Austrian plastics processing equipment manufacturer plasticpreneur has introduced the NOVA-60, a compact injection molding machine designed to integrate 3D printed tooling into product development workflows.
Sold under the company’s Polyverse Solutions brand, the desktop system uses a Universal Mould System that accepts 3D printed or machined aluminum mold inserts. This is intended to allow R&D teams to manufacture injection-molded prototypes and small batches in-house while testing product and mold designs before committing to conventional production tooling.
Deliveries of the NOVA-60 began in April 2026. According to plasticpreneur, systems are now operating in more than seven European countries, with customers including corporate R&D departments, medium-sized manufacturers, and 3D printer manufacturer Prusa Research.
Combining 3D printed molds with injection molding
Polyverse Solutions is targeting a stage of product development where 3D printed prototypes may no longer reproduce the material properties or manufacturing conditions of an eventual injection-molded component.
The NOVA-60 can use an additively manufactured insert as the mold tooling. Engineers can inject the intended polymer into the mold and evaluate a component produced through a molding process earlier in the development cycle.
Machined aluminum inserts can also be installed through the same Universal Mould System, allowing teams to change tooling approaches without replacing the complete molding platform.
NOVA-60 offers a maximum shot weight of 60 g and injection pressures of up to 200 bar. Pressure is generated manually using a handwheel connected to an integrated rack-and-pinion mechanism. Processing temperatures reach up to 350°C, with Polyverse Solutions stating that the machine can handle engineering-grade polymers and more demanding compounds.
Measuring 58 x 40 x 100 cm and weighing approximately 50 kg, the system is designed to operate alongside 3D printers and other desktop equipment in laboratories and R&D environments. An integrated extraction system combines activated carbon and HEPA filtration to capture volatile organic compounds and vapors generated during processing.
Building a wider plastics R&D platform
NOVA-60 forms part of a broader product development ecosystem planned by Polyverse Solutions.
Future additions are expected to include a laboratory granulator for returning processed material to the development workflow, a mold temperature-control unit, and modular Universal Moulds in additional sizes.
Polyverse Solutions’ longer-term objective is to cover the workflow from material preparation through molding and final validation within a compact R&D environment.
Parent company plasticpreneur is based in Klagenfurt am Wörthersee, Austria, and develops small-scale plastics processing and recycling machinery. According to the company, it has delivered more than 1,000 machines across over 110 countries during more than seven years of operation.
Polyverse Solutions was launched as a dedicated brand targeting R&D departments, laboratories and product designers seeking to bridge rapid prototyping and industrial manufacturing.
3D printing closes the gap with injection molding
Other additive manufacturing approaches have targeted the gap between rapid prototyping and injection-molded parts from different directions. In March 2025, Formlabs introduced Tough 1500 Resin V2, a photopolymer formulated to more closely match the toughness and durability of injection-molded polypropylene. The material offered ten times the fracture toughness and three times the Gardner impact strength of its predecessor, according to the company.
3D printed tooling provides another route by using additive manufacturing to produce the mold rather than the final component. In 2024, Axtra3D demonstrated ceramic-filled 3D printed mold inserts for injection molding PP, PE, TPE, TPU and ABS. The company said inserts could be produced within one day and withstand hundreds to thousands of injection cycles.
Technical specifications of th Nova-60
| Specification | NOVA-60 |
| Dimensions | 40 × 58 × 99 cm (L × W × H) |
| Weight | 50 kg |
| Power input | 200–240 V, 50–60 Hz |
| Total power | Max. 920 W |
| Heating element power | 900 W |
| Injector | Manually operated, piston driven |
| Injection pressure | Max. 200 bar |
| Shot volume | Max. 60 g |
| Plastic melting time | Approx. 7 minutes |
| Full cycles per hour | Max. 7 cycles with 60 g |
| Output | Approx. 0.5 kg/h |
| Mould connection | Quick-change system |
| Nozzle thread | Male G1″ |
| Plug types | Type F (EU), Type G (GBR), Type B (JPN) |
| Standards | CE, UKCA; DIN EN 60204-1; DIN EN 61439-1; DIN EN 61439-2; DIN EN ISO 12100 |
| List price | €6,990, excluding taxes, customs and shipping |
| Shipping weight | 60 kg including accessories kit |
| Shipping method | 1 half pallet |
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Featured image shows the NOVA-60 injection molding machine. Photo via Polyverse Solutions.
