hydraulic (R) or caterpillar (C) | R: 5.4 to 9.1 t continuous, 10.9 to 18.1 t tandem; C: 3.6 to 6.4 t | R: 0.025 to 3.05 m/min (1 to 120 in/min); C: up to 2.16 m/min | Envelope 203 × 152 mm to 1,016 × 203 mm; closed-loop speed control; pull-force trend display; flying saw; worldwide start-up service |
| Kent Pultrusion, Ohio, US | Servo-electric clamping and pulling (ServoPul); servo caterpillar (ServoCat) | Lab up to 10,000 lb (4.5 t); Pro 10,000 to 50,000 lb (4.5 to 22.7 t); XL above 50,000 lb | Not published as a range | Servo motors and ball screws replace hydraulics; remote access on many systems |
| Foller, Czech Republic | Servo-electric reciprocating (R series) | 4 to 24 t (R 40 to R 240) | 0.04 to 3 m/min on R 40; 0.04 to 1.5 m/min on R 160 and R 240 | Profile width 300 to 1,600 mm by model; Siemens or Schneider touch HMI; CE marking stated |
| Liberty Pultrusions, US | Reciprocating (Pulforce) | Pulforce 0804: 4 tons (8,000 lb); Pulforce 5012: 15 tons (30,000 lb), up to 25 tons (50,000 lb) | 0804: 3.05 m/min (120 in/min); 5012: 1.52 m/min (60 in/min) | 5012 window 50 × 12 in; three-zone heater control; encoder-triggered saw |
| Thomas Technik + Innovation, Germany | Radius pultrusion with a moving die | Not published | Not published | pullCUBE cell for straight and curved profiles; no catalogue table found |
| Nanjing Haoli, Jiangsu, China (quoted through pultrx) | Hydraulic reciprocating (HL YLJ), servo-hydraulic (HL SYLJ), caterpillar (HL LLJ) | Hydraulic 6 to 60 t; servo-hydraulic 20 to 40 t; caterpillar 3 to 10 t | Caterpillar 0.1 to 1 m/min; hydraulic and servo-hydraulic confirmed on the configuration sheet | Die heating 0 to 250 °C, ±1 °C; servo-hydraulic clamping space up to 1,200 × 500 mm |
Read pull force the same way for every builder
Strongwell lists reciprocating machines twice: continuous force, which is one puller, and tandem force, which is both pullers pulling together. On its EX range the tandem figure is twice the continuous one. Pultrex and Foller publish one pulling force per model, so ask any builder which of the two its number describes. Haoli states force in tons, and its pages give no conversion basis; pultrx keeps the manufacturer unit and asks for the figure in kN on the configuration sheet.
For caterpillar pullers, Strongwell notes that pull force is a function of speed. A 6 t track puller will not deliver 6 t at its top speed. Ask for the force available at your planned running speed, not the maximum.
Resin system changes the requirement. Martin Pultrusion Group told CompositesWorld in 2013 that its polyester machines ran at about 6 tons while the minimum it had run in polyurethane was 12 tons, and that polyurethane can need stiffer frames and more powerful hydraulics. Treat that as one builder's experience, and size a polyurethane line from a trial with your formulation.
Fields to request from every builder
These fields recur in the specification tables of the builders above. If a quotation leaves one out, ask for it in writing before you compare prices.
| Field | Why it matters | How builders publish it |
|---|---|---|
| Pull force, continuous and tandem, in kN | Sets the largest section, die length and resin system the machine can run | Pultrex 3 to 20 t; Strongwell continuous and tandem; Kent and Liberty in pounds; Haoli in tons |
| Force available at running speed | Caterpillar force drops as speed rises | Strongwell states it; most catalogues do not |
| Clamp force per puller and clamping length | Too little grip slips; too much marks or crushes thin walls | Pultrex 7,500 to 42,800 kgf at 6.5 bar, 660 mm; Haoli 20 to 30 t on servo-hydraulic |
| Pulling and cutting envelope, W × H | The die, puller pads and saw must all clear the section | Pultrex 250 × 125 to 1,000 × 350 mm; Strongwell up to 1,016 × 203 mm; Foller widths to 1,600 mm |
| Speed range, minimum and maximum | Start-up needs very slow pulling; maximum sets the output ceiling | Pultrex from 0.04 m/min; Foller 0.04 to 3 m/min |
| Number of cavities | Multi-cavity dies multiply output on small sections | Pultrex up to four profiles simultaneously |
| Die heating zones and controllers | Thick or long dies need more zones and independent control | Pultrex 2 to 8, up to 24 optional; Haoli 0 to 250 °C, ±1 °C |
| Drive type | Hydraulic, servo-hydraulic or servo-electric changes speed stability, noise, energy use and maintenance | Kent and Foller servo-electric; Haoli servo-hydraulic; Strongwell closed-loop electrohydraulic |
| Hand-over between pullers | A poorly synchronised hand-over leaves marks and pulls the profile back | Strongwell offers a reduced snap-back option; Kent says servo hand-off removes it |
| Controls and data | Pull-force trends and stored recipes are the first tools for finding a fault | Strongwell trend graphs; Kent remote access; Foller Siemens or Schneider HMI |
| Cut-off saw | Flying saws cut without stopping the line; length accuracy depends on the encoder | Strongwell flying saw with clamping; Liberty encoder-triggered saw |
| Utilities | Transformer size, air supply and cooling water affect the site budget | Pultrex 15 to 40 kVA and compressed air at 6.5 bar |
| Impregnation route | Open bath, or closed injection box with metering for polyurethane and fast epoxy | Pultrex offers either on every machine; KraussMaffei iPul runs up to 3 m/min |
| Conformity marking for your market | The EU requires machinery to meet EU safety law before it is placed on the market | Foller states CE marking; ask every builder who signs the declaration |
| Installation, start-up and training | Defines who is on your floor and for how long | Strongwell start-up service worldwide; Kent on-site service |
Importing into the EU? Read how the declaration and technical file work under the EU Machinery Regulation 2027
Features beyond a straight-profile line
Most quotations cover a reciprocating or caterpillar machine with an open resin bath. Builders now publish several options above that baseline. Decide early whether you need any of them, because each one changes the machine frame, the die and the acceptance trial.
