issue 05/2025

issue 04/2025

issue 03/2025

Contact

Journal

Media Data

Subscriptions

Subscription

Subscription Cancellation

My Login

Imprint

Terms & Conditions

Terms and Conditions

Privacy Policy

Mobility

Packaging

Medical

Electrical/Electronics

Plastics Recycling

Lightweight Construction

Applications

Thermoplastics

Standard Thermoplastics

Engineering Plastics

High-Performance Plastics

Elastomers

Thermosets

Additives/Masterbatches

Bioplastics

Composites

Materials

Injection Molding

Extrusion

Additive Manufacturing

Further Processing Methods

Compounding

Composite Processing

Peripheral Equipment

Simulation

Processing

Research & Development

Dissertations

Patents

Journal of Plastics Technology

Italy

Switzerland

China

Türkiye

Country Specials

NPE 2024

Career at HANSER

HANSER Fachbuch

HANSER eLibrary

HANSER eSolutions

HANSER eCampus

HANSER Corporate

HANSER Literaturverlage

Publisher offers

Kunststoffe

FORM+Werkzeug

HANSER automotive

QZ Qualität und Zuverlässigkeit

WB Werkstatt + Betrieb

More Technical Portals

Online Archive

Newsletter

Publisher

Zu Kunststoffe wechseln

Service Menu

linkedin

News

Products

Partners & Associations

Organ

Business Directory

Galleries

Gallery

Whitepaper

Plastics Discovery Tour

Fakuma

Pollmann is the first automotive supplier in Europe to purchase an Allrounder Cube injection molding machine. Cube mold technology and machine design enable enormous output.

The Allrounder Cube and the 4 × 16-cavity cube mold can produce 16 million parts per year. 

16:9

Spritzgießwerkzeuge

Spritzgießmaschinen

KFZ-Zulieferer

Firing on All Four Cylinders

The demands placed on electric car batteries are high. In one project, function-integrating, lightweight solutions for the components were developed.

The battery reference system in a Mercedes-Benz EQS platform design.

Antriebsbatterien

Elektromobilität

Kunststoff Werkstoffe

Flammschutzmittel

Faserverbundwerkstoffe

Designing the Car Battery of Tomorrow

Because batteries used to be a far cry from today’s high-tech cells, more reliable energy sources were needed, such as this dynamo-powered flashlight.

Dynamo flashlight made by the Schmidt brothers in 1940.

Batterien

Duroplastische Werkstoffe

Duroplaste

Light against Demons

Vague political course-setting and contradictory customer requirements: How Wirthwein is shaping the road to sustainability despite the many hurdles.

The 6.8 kg plastic  cable ducts replace concrete elements weighing 160 kg.

Spritzgießen

Doriat, Clemens, Dr.

Wirtschaft

Energieeffizienz

Medizinprodukte

Kreislaufwirtschaft

The Trouble with Sustainability

The Vollmann Group manufactures the safety-relevant kinematic levers for seat adjustment in the passenger compartment by overmolding metal inserts. Arburg acted as system supplier for the plant with three robots and a preheating and cooling station

Three robots work closely together to sort and insert the metal inserts and to remove the overmolded levers and stack them in SLCs.

Handling, Handhabungstechnik

Linearroboter für die Kunststoffverarbeitung

Automatisierungstechnik

Multiaxialroboter für die Kunststoffverarbeitung

Hybrid-Spritzgießen (Metall / Kunststoff)

Turning the Lever

Joining technology – interview with Plastics Insights, Professor Andreas Gross, Head of Training and Technology Transfer at Fraunhofer IFAM, and Anne-Laureen Lauven, Head of Marketing at Plasmatreat GmbH.

PlasmaPlus technology solves adhesion problems, for example, by applying a PT-Bond plasma polymer layer to plastics that are difficult to bond. The bifunctional layer promotes adhesion both to the plastic and to the adhesive.

Plasmabehandlung

Nachhaltigkeit

Kunststoff-Recycling

Klebstoffe

“Even in the 21st Century Products Will Be Multi-Material Composites”

The Berlin start-up Inuru has developed a process that can be used to print OLED displays.

The Inuru founders Patrick Barkowski (left) and Marcin Ratajczak.

