Successful appearance. At the plastics trade fair K.

Every 3 years the time arrives. The who's who of the plastics industry meets in Düsseldorf. This year the K took place from 16 to 23 October. Marbach, manufacturer of thermoforming tools, presented its latest innovations to almost 400 visitors during the 8 days of the fair. Under the motto "future security", Marbach not only presented its latest tool technologies, but also the results of its projects in the fields of industry 4.0 and digitisation. At the fair Marbach received orders immediately and sold its first CONNECT|M tool. Further project inquiries came directly after the fair and are already in the project pipeline.

Marbach sales manager Hubert Kittelmann: "Due to current discussions about the use of plastic for packaging, many people came to the fair with mixed feelings. Nevertheless the major players have developed strategies for the responsible use of plastic as a raw material. At the heart of these efforts is the so-called Circular Economy. For, only if plastic becomes a recyclable material can the return flow also function in countries where people have few resources and environmental protection is of little significance." 

Nevertheless, the mood at the trade fair was positive. Many see great opportunities in the new challenges. Capable managers bring their companies up-to-date with the latest technology in order to be at the forefront of the next upturn. Marbach was very well positioned and addressed exactly the right topics with its trade fair highlights.

CONNECT|M
Digitization is also a very important topic in the plastics industry. The future will be shaped by those who are best at handling digital data. 

As part of its CONNECT|M project, Marbach has developed a technology that intelligently connects the thermoforming tool, Marbach and the customer. That is to say, it makes tools talk. Through the use of special sensors in the mould and the integration of cloud services, important process data are analyzed and monitored during the thermoforming process. 

With CONNECT|M, Marbach not only offers its customers process data, but also supports the meaningful and efficient use of the data. Higher cycle rates, better product quality and longer service life are just three key concepts that highlight the concrete benefits for the customer. 

CONNECT|AR
As part of CONNECT|AR (Augmented Reality), Marbach is part of a digital customer support project. Participants of this project are machine manufacturers, the SPE Central Europe (Central European section of the Society of Plastics Engineers) and manufacturers of thermoformed end products. The aim of the project is to establish in the market a common system for AR glasses in order to make on-site customer support easier and faster. Kittelmann: "Thanks to "Magic Glasses", our customers can now be supported in real time and without expensive outlays for airline tickets, travel time and hotels. The big advantage for our customers: They save time and money and can concentrate more on their projects and spend more money on investments."

MT|CIP (Marbach Cut-In-Place)
In the field of SR technology (strip steel technology), MT|CIP can - contrary to the trend towards more and more complexity - solve customers' problems with a simple and inexpensive technology. Instead of expensive investments in additional machines, the Marbach technology can be used to create not only an equivalent but also a higher quality product.  With the Marbach cut-in-place function, projects can be implemented that were previously classified as "not feasible". 

Cutting rule silverline 
The amount of steel-rule tools has been growing continuously for years. Small runs, fast delivery times and top quality are the current challenges facing Marbach customers. Kittelmann: "In order to survive in a highly competitive market, it helps us that we in the Marbach Group have decades of experience in the field of die-cutting technology. The quality and performance of our steel-rule tools and the equipment with special cutting rules such as the silverline is a big plus on the market. The special design as well as the perfect handcrafted processing and integration into our thermoforming tools is a novum on which the good reputation of Marbach tools all over the world is based."

Outlook
After the successful K-fair Marbach has a lot of projects in the next weeks and months. It will be interesting to see how the topics of digitalization and industry 4.0 will change the entire plastics industry in the future.