Sustainable solutions at K 2022
Sustainable Solutions at the K 2022
At the world’s leading trade fair for plastics and rubber in Düsseldorf in mid-October, Kurtz Protective Solutions presented its latest sustainable technologies, which contribute significantly to saving energy, water and CO2 in the plastics industry and thus decisively optimize processes.
After months of preparations, the Kurtz team went all out at the K trade fair to offer customers an impressive trade fair experience with exciting exhibits for a whole eight days under the motto “LIVING CIRCULAR FOAM”. The star in Hall 13 was the Kurtz WAVE LINE, which can be built up modularly depending on the application. To increase productivity, the machine has several tools in circulation at the same time. The heart of the WAVE LINE is the now triple award-winning radio frequency technology, which uses high-frequency electromagnetic waves to process not only standard materials, but also new materials and biomaterials. This makes it possible to produce new types of sustainable packaging. With RF technology, a higher proportion of recycled material can be reprocessed than ever before. In the EPS shape molding, for example, it is up to 100%. The steamless process with radio frequency (RF) can achieve high savings: up to 70% in CO2 emissions, up to 90% in energy consumption and up to 100% in water consumption. For small to medium-sized applications and product families, the WAVE LINE is the most efficient way of processing particle foam and the most promising in terms of climate protection. At K, the line produced mini floor pads from recycled expanded polystyrene (rEPS) three times a day during moderated live demonstrations.
Injection molding meets particle foam
The other two exhibits, Kurtz THERMO FOAMER and Kurtz Ersa Alpha 140, also attracted high visitor interest. With the THERMO SELECT process and the THERMO COATING/IMPFC process (IMPFC short for In-Mold Particle Foam Coating), Kurtz offers the automotive industry a novel lightweight solution. It produces closed, visually attractive molded parts without bead structure and with an injection molding-like surface. The shape moldings are solid, but nevertheless very light. When a car reaches the end of its life cycle, recyclability is guaranteed because the same raw material is used for both the particle foam layer and the injection-molded surface – in this case polypropylene.
The THERMO SELECT process works with variothermal mold temperature control and achieves significantly reduced water consumption with a closed cooling system without direct water cooling. The Kurtz THERMO FOAMER was well supported by the booth staff and always surrounded by customers. The robot runs of the demo unit with spraying equipment, which was supplied by colleagues from Kurtz Ersa Automation, went flawlessly.
Metallic 3D printing for tooling of plastics applications
The Kurtz Ersa Alpha 140 was of particular interest to tool manufacturers present at the K show. The 3D printer´s LPBF (laser-powder bed fusion) additive manufacturing process enables the production of mold inserts or molds for particle foam or injection molding applications. Near-contour and complex cooling channels can be integrated into the interior of the part, enabling optimizations such as reduced cycle times, increased productivity, and improved part quality. The metallic 3D printer was running in demo mode at the K trade show. The K fair logo had been printed at home and taken to the fair.
Participation in Circular Economy Forum
At this year´s K, Kurtz participated in the VDMA´s Circular Economy Forum with its own 100 m2 pavilion on the topic of “New Materials”. The second Kurtz trade fair presence on the outdoor area in front of Hall 16 with sample parts made of sustainable materials was also well frequented. In this area, more intensive attention was paid to the topic of circular economy and circularity in EPS, bioplastics as well as alternative packaging materials, such as packaging made from puffed corn. The pavilion appearance was completed by the strong support of staff from our partners Plant Pack (processor of puffed corn as packaging material) and Cerex (equipment manufacturer for the deflagration of corn granulate).
Positive review for the highlight event of Kurtz Protective Solutions
Managing Directors Uwe Rothaug and Matthias Hofmann look back on K 2022 with enthusiasm: “You can tell that the industry has recognized the need for a shift toward more sustainable production processes since the last K show, and we´re happy to meet that need with our climate-friendly technologies.” Stephan Gesuato, General Manager Protective Solutions, was also pleased with a successful trade show: “Our concept worked out and we received a lot of praise for our trade show presence. Our booth staff conducted intensive consultations and with our partners and international representatives we were perfectly positioned for the broad trade audience. We would like to thank all helping hands and look forward to the exciting project phase of customized inquiries.”