Elektronik-Fertigung

Gedruckte Elektronik

Elektronik

Start up

Ehrhardt, Melanie

Luminous Labels and Displays from the Printer

The SPE Automotive Awards were presented for the 22nd time in 2024. Our series highlights the award-winning components – part 3 of the series.

If you want to see the innovation of the cooling profile, you need technical help. The secret is hidden in micro-nano structures that ensure a secure and tight connection between aluminum and plastic. 

Streifinger, Florian

Technische Kunststoffe

Emerging Technologies and New Mobility

Reducing the cycle time increases productivity and reduces specific energy consumption. This can be reduced by using suitable compounds.

Polybutylenterephthalat

Compound

Polyamide

Steckverbinder

Material Modified, Cycle Time Reduced

In the second part of the series, we look at chassis components, structural components, electronic and optical parts, the winners of the sustainability award and of the two Innovation Awards.

The component not only looks good on  the outside, but also has an exciting interior. 

Functional Integration and Sustainability

With the duo 5500 combi M technology center machine, Engel offers the opportunity to implement a variety of injection molding technologies for large components.

32 m long, 13  m wide, 6.8 m high and weighing 545 t: The large Engel duo 5500 combi M machine with a clamping force of 55,000 kN has recently been installed at the Technology Center in St. Valentin, Austria, for customer trials.

Composite-Halbzeuge

Schaumspritzgießen

Mehrkomponenten-Spritzgießen

Folientechnik (IMD, IML, FIM, u.a.)

Spritzprägen

Verbundwerkstoffe / Werkstoffverbunde

Oberflächentechnik

Industrie 4.0 für die Kunststoffverarbeitung

Injection Molding Technologies  on a Mega Scale

Webasto relies on 80 percent sustainable materials, 40 percent weight savings and the use of solar energy for its new “EcoPeak” roof concept..

The new “EcoPeak” roof concept from the inside.

Webasto relies on 80 percent sustainable materials, 40 percent weight savings and the use of solar energy for its new “EcoPeak” roof concept.

Solar / PV

Kunststoffe, biobasiert

E-Fahrzeuge

Polycarbonat

„EcoPeak“ for Sustainable Mobility

Three processes for the functionalization of thermoplastic profiles.

In-situ pultrusion (left) is used to produce profiles (top right), which are then functionalized (bottom right). 

FRP profiles / lightweight construction / e-mobility for special vehicles with small series

Kunststoff-Profile

Automotive

Fügen / Verbinden

Modular Battery Kit for a Fire Engine

Sabic and The Lubrizol Corporation have developed compatible material solutions well suited for various applications in the consumer electronics and mobility industries.

Potential applications for these complementary materials include laptops, cell phone cases and other electronics devices where durability, drop protection and a non-slip surface are needed.

Thermoplaste

Soft-rigid Material Solutions for Consumer Electronics

Thermoplastics from Lehvoss prove maximum resilience in e-bike frames during Xtreme Tech expedition in North Africa.

Endurance test for thermoplastics: The Moroccan desert is not only popular among bicycle fans, it is also an excellent testing ground for plastics. 

Mobilität

Endurance Test in Front of a  Spectacular Landscape

Together with Innovenergy, Wittmann supports injection molders in using DC as a direct energy source to counteract high energy prices and unstable grids.

High energy prices as well as purchasing restrictions and unstable grids in some countries make it lucrative to be somewhat independent from the electricity market – especially since the use of renewable energy also contributes to the attainment of sustainability goals.

Photovoltaik und Solarthermie

Erneuerbare Energie

Smart Grid

Directly from the Sun into the  Injection Molding Machine

The trend towards smaller electric motors with higher speeds is increasing the demands on ball bearings. A special polyamide is ideal for the implementation.

Fig. 2. SKF hybrid ball bearings with ceramic balls: Hybrid bearings with ceramic rolling  elements are the most reliable and efficient variants for preventing electrical erosion caused by stray  currents.

Elektromotoren

Wälzlager

Lager

Strong Ball Bearing, Smaller Motors

5G devices place additional demands on the plastics used. Liquid crystal polymers offer themselves as an alternative to the polymers used.

Polymere, flüssigkristalline

Implement 5G Devices with Liquid Crystal Polymers

Advantage not only in terms of design: The injection-molded and subsequently decorated inserts make the rim aerodynamic with less noise when riding.