The 32nd International Colloquium on Plastics Technology showed that the plastics industry has a lot to offer to meet the current challenges. On 28. and On February 29, 2024, the Institute for Plastics Processing (IKV) in Industry and the Skilled Crafts at RWTH Aachen University offered a lively forum for professional exchange.
© DF.FotografieAachen, March 2024 – Breaking through the hectic pace of everyday life, which is increasingly characterized by crisis reports, and pausing to reflect on points of view and recognize new perspectives is particularly necessary at the moment, said IKV Institute Director Prof. Dr.-Ing. The colloquium provided ample opportunity for this at various levels: during the presentation of the latest research results in the 15 lecture sessions, during guided tours of IKV’s pilot plants and laboratories, in the industry exhibition in the foyer of the Eurogress, during recruiting speed dating and, last but not least, during the breaks between the individual program items over a meal or a cup of coffee.
Future viability through new technologies and well-trained young talent
A lot of valuable food for thought came from the keynote speakers, who approached the future topics of the industry from different angles. VDI President Prof. Dr.-Ing. Lutz Eckstein made it clear how important the engineering profession is for Germany’s future viability. There is a consensus that technical innovations are important for Germany’s economy, prosperity and competitiveness. At the same time, despite their good training and what they do for society, engineers are not very present in the public consciousness. He encouraged people to get involved with self-confidence, to take people with them and get them excited about innovation, and not to rely solely on politics and the media. In order to achieve sustainability, facts must be clearly communicated and fictions must be recognised as such. This would strengthen trust in technology and progress.
IKV Institute Director Prof. Christian Hopmann showed how plastics technology can counteract the feared deindustrialisation with new developments, particularly in the areas of sustainability and digitalisation. Both topics are the focus of numerous research projects at IKV, which he gave an overview of. However, he also addressed society’s great skepticism towards new technologies and the concerns about the next generation of engineers, and explained what IKV is doing to secure the next generation of scientists.
Prof. Hopmann also introduced Prof. Dr.-Ing. Achim Grefenstein, who has been working for IKV in the newly created position of Scientific Director for Circular Economy since January 2024. Prof. Grefenstein is a graduate of IKV and has been a lecturer in compounding technology and recycling at RWTH and IKV since 1998 in addition to his work in industry. In future, he will divide his time between R&D management at Constantia Flexibles and his new role at IKV. IKV is thus underlining the importance of the topic of sustainability for its own research and creating another important link to industry.
The plenary lecture by Dr. Martin Bussmann (Neste SE) provided food for thought on the potential of plastics based on renewable raw materials. He provided a very clear overview of the topic, from the distinction between bio-based and biodegradable plastics to various sources and the commercial availability of bioplastics. He pointed out numerous different standards for degradability and application and revealed contradictions between expectations and possibilities. There are already useful applications and approaches for both bio-based and biodegradable plastics that are worth pursuing.
Dr. Alexander Kronimus, Managing Director and Head of Climate Protection and Circular Economy at PlasticsEurope Deutschland e. V., described the tasks facing the plastics industry in shaping a climate-neutral Europe in 2050. After analyzing the status quo in Europe, he came to the conclusion that the goal cannot be achieved by solely optimising the climate of the plastic system. What is needed instead is the integration of basic chemicals into the circular economy so that plastic waste not only serves as a source of raw materials for the plastics circular economy, but can also be used for the production of basic chemicals.
Current research at IKV and in the industry
The backbone of the 32nd colloquium was formed by a total of 15 lecture sessions, in which current IKV research results were related to topics from industrial research. The discussion rounds at the end of each session were used intensively to exchange ideas. In line with IKV’s objective of “research for practice”, they focused in particular on the perspectives and requirements of industry. In addition to the overarching role of sustainability and digitalisation, the focus was on new process technologies in injection moulding, extrusion and joining technology as well as simulations and models for materials and processes.
