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IKV meets the world
in Aachen
By focusing on topics such as Industry 4.0 in plastics process-
ing, additive manufacