Which technical stimuli for the industry are you expecting this year from the K trade fair?

Ulrich Eberhardt is CEO at Motan Holding, Konstanz,
ulrich.eberhardt@motan.com

„The K trade fair offers stimuli with respect to your own business area and to the contiguous machinery construction. I am looking forward to the ‘Plastic Moves – the Future‘ special exhibition, which is about innovations and visions relating to the subject group of mobility. However, it should also address energy-efficient living, the medicine of tomorrow and the provision of water and food for a growing world population – challenging issues for us all.“

Bernd Tröger is the Head of Marketing at Sumitomo (SHI) Demag Plastics
Machinery, Schwaig
bernd.troeger@dpg.com

„I think control technology and the operation of machines and systems play an essential role. Moreover, integration and IT networking of the entire production solution into the production operation through to the suppliers are becoming more important in the medium term. It is all about production efficiency here as well as mastering increasingly complex production and generating optimum quality.“

Georg Tinschert is the Chief Executive at Wittmann Battenfeld, Kottingbrunn
georg.tinschert@wittmann-group.com

„I am expecting the combination of different process technologies to produce plastic parts with perfect surfaces, reduced component weights and low production costs as well as increased production efficiency as a result of optimally tuned machine, tool and peripheral technology in integrated production cells.

Horst-Werner Bremmer is the Head of Sales and Application Technology at Günther Heißkanal, Frankenberg-Eder
bremmer@guenther-heisskanal.de

„In automation by means of electrical drives on injection moulding machines and peripheral devices, there will be ideas and suggestions that will have a very strong impact both on the processes and on the capabilities in the production businesses of the plastics industry in future.“

Thomas Breiden is the Head of Marketing at Dr. Boy, Neustadt-Fernthal
th.breiden@dr-boy.de

„The energy classification as per Euro measure 60.1 and the associated comparability of injection moulding machines mean that companies with ‘less good‘ classifications will have to do more technically. The more transparent efficiency and greater profitability therefore become a competitive advantage. The slogan ‘Industry 4.0‘ is also bound to feature at K 2013. With more efficient machines, profitable production even of low quantities is the motto here.“

Gerd Liebig is the Group Marketing Director of Engel Austria, Schwertberg, Austria
gerd.liebig@engel.at

„Process integration and automation are two important responses to the current and future challenges, which will be a common theme for the entire trade fair. At the same time, the continuous improvement in performance of the injection moulding machines and system solutions will be clear. Another trend is for efficiency to be considered even more holistically. For us, this also includes usability, i.e. user friendliness.“

Christian Stadler is the Product Manager of the Plastics Business Unit at S+S Separation and Sorting Technology, Schoenberg
christian.stadler@sesotec.com

„We are expecting many developments with respect to efficiency. The last 60 years have demonstrated what is possible with plastics. It now needs to be shown how efficiently these possibilities can be exploited.“

Herbert Kraibühler is the Technical
Director at Arburg, Loßburg
contact@arburg.com

„Technical developments are in the direction of greater flexibility in production in order to be able to produce high quality plastic parts profitably despite the altered market requirements – such as quick product changes and falling batch sizes.“

Dr. Karlheinz Bourdon is the Vice President of Technologies in the Injection Moulding Segment of the Krauss Maffei Group, Munich
pr@kraussmaffei.com

„There are some groups of topics that we are certain to find are displayed time and again on the trade fair stands of the machine manufacturers. For one, the topic of production efficiency. For us, production efficiency primarily means the further integration of process stages into the injection moulding process, so ready-to-install products can be produced in one stage. The subsequent work that is no longer required saves money and time and the product quality is improved. Other major stimuli this year will come from the issue of sustainability. On many trade fair stands, we will see initiatives all about improving the energy efficiency of injection moulding machines. This concerns the complete system technology although of course primarily drives and pumps. One essential aspect with regard to energy efficiency is consideration of the complete plant system, the efficiency of which can be affected positively through demand-optimised engineering and application-oriented design.“

Dr. Jörg Schottek CEO at Albis Plastic, Hamburg
info@albis.com

“The demand for solutions to handle complex application profiles is growing across all industries. The important thing is how we can go easy on resources while saving costs and energy. This is especially true in automotive and construction, which are calling for lightweight solutions and possibilities for reducing the number of components used: metal replacement via a suitable thermoplastic material is only one example. Cost-efficient manufacturing, such as the issues of energy and material efficiency, will take on a determining role at this year’s K trade fair.”

Gregor Hetzke Business Unit Manager Performance Polymers at Evonik Industries, Hanau-Wolfgang
Gregor.hetzke@evonik.com

“The combination of software-based image recognition and image processing with the possibility of rapid prototyping or rapid manufacturing is opening up brand-new possibilities, all the way to functional and replacement parts. Plastic materials here take on a key role across almost all areas of application. In addition, polymers made from renewable raw materials are starting to come out of their niche existence.”

Walter Sonntag Head of Marketing/Documentation at AZO, Osterburken
sw@azo.de

“We see a very clear trend towards plastics with a high additive content. In PVC, for instance, the trend is to add the calcium carbonate filler directly to the extruder. During the manufacturing of compounds the aim is to have a filler content of up to 85 percent calcium carbonate. Such compounds are not only more cost efficient, but they also possess excellent mechanical properties in and of themselves.”

Hartwig Meier Head of Product and Application Development SCP at Lanxess Deutschland, Cologne
lanxess-info@lanxess.com

“The topic of lightweight engineering is going to take on a central role at this year’s K trade show. Thermoplastic, fibre-reinforced plastics in particular have the potential of making lightweight components a reality that combine excellent mechanical strength with high impact strength.”

Franz Hinterecker CEO of Kraiburg TPE, Waldkraiburg Kraiburg TPE, Waldkraiburg
franz.hinterecker@kraiburg-tpe.com

“I think the technological inspiration can especially be found in the areas of increased specialisation and process improvement. I also expect answers to the topics of raw material supply and sustainability over the next ten years. And I’m hoping to receive a response as to whether there might be global shifts due to shortages in raw materials or price changes of certain polymers.”

Dr. Hans Ulrich Golz CEO of Netstal and President of the Injection Moulding Machinery segment at Krauss Maffei Group, Munich
pr@kraussmaffei.com

“The trend continues toward greater production and energy efficiencies. Not only initial investment cost, but also shortest possible cycle times, minimal material use, precise injection, fast retooling, and low energy consumption all decide on a system’s cost-efficiency. In the end, it is the per-unit cost that counts.“