| Option | What it does | Published by | Route through pultrx |
|---|---|---|---|
| Servo-electric pulling | Electric servo drives and ball screws instead of hydraulic cylinders | Kent Pultrusion, Foller | Not in the Haoli range; Haoli HL SYLJ uses servo-driven hydraulics |
| Closed injection box with metering | Meters two-component resin into a sealed chamber at the die entry | Pultrex / KraussMaffei iPul | Huafan YH-2700 polyurethane system, quoted under its own supplier scope |
| Multi-cavity pulling | Several profiles pulled side by side | Pultrex, up to four | Multi-cavity dies from the Henan Zhongsheng die shop, matched to the puller envelope |
| Pullwinding | Winds hoop or helical fiber onto the pulled core | Foller, in its CzechTrade export listing | Winding units from the Henan Zhongsheng equipment workshop |
| Radius (curved) pultrusion | Moves the die instead of the profile to make constant-radius parts | Thomas Technik + Innovation | Not offered |
| Process data and remote access | Logs force, speed and temperatures; allows remote diagnosis | Strongwell, Kent, Pultrex | Haoli HL SYLJ HMI and PLC; confirm logging and remote access in the configuration sheet |
Creels, injection, preheating, cut-off and monitoring around the machine are covered under pultrusion line tooling
How to compare a European or US machine with a Chinese one
We found no independent study that compares pultrusion machines by region on reliability, output or cost, so this guide does not make that claim. What the published material does show is a difference in what each builder documents. The European and US builders above publish full tables, service terms and reference numbers such as installed lines. Chinese catalogues, Haoli's included, publish force and heating data but leave speed, stroke and service terms to the quotation.
- Put every proposal on the comparison sheet above, in the same units.
- Ask each builder for the force and speed on your section and resin, not the catalogue maximum.
- Ask for one reference line running a similar profile that you can visit or call.
- Agree the factory acceptance trial: material, operating points, duration and sample checks.
- Name the warranty party, the start-up crew and the spare-parts list in the contract.
- For the EU, UK or another regulated market, name who issues the declaration of conformity.
A machine from any builder still needs a die, preform tooling and a trial on your material. Most of the risk on a first line sits in that combination, which is why pultrx quotes the machine, the die and the tooling together and runs the acceptance trial on the agreed profile.
Plan the acceptance trial with the pultrusion line FAT checklist
Sources and further reading
- KraussMaffei: Pultrex pultrusion machines brochure (Px250-3T to Px1000-20T table)
Pulling force, clamp force, clamping length, speed, heating zones, utilities, open bath or iBox
- Strongwell: PULSTAR pultrusion machinery brochure
EX series continuous and tandem pull force, speed, envelope, die length, flying saw, pull-force trending, worldwide start-up
- Kent Pultrusion: ServoPul and ServoCat machine series
Servo-electric pulling and clamping, force classes, remote access
- Foller: R series servo-electric pultrusion machines
4 to 24 t, speed ranges, profile width, HMI, CE marking
- Liberty Pultrusions: Pulforce machines
Pulforce 5012 and 0804 window, force and speed
- CompositesWorld: Thomas Technik + Innovation pullCUBE (JEC World 2020 preview)
Radius pultrusion cell for straight and curved profiles
- KraussMaffei / Pultrex: iPul profile line
Injection box line, haul-off up to 3 m/min
- CompositesWorld: Polyurethane pultrusion, next-gen equipment
Pull force builders quote for polyurethane compared with polyester (2013)
- Haoli: hydraulic, servo-hydraulic and caterpillar pultrusion machines
HL YLJ, HL SYLJ and HL LLJ configurations offered through pultrx
Questions buyers ask
- Which pultrusion machine manufacturers publish full specification tables?
- Among the builders reviewed in November 2026, Pultrex (KraussMaffei group), Strongwell PULSTAR, Foller and Liberty Pultrusions publish model tables with force and speed. Kent Pultrusion publishes force classes. Haoli publishes force, clamping and heating data, with speed confirmed on the configuration sheet. Thomas Technik + Innovation describes its radius pultrusion cell without a table.
- Is a servo-electric pultrusion machine better than a hydraulic one?
- Servo-electric builders such as Kent Pultrusion and Foller describe more precise force control and no hydraulic oil. Those are the builders' own statements. The choice depends on your section, force, speed and maintenance capability; ask for a trial on your profile with either drive.
- What pull force do I need?
- It depends on die length, section perimeter, fiber content, filler, resin and speed. Builders' standard ranges run from about 3 to 40 t. Send the drawing and material package and ask for the force at your running speed, with a margin agreed in the quotation.
- Does pultrx sell machines from the builders in this guide?
- No. pultrx quotes Haoli hydraulic, servo-hydraulic and caterpillar machines, with dies and line tooling from the Henan Zhongsheng factory and the Huafan polyurethane injection system. The other builders are listed so you can compare published specifications.
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