The session titles were:
- Process technology for the injection molding of lightweight components
- AI-driven methods to increase PCR utilization
- Advances in ultrasonic and laser welding
- New process control strategies for injection molding
- Multi-scale simulation of multiphase materials
- Material characterization and process monitoring for polyurethanes
- Product-specific process technology for injection molding
- Plasma-based barrier coating for sustainable packaging
- Structural health monitoring of hydrogen pressure storage tanks
- Assistance systems in injection molding
- Resource efficiency for elastomer applications
- Improving the prediction of the fatigue life of fiber-reinforced components
- Challenges in the processing of PCR
- Cost-efficient design of tape-reinforced high-volume components
- Intelligent moulds for design and process improvement in additive manufacturing
Experience laboratories and pilot plants live: IKV 360°
During IKV 360° on the afternoon of the first day of the conference, visitors had the opportunity to experience the topics presented in the 15 sessions in practice and also gain further insights into current research at IKV. On the tour through all the halls and laboratories of IKV, the scientific staff were available at around 80 stations to discuss their work with the guests and answer questions. Ongoing machines and processes from the fields of additive manufacturing, analysis and testing, digitalization, extrusion, fibre-reinforced plastics, joining technology, Industry 4.0, rubber technology, circular economy, lightweight construction, surface technology, plasma technology, polyurethane technology, product development, simulation, injection moulding, hydrogen technologies and materials technology clearly conveyed the range and practical relevance of IKV research.
Counteracting the shortage of young talent: recruiting speed dating
Bringing the plastics industry and young talents together was the aim of the already proven Recruiting Speed Dating. In short, concise talks, students and graduates were able to make contact with potential employers and find out about their future opportunities. At the same time, the 20 or so participating companies were able to present themselves as employers, get to know their (future) applicants and find suitable candidates for internships, final theses and entry-level positions in the plastics industry. The feedback was consistently positive and both applicants and companies were more than satisfied with both the quality and quantity.
Establish and maintain contacts: Industry exhibition
Throughout the colloquium, visitors had the opportunity to cultivate professional networks and engage in intensive discussions with experts, decision-makers and business partners at the 400 square meter industry exhibition. Among the 40 or so exhibitors, the entire value chain of the plastics industry was represented, from machine and plant manufacturers, processors and raw material suppliers to manufacturers of analysis and testing technology and consulting companies. Many of the exhibitors have been there for years – but as every year, IKV was also able to attract many new exhibitors. The two start-ups that emerged from IKV, IonKraft and OSPHIM, each had their own stand and attracted particular interest. The opening of the exhibition on the evening before the colloquium was well attended. Numerous participants took the opportunity to get in the mood for the coming days over currywurst, sandwiches and cold drinks, to make initial contacts and to start talking to the young researchers at IKV.
Next colloquium
The 33rd International Colloquium on Plastics Technology of the Institute of Plastics Processing (IKV) in Industry and the Skilled Crafts at RWTH Aachen University will take place on 4. and March 5, 2026 in Aachen.
www.ikv-kolloquium.de
www.ikv-aachen.de/industrieausstellung
www.ikv-symposium.com
www.ikv-aachen.de
About the IKV
The Institute of Plastics Processing (IKV) in Industry and the Skilled Crafts at RWTH Aachen University is Europe’s leading research and training institute in the field of plastics technology. More than 300 employees here answer questions relating to the processing, materials technology and component design of plastics and rubbers. The close links with industry and science as well as the excellent facilities at IKV enable students to receive a practical and comprehensive education. Aachen’s plastics scientists are therefore sought-after specialists in the industry. Around 50 percent of German plastics engineers with a university degree were trained at IKV. The institute is supported by a non-profit sponsoring association, to which around 300 companies from the plastics industry worldwide now belong. Christian Hopmann is the director of the institute and managing director of the association. He also holds the Chair of Plastics Processing at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at RWTH Aachen University.