Fakuma 2018 – Saxony-Anhalt presents efficient and varied plastics processing for both new and approved materials
At the joint stand for the federal state of Saxony-Anhalt, FO-38, medium-sized businesses will be presenting innovations and example applications from the field of industrial plastics processing. In addition to APK AG, dGw Gummiwerke AG and Exipnos GmbH, Polykum e.V., the Central Germany network of experts for the plastics sector, will also be present.
“Not only is the demand for plastics increasing; the aspirations regarding the quality of both the materials and the processing are as well. The businesses and our specialists from Polykum will be demonstrating cutting-edge solutions for high quality plastics processing. Whether it is injection moulding or extruding, thermal forming or 3D printing – the designers, mechanical engineers and manufacturers of technical components in Saxony-Anhalt can offer innovations along the entire value added chain,” explains Thomas Einsfelder, Managing Director of the Investment and Marketing Corporation Saxony-Anhalt, which organises the joint stand on behalf of the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Science and Digitalisation. Einsfelder: “As a location with several pilot and demonstration facilities, Saxony-Anhalt scores especially highly in terms of the rapid implementation of the latest scientific knowledge from the laboratory to the industrial scale.”
In an era of lightweight design and climate change, one of the biggest topics driving the world of plastics is material efficiency. At the joint stand for Saxony-Anhalt, APK AG will therefore be presenting solutions for innovative recycling. In a newcycling process, the company manufactures high quality regranulate from plastic film packaging. With the help of a multi-stage, solvent-based process, the company has succeeded in separating the substances so that polyethylene and polyamide, for example, can be obtained in an almost pure form. Under the names Mersalen and Mersamid, the plastics are now on the market.
The main focus of the Polykum presentation is on competencies in the field of bio-polymers, the growth of which has exceeded that of conventional plastics by a factor of three to five times for years. Bio-plastics are constantly conquering new fields of application – in the area of packaging as well as in the the toys-, furniture- and automotive industries.
One example of the components manufactured by dGw Gummiwerke AG are cable harness holders, which have to fulfil particular requirements concerning thermal and mechanical stability. They are used at Porsche, for example. The company has also played a key role in the safety-related optimisation of charging sockets for modern electric
cars. Another example of the multitude of components manufactured in Saxony-Anhalt are exceptionally low friction multi-component wheels for the summer training equipment used by skiers. “That development can be traced back to a contact we forged with a sports equipment manufacturer from Thuringia at last year’s FAKUMA”, explains Plant Manager Dr. Claus Gernert.
Together with local partners, Exipnos GmbH has developed numerous processes and materials that allow for the manufacturing of high-end plastics with new properties and processing steps that are both more efficient and precise. It is thanks to these innovations and on the basis of its expertise in the area of colour development that the recently established company has advanced and become a partner to both plastics processing businesses and automotive manufacturers. The company specializes, for example, in materials that are highly flowable during processing and are impact-resistant in the end product - in other words, have properties that are normally mutually exclusive.
Exhibitors at the joint stand of the federal state of Saxony-Anhalt, FO-38
More exhibitors from Saxony-Anhalt
- Aimess Products GmbH
- Relux Kunststofftechnik GmbH & Co. KG
- Völpker Spezialprodukte GmbH
- Domo Caproleuna GmbH
Comprehensive information on Saxony-Anhalt’s presentation at the Fakuma 2018: www.investieren-in-sachsen-anhalt.de/fakuma-2018
Background to FAKUMA
Fakuma in Friedrichshafen is the leading international trade fair for plastics processing, and is taking place this year for the 26th time. More than 40,000 trade visitors from 120 countries are expected to attend the event. Over 1,900 exhibitors from nearly 40 countries will be presenting an extensive range of processing machines and related peripheral equipment, raw materials and applications, automation solutions and C-technologies. The key topics will include injection moulding, extrusion technology, thermoforming and 3D printing.