At Fakuma, Meraxis will present its expanded portfolio to an international trade show audience for the first time. Since the beginning of the year, the global polymer distributor has been producing its own compounds and offering material testing services. Meraxis has taken over the REHAU Group’s compounding plant in Velen, North Rhine-Westphalia (Germany), as well as its accredited testing laboratories in Rehau, Upper Franconia (Germany). With these additions and its continuously expanding range of digital solutions, Meraxis now covers not only material procurement, but also formulation development, standards-compliant testing and compounding.
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Dominic Tilgner, Director Advanced Materials and Applications: “We bring together raw material expertise, material development, compounding, and accredited material and component testing, shortening the path from initial idea to finished product. Processors decide for themselves which of our capabilities they want to use. By combining several steps with Meraxis, they have fewer points of contact to coordinate and can save time and costs with every interface eliminated.” (Source: Meraxis) |
When plastics processors are looking for a material for a new application, they often require customized solutions. The process typically starts with formulation development, followed by the production of samples that are tested and documented in a series of trials. These steps generally involve several different service providers.
Compounds from Meraxis’ Own Production
Meraxis has been producing customized compounds at its own plant since January 2026. With an annual capacity of 50,000 tons, the facility supplies plastics processors across a range of industries, including applications in the automotive and furniture industries, medical technology and household appliances. The PP portfolio includes mineral- and glass fiber-reinforced grades, elastomer-modified variants and flame-retardant solutions. Fillers such as talc, chalk, glass beads and glass fiber can be combined to achieve filling degrees of up to 70%. For flexible PVC, compounds are available with Shore hardness values ranging from A 45 to 98 and up to D 50, including crystal-clear, cold-flexible, flame-retardant and blowing-agent-containing variants. The portfolio also includes TPEs, ABS, SAN, ASA, PA, PS, PC, PMMA, HDPE, LDPE and PP/PA blends. The plant processes both PIR and PCR recyclates, with recycled content of up to 100% of the polymer component depending on requirements. Emission-optimized variants are also available on request.
Comprehensive Testing Methods and Recognized Standards
Before a product made from a new material enters series production, it must undergo the relevant testing – and the requirements are becoming increasingly stringent. A growing number of customers, including automotive manufacturers, require proof of compliance with their own OEM specifications. In the packaging industry, statutory recycled-content quotas are increasingly driving the switch to recycled materials. Since the material properties of recyclates tend to fluctuate more widely, the need for testing and validation is also increasing. The Meraxis laboratory network offers more than 500 testing procedures, including 64 accredited methods in accordance with DIN EN ISO/IEC 17025:2018. Across approximately 1,250 m² of laboratory space, its capabilities range from chemical analysis and physical-mechanical testing to weathering and climate testing, microscopy and surface characterization. Plastics, compounds, composites, recyclates and coated components can all be qualified.
Digital Tools Along the Value Chain
Alongside the Meraxis team, deep-tech company Polymerize will also be represented at the Fakuma booth. Through Polymerize, Meraxis customers and partners have access to a materials informatics platform. The AI-supported solution evaluates experimental and production data, identifies correlations between formulations and properties, and recommends formulations and process parameters. The software can accelerate formulation development while reducing development costs and resource requirements, helping products reach market readiness faster.
Meraxis has been continuously expanding its digital offering for several years. Its customer portal, for example, brings together order and delivery information, provides CO₂ footprint reports for materials and transportation, and suggests recyclate alternatives with lower CO₂ emissions. The “Track & Trace” function also allows deliveries to be tracked in real time, providing greater transparency across the supply chain.
Fakuma 2026: A6-6323
