In the interview with VDMA, Marcel Perrevort, Chief Sales Officer at Reifenhäuser, talked about the development of plastics industry, including intelligent production and sustainability.

Marcel Perrevort, Chief Sales Officer at Reifenhäuser.

Mr. Perrevort, the next K’s motto: "The Power of Plastics" is an expression of the sector’s self-confidence. Is this justifiably so in your view?

Mr. Perrevort: The discussion about plastic has become much more objective and realistic, both among our customers and our employees. Most companies in our industry today want to contribute towards using plastics responsibly. At the same time, operations must be cost-effective. At K, we will be demonstrating that a combination of both is possible.

The second part of the motto is: "Green - Smart - Responsible". Where is Reifenhäuser’s focus in this respect?

Mr. Perrevort: We have been active in all three fields for some time now. We are pushing downgauging. This allows us to save a considerable amount of CO2. The topic of "smart" is also pushing the CO2 balance, which manufacture high-performance products with minimal raw material consumption, optimized energy use and minimized waste. However, smart systems are above all a response to the shortage of skilled labor. Assistance systems and automation features ensure film productivity and quality – even if perfectly trained staff are not available. Automation also makes systems safer, which brings us to the topic of ‘responsibility’. For us, this includes responsibility towards the environment, towards our own employees and towards our customers. The topics Green - Smart - Responsible are extremely diverse and, in our view, closely linked.

What specific projects are you pursuing in this respect?

Mr. Perrevort: In terms of ‘Smart’, we have set up special units for digitalization and education: RE: GmbH, R-Cycle and our AR:DEL Academy. All machines along the value chain can be networked: in addition to an extrusion machine for example, you can connect a printing machine, recycling line and more besides. The aim is to produce more efficiently and sustainably through digitalization.

To what extent is the struggling economy in large parts of the world slowing down the development of your industry?

Mr. Perrevort: There are obstacles all across the board. One of these is the overcapacity that has accumulated during the pandemic in particular. This is most prevalent in the hygiene sector, but is also noticeable elsewhere. Investments are still being made in machinery and equipment, but the brakes are definitely on. Many companies are also concerned about geopolitics and the threat of trade barriers, and there are considerable uncertainties. Nevertheless, we are observing the first signs of a slow recovery in the markets. In the meantime, we are continuing to invest in the key future areas, and related added value for our customers.

What can be done to manage this widespread reluctance to invest?

Mr. Perrevort: We support customers in becoming more efficient with their existing equipment. Manufacturers are currently less likely to invest in large new systems with an additional capacity of 1000 kg per hour, but are definitely interested in improving the end quality of the product or making production more efficient. We therefore show what can be achieved with retrofits or special solutions in the field of digitalization.

What developments do you expect to see in the future?

Mr. Perrevort: I believe we will see a leap in automation at the next K. There will also be another significant leap in efficiency, particularly in those technologies that contribute towards the circular economy. For example, we were able to produce recyclable all-PE mono-material film with a thickness of just 18 micrometers. At the last K, the topic of digitalization was still relatively abstract. This year we will see many more implementable applications. The trend towards modularity will continue. Customers will decide for themselves how they wish to equip their machines, and to what extent digitalization will assist them.

In the interview with VDMA, Marcel Perrevort, Chief Sales Officer at Reifenhäuser, talked about the development of plastics industry, including intelligent production and sustainability.

Marcel Perrevort, Chief Sales Officer at Reifenhäuser.

Mr. Perrevort, the next K’s motto: "The Power of Plastics" is an expression of the sector’s self-confidence. Is this justifiably so in your view?

Mr. Perrevort: The discussion about plastic has become much more objective and realistic, both among our customers and our employees. Most companies in our industry today want to contribute towards using plastics responsibly. At the same time, operations must be cost-effective. At K, we will be demonstrating that a combination of both is possible.

The second part of the motto is: "Green - Smart - Responsible". Where is Reifenhäuser’s focus in this respect?

Mr. Perrevort: We have been active in all three fields for some time now. We are pushing downgauging. This allows us to save a considerable amount of CO2. The topic of "smart" is also pushing the CO2 balance, which manufacture high-performance products with minimal raw material consumption, optimized energy use and minimized waste. However, smart systems are above all a response to the shortage of skilled labor. Assistance systems and automation features ensure film productivity and quality – even if perfectly trained staff are not available. Automation also makes systems safer, which brings us to the topic of ‘responsibility’. For us, this includes responsibility towards the environment, towards our own employees and towards our customers. The topics Green - Smart - Responsible are extremely diverse and, in our view, closely linked.

What specific projects are you pursuing in this respect?

Mr. Perrevort: In terms of ‘Smart’, we have set up special units for digitalization and education: RE: GmbH, R-Cycle and our AR:DEL Academy. All machines along the value chain can be networked: in addition to an extrusion machine for example, you can connect a printing machine, recycling line and more besides. The aim is to produce more efficiently and sustainably through digitalization.

To what extent is the struggling economy in large parts of the world slowing down the development of your industry?

Mr. Perrevort: There are obstacles all across the board. One of these is the overcapacity that has accumulated during the pandemic in particular. This is most prevalent in the hygiene sector, but is also noticeable elsewhere. Investments are still being made in machinery and equipment, but the brakes are definitely on. Many companies are also concerned about geopolitics and the threat of trade barriers, and there are considerable uncertainties. Nevertheless, we are observing the first signs of a slow recovery in the markets. In the meantime, we are continuing to invest in the key future areas, and related added value for our customers.

What can be done to manage this widespread reluctance to invest?

Mr. Perrevort: We support customers in becoming more efficient with their existing equipment. Manufacturers are currently less likely to invest in large new systems with an additional capacity of 1000 kg per hour, but are definitely interested in improving the end quality of the product or making production more efficient. We therefore show what can be achieved with retrofits or special solutions in the field of digitalization.

What developments do you expect to see in the future?

Mr. Perrevort: I believe we will see a leap in automation at the next K. There will also be another significant leap in efficiency, particularly in those technologies that contribute towards the circular economy. For example, we were able to produce recyclable all-PE mono-material film with a thickness of just 18 micrometers. At the last K, the topic of digitalization was still relatively abstract. This year we will see many more implementable applications. The trend towards modularity will continue. Customers will decide for themselves how they wish to equip their machines, and to what extent digitalization will assist them.