Stuttgart, 27.11.2024 – In the new conference and visitor centre, FSK Chairman of the Board Jörg Arntzen, Dow Anlagengesellschaft mbH, welcomed the 106 participants to the 23rd International Symposium on Foamed Plastics and Polyurethanes and thanked KraussMaffei Technologies GmbH for hosting the FSK ‘this year’. He emphasised the importance of the associations, especially in these times, and called for a lively exchange in order to achieve something together.
FSK General Meeting: Association faces challenges in a strong network
This had also become clear at the previous general meeting. The association’s review and outlook clearly emphasised the importance of appropriate networking and positioning. The active involvement in the specialist groups and the association as a whole, the cooperation with national and European associations, the continuous further development of the training and event programme, the processing and preparation of new topics and technologies for the members have already begun in the past year and will be further expanded in the coming year.
KraussMaffei Technologies GmbH: FSK member welcomed at new location
In his keynote speech, Dr Frank Szimmat, KraussMaffei Technologies GmbH, Managing Director, Executive Vice President Global Reaction Process Machinery, welcomed the participants. He stood in for the CEO of the KraussMaffei Group, Chi Zhang, who was unfortunately unavailable at short notice and reported that although the new site in Parsdorf is still being finalised, it is the right step towards a sustainable future. The modern facility is virtually energy-independent. He invited everyone to get to know the new, modern and sustainable KraussMaffei Technologies GmbH over the next two days, especially during the factory tour, and to take a look at the ColorForm machine.
He invited the participants to take part in KraussMaffei’s turtle project. The turtles on display showed the precision that is now possible when using recycled material, but they are also accompanied by a fundraising campaign. During the conference, participants were able to take a photo of themselves with a turtle, publish it on LinkedIn, tag KraussMaffei and thus contribute to the fundraising campaign for the protection of turtles.
Specialist presentations: Flooding technology, recycling, flame protection
The presentation by Peter Gießmann, KraussMaffei Technologies GmbH, introduced the process of the Colorform machine, which floods components with a PUR coating as a surface finish during the injection moulding process. This allows individual customer requirements to be met at the highest aesthetic and quality level. ‘The process is ultimately simple, but getting there required a high level of expertise,’ reports Peter Gießmann. The result not only impresses with its flawless design, but also with the cost and time savings.
Sebastian Thener, Votteler Lackfabrik GmbH & Co. KG, went on to describe how the machine is used. Driven by the highest demands on paints and colours, the company has now been able to successfully produce components, particularly for the automotive industry. The possibilities are unlimited and the interest in the quality is great, as was evident from the demonstration object. This is not surprising given the many advantages of in-mould coating, which saves numerous intermediate steps and the corresponding time and costs, and of course also scores points in terms of sustainability. The coating can be applied extremely thinly, but still fulfil the requirements for a shatterproof and damage-resistant surface.
Angelina Schöffel, Georg H. Luh Farben- und Chemikalien Großhandelsges. mbH, gave an introduction to the world of natural graphite and then expanded graphite in her presentation. ‘The old hat always encounters new developments,’ she reported on the need to consider each case individually. Acidity in particular plays an important role in the field of polyurethanes, as does the processing temperature, especially in slabstock foam, which is adjusted depending on the application. LUH consistently pursues the concept of sustainability and will continue to be able to convince in the future, especially with regard to substance considerations concerning flame retardants containing bromine or halogen.
Dr Mark Charles Staniford and Dr Daniel Freidank, BASF Polyurethanes GmbH, report on the daily demand that non-recyclable raw materials should be replaced with recyclable ones. It should not be forgotten, however, that only three per cent of automotive parts, for example, are recycled. Only a fundamental change in the way we deal with end-of-life products will therefore make a circular economy possible. It is crucial that the value of the potential is recognised. They impressively and vividly presented a new way of mechanically recycling polyurethane foam. The development was based on the end of product use. The aim was to manufacture the original product in such a way that it is suitable for recycling applications. This has been successfully achieved. Even after several repetitions of the recycling process, the quality standards of the product are always met.
Matthias Henning began by giving an overview of the ambitious goals and requirements of European waste legislation. He presented the recycling process for PE foams at General Industries Deutschland, from collection at the compactors to the diverse product range of granulates that are produced for customers from the source material. He reported on the challenges that still exist even in this established process, starting with the high and varied requirements of customers. He pointed out that only large quantities can be recycled economically.
‘The various recycling directives of the individual European countries are constantly on the rise and merciless enforcement is to be expected,’ reported Iwona Szelag from Abriso Jiffy. In this context, green washing and misleading advertising slogans should be criticised. It is therefore worth taking a closer look. The packaging products from Jiffy Abriso are convincing in this case, as the verifiable recycling rates are certified. Sustainability is practised, the recycling possibilities are significantly higher than for paper products and the performance of the plastic products is undisputed.
Future viability of foam plastics: High-calibre panel discussion
The explosive nature of the topic of sustainability was already evident in the Q&A sessions following the presentations and was closely linked to recycling. Following a brief round of introductions by Dr Lutz Eggers, Dr Freist Automotive Bielefeld GmbH, Dr Eva Emmrich-Smolzcyk, Evonik Operations GmbH, Dr Ronny Hanich-Spahn, Fraunhofer Institute for Chemical Technology (ICT) and Fabian Roemer from REMONDIS Recycling GmbH & Co. KG went straight into medias res. Both the experts and the audience agreed that Germany is still a pioneer when it comes to recycling and the corresponding technological developments. However, there is still a large discrepancy between demand and the willingness to bear additional costs for recycling products. In the meantime, a positive trend and willingness to bear the costs of recycling products has been noticeable, but this has faltered again in view of the current economic situation. Nevertheless, it is important to lay the foundations now in order to develop a business case by 2030.
It does not make sense and is not practical to recycle every complex product area, such as a car seat. Rather, it would be desirable to successfully recycle an easily manageable and large potential, such as old mattresses, and then later transfer the knowledge gained to new product groups. However, this would require politicians to set the right course. The now positive communication along the value chain, the cooperation between research and industry, must also be extended to politics and regulatory authorities. At this point, moderator Jörg Arntzen, Dow Anlagengesellschaft mbH, pointed out that associations play a central role in this and that they are constantly working to ensure that the needs of the industry are heard.
Evening event: networking and dialogue
The communicative part of the event was not neglected either. During the breaks and on the evening of the symposium, the participants had ample opportunity to pick up on the interesting specialist presentations and discussion topics and discuss them in greater depth. There was also plenty of opportunity to make interesting and helpful contacts.
Second day of the event: A wide range of specialist topics in the lecture series
After the opening of the second day of the event, Dr Ulrich Fehrenbacher, Rühl Puromer GmbH, and Dr Julius Rausch, Audi AG, reported on their joint project with numerous partners for sustainable, fibre-reinforced underbody protection for battery electric vehicles. The high requirements of high durability even under maximum force, low weight and construction height were realised in a sandwich construction with 100% bio-isocyanate and recycled polyol. The development result was convincing in every respect.
Thomas Rheidt, Hercutec Chemie GmbH, presented pentane as a blowing agent. ‘Looks like water, but doesn’t behave like water.’ With these words, he clearly illustrated in his presentation that production and use are not trivial. Pentanes are produced from fossil raw materials, and no other method is currently available, so substitution is not conceivable at the current state of knowledge. Only a Dutch approach to recycling, in which pentane is recovered, gives hope for a closed loop. However, the positive contribution made by pentane as a blowing agent for insulating materials, whose outstanding properties and associated CO2 savings are undisputed, remains remarkable.
‘Concentrate on the cost factors that you can influence,’ recommended Daniel Küthe, Purplan Group, in his presentation on a sensible maintenance strategy in the company. He explained how companies can first analyse and then optimise their maintenance in order to keep costs low in the future. This is based on an individual analysis according to damage and frequency classes. The risk matrix is used to map the observation and determine the need for action in terms of a maintenance strategy.
Wilhelm Rupertsberger, Fill Gesellschaft m.b.H., and Johannes Rosenberger, PARAT Technology GmbH + Co. KG, explained the process of physically welding PU particles, which is easier to handle than the reaction with polyurethane, together and equipped with an impressive illustrative object. The increasing demand for special forms of polyurethane and also for particle foams was the reason for relaunching the process, which is extremely energy-efficient without the use of steam. The technology, which is still at the prototype stage, promises many potential applications with its excellent recycling conditions, lightweight construction properties, insulation values and cost balance.
Dr Ivo Erler, Covestro Deutschland AG, reported on the promising application field of e-mobility. ‘The architecture of the battery is decisive for the requirements placed on the polyurethane foam,’ he explained the extensive property profile. Mechanical stability, acoustics, insulation, safety, reliability and structural integrity are essential prerequisites for successful use in various battery applications. Requirements that can be covered by the range of properties of polyurethane.
The difficulties that companies in the plastics industry encounter when it comes to operational fire protection and the corresponding insurance policies lie in the upstream assessment and categorisation into a high risk group. Stefan Peters and the entire Best Group team, who specialise in advising medium-sized companies in the plastics industry, are committed to providing solid insurance cover and individual solutions with maximum efficiency and the lowest possible outlay. In his presentation, he outlined the pivotal points for inspections by insurers and the obligations of companies.
Highlight factory tour KraussMaffei Technologies GmbH
The final highlight of the conference was the extensive factory tour of the KraussMaffei Technologies GmbH site in Parsdorf. Divided into three groups, all participants were able to experience the new production halls at close quarters and were given great insights and valuable information about the impressive technology, the modern equipment and the optimally planned and executed logistical production lines, which reflect KraussMaffei’s future-oriented approach. The 5,300 steps on the participants’ meters during the tour were not only a welcome change, but also an expression of the impressive size of the new production site.
Full-size images are available on request – I.Kramer@fsk-vsv.de.
Further information on the Fachverband Schaumkunststoffe und Polyurethane e.V. (FSK) and its events as well as the work of the specialist committees is available online at: www.fsk-vsv.de or by telephone: 0711 993 751- 0.
Opening of the 2024 conference: FSK Chairman of the Board Jörg Arntzen, Dow Anlagengesellschaft mbH
Dr. Frank Szimmat, Executive Vice President RPM, Managing Director, KraussMaffei Technologies GmbH, welcomes the 106 participants
Specialist presentations are very well received
Panel discussion on the future viability of foam plastics (from left to right): Moderator Jörg Arntzen, Dow Anlagengesellschaft mbH, panellists: Dr Lutz Eggers, Dr Freist Automotive Bielefeld GmbH, Fabian Roemer, REMONDIS Recycling GmbH & Co. KG Dr Eva Emmrich-Smolzcyk, Evonik Operations GmbH, Dr Ronny Hanich-Spahn, Fraunhofer Institute for Chemical Technology (ICT).
Participants at the Specialists Conference on Foamed Plastics and Polyurethanes