One year to go until K 2025: trends that move the industry
08.10.2024
In a year's time, it will be that time again: K 2025 will open its doors and bring the global plastics and rubber industry together in Düsseldorf. From October 8 to 15, 2025, K will once again be the place where innovations are presented, new trends are discussed, and contacts are forged. The industry is already looking ahead to what will be on the agenda in October 2025.
Making Blister Packaging More Sustainable
21.08.2024
During the last allergy season, they may have ended up in your garbage once again: Blister packs. And you may have noticed how few tablets there are in a comparatively large pack. Not particularly sustainable, is it? That's what Olivia Falconnier Williams thought, too, and she set about researching how the packaging could be made more resource-efficient.
PET Youth Camp for Sustainable Plastic Management
12.08.2024
Indorama Ventures, a global leader in sustainable chemical production, has partnered with the Bangkok Metropolitan Administration (BMA) and its Department of Education to host the "PET Youth Camp for Sustainable Plastic Management." This initiative aims to educate and empower young leaders from BMA schools in effective plastic waste management, with a focus on PET recycling.
Skills shortage in the plastics industry
24.07.2024
The shortage of skilled labour poses considerable challenges for the plastics industry. In an interview with K-Mag, Sven Weihe from the German Plastics Processing Industry Association (in German: Gesamtverband Kunststoffverarbeitende Industrie e.V. - GKV) explains the main causes of the shortage of qualified specialists and what measures the association is taking to counteract this.
ARBURG trainees get Günter Schwank Award 2023
19.01.2024
Two former ARBURG trainees, Frank Kössig and Dennis Sagel, have been awarded the Günter Schwank Award 2023, which is presented by pro-K for outstanding achievements in the plastics processing industry. The two received certificates, 1,000 euros in prize money and are now members of the "Club of the Best", where they receive regular invitations to network meetings.
Working in the plastics industry
19.12.2023
The plastics industry offers a wide range of career paths in various disciplines. Each has its own focus and gives the opportunity to promote sustainability in the industry.
Educate, empower, inspire: Zukunftsmobil imparts plastics knowledge to young people
29.11.2023
Plastics are a valuable resource that can contribute to climate protection. Pöppelmann's Zukunftsmobil ("Future Mobile") educates schools, for example, about precisely this. With interactive workshops, it combines knowledge transfer about plastics with practical learning and shows children and young people the diverse possibilities and potential of plastics recycling and the Circular Economy.
Borealis supports ZOOM Children's Museum in promoting playful learning in new interactive exhibition "WELCOME TO THE FUTURE!"
10.11.2023
The company Borealis is supporting the ZOOM Children's Museum in promoting learning through play in the new interactive exhibition "WELCOME TO THE FUTURE!" The new hands-on exhibition can be visited from October 4, 2023 and is designed to inspire enthusiasm for science and chemistry.
Academic training and further education in Mexico
05.09.2023
ARBURG and Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey (Tec de Monterrey) have jointly launched a four-month academic training course in Mexico for the plastics industry, with the aim of producing skilled professionals. The course began with 16 participants and a commitment from ARBURG to support industry growth and development in the country.
With the power of the sun to the mobility of the future
20.07.2023
Team "Sonnenwagen" presented the new Covestro Adelie solar racing vehicle in front of a large crowd and high public attention at the Eurogress Aachen. Covestro supports the team as a main sponsor and provides innovative material solutions as well as technical exchange to optimize the vehicle for participation in the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge.
KraussMaffei: The Champions League of apprenticeships
16.06.2023
Boundaries are only in your head - with this motto, Thomas Deser took over as Teamlead Apprenticeship at KraussMaffei at the beginning of March. In this interview, the 51-year-old talks about his first successes in his new job, his goals and why TikTok and Instagram have become indispensable in the department of apprenticeships.
The future of plastics: JKU Linz trains the plastics engineers of tomorrow
01.03.2023
Plastics must be newly thought and designed - that is the credo at the Johannes Kepler University in Linz. From autumn 2023, courses on plastics technology will be offered here. Plastics don't just play a supporting role there, they are the star of the show. Because they are a key factor for both the present and the future.
Digitization, automation, networking: "We have the whole wide bandwidth!"
09.08.2022
Twenty-year-old Yannick Herzog trained as an electronics technician for automation technology at Arburg and now works in the company's printed circuit board production. Since August 2021, he has been responsible for SPI and AOI for quality control of printed and assembled PCBs, respectively, in a production line. These are used in the control systems of the Arburg machines.
Training in the plastics industry: technical college and companies get trainees fit for the job
06.05.2022
At 16, did you already know where you wanted to go on your professional journey? With the range of choices available to young people today, it can be difficult to make a decision at first glance. That's why it's beneficial to be taken by the hand and introduced to different professions. Wentus GmbH from Höxter sets a good example.
School meets business: getting young people excited about the plastics industry
19.04.2022
At 16, did you already know where you wanted to go on your professional journey? With the range of choices available to young people today, it can be difficult to make a decision at first glance. That's why it's beneficial to be taken by the hand and introduced to different professions. Wentus GmbH from Höxter sets a good example.
From the idea to a (sustainable) company: Circular Valley promotes start-ups
11.03.2022
Mentoring in areas such as marketing and sales, direct contact with large companies, and support from industry experts – this is what every start-up dreams of. In the Circular Valley in Wuppertal, Germany, this is reality. Entrepreneurs from a wide variety of fields who want to contribute to the Circular Economy with their work are supported here.
eCampus offers online training for employees in the plastics industry
04.03.2022
Knowledge is power – this also applies to the plastics industry. But training courses cost time and tie up participants, although they are actually needed elsewhere. So that companies do not have to do without employees for entire days during such training courses, the SKZ has developed the eCampus together with Hanser Verlag.
Recyclable furniture from the creative workshop
24.01.2022
Plastic is a versatile material that can be used for a wide variety of projects. What's more, it is reusable and can be given new forms – so it can be given a second life in the sense of the circular economy. In the plastikfabrik in Saarbrücken (Germany), Daniela and Pascal Becher breathe such a second life into plastic.
Young plastics researchers are on the trail of proper recycling
07.01.2022
The Pöppelmann Research Week on the topic of "Plastics and Recycling" brought young people closer to the topics of plastics and recycling.
Program aims to help students tackle the challenges of plastics waste
07.12.2021
Plastics waste presents a major challenge for humanity. There are many innovative people taking impactful action to address this issue, but their efforts are often on a small scale or overlooked, with no good means to scale them to make a significant difference.
"If you never ask, you'll never know" – traineeship in plastics extrusion
12.10.2021
There is a desperate need for skilled workers in the plastics industry. Yet the industry has a lot to offer. Reifenhäuser GmbH also proves this with its diverse range of training programs.
Apprenticeship programs for the plastics industry: ENGEL empowers young female trainees
16.06.2021
The plastics industry is still dominated by men. However, there are now also more and more women. One positive amplifier of this development is campaign days such as Girls' Day.
Connecting apprentices with plastics companies
30.03.2021
Preparing small and medium-sized plastics manufacturing enterprises for the challenges of digitization in the vocational training and continuing education of employees and apprentices – that was the objective of the project titled "Kunststoff goes Future", abbreviated KungFu. The project ran for three years in the Ostwestfalen-Lippe district, Germany. It was successfully completed in mid-2020.