This year will once again see a Circular Economy Forum held at K in Düsseldorf, The World’s No. 1 Trade Fair for Plastics & Rubber, from 19 to 26 October 2022. On the outdoor premises between Halls 10 and 16, the VDMA (German Engineering Federation) as organiser and 13 of its member companies will demonstrate the pivotal importance of technology in the implementation of the circular economy in the plastics industry.
The participating companies are all represented at the Circular Economy Forum in addition to their stands in the exhibition halls. Arburg, Coperion, Engel, Erema, Kurtz-Ersa, Lindner, R-Cycle, Vecoplan are taking part with own pavilions while Battenfeld Cincinnati, Leonhard Kurz, Plasmatreat, Sumitomo (SHI) Demag and Wittmann Battenfeld will exhibit at the joint stand of the Forum. With machines running visitors can see how plastic waste is converted into high-quality regranulates or how recyclates are processed into attractive, highly functional and recyclable products by means of various processing methods.
The Circular Economy Forum picks up on all three guiding topics of K 2022 – Circular Economy – Climate Protection – Digitalisation. Because high tech is also required to optimise manufacturing processes and make them ever more efficient – as another measure besides the recycling of plastic products to save CO2. Both approaches are not conceivable without digitalisation. It is, for instance, the enabler for digital product passports and globally applicable traceability standards. The linking of all components in the production line is considered the prerequisite for optimising processes. On the topic of data exchange between machines the VDMA has initiated a showcase that makes the live data of integrated machines visible on the basis of OPC UA, at the VDMA Dome and also retrievable by smartphone.
The VDMA Dome at the centre of the Forum will once again this time serve as an information point and meeting place. But it will also provide an overview of important technology-relevant process steps in the plastic circular economy. By means of “The Machine” installation nearly 40 companies with over 50 submissions will present their technology highlights for the Circular Economy. Technologies range from sorting, shredding, washing and regranulating, or material handling to the most important converting processes (injection moulding, extrusion, blow moulding, foaming and additive manufacturing) not forgetting downstream process steps such as ultrasonic welding, surface treatment or thermoforming.