KraussMaffei bundles all extrusion technologies under one roof
Canadian Plastics
Plastics ProcessesThe new extrusion R&D centre currently being built in Laatzen, Germany represents the company's largest investment program ever.
The new plant is being built in Laatzen near Hanover. Photo Credit: KraussMaffei Group
In what it calls the largest investment program in its history, German machinery maker KraussMaffei Group has merged its corporate extrusion operations at a single location – a new extrusion R&D centre currently being built at the company’s new site in Laatzen on the outskirts of Hanover.
“Against the background of [our] growth plans, bundling the extrusion activities at one location is the right strategic response to current and future challenges in our industry,” Volker Nilles, executive vice president for new machinery business at KraussMaffei, said in a May 10 news release.
The product portfolio offered by KraussMaffei covers almost all extrusion technologies and has done so for over 20 years – from the extrusion of pipes and profiles to sheet and flat film, rubber and foam extrusion up to compounding and recycling. “All these different technologies will be brought together at a single location,” the news release said.
The relocation into the new single location is scheduled for the second half of 2022. The plant will cover 10,000 square meters, KraussMaffei officials said, and up to 26 extrusion lines can be used for trials. “What’s new is that these lines will be installed in production scale – i.e. over the full length including the entire downstream equipment, e.g. cooling section, take-off system, winder and separating system,” the company said.
The new centre will offer opportunities to implement and test other, completely new ideas as well, the news release continued, and companies will be able to produce their own materials, even based on e.g. reclaimed materials, and test drive new processes and technologies. Experts in extrusion, digitalization, and Industry 4.0 will also be at the R&D centre to oversee trials, and new staff will be added to the pipe and profile expert team.
In addition, KraussMaffei is bundling its service capacities in the field of Digital Service & Solutions (DSS), which the company says will further enhance its customer service offering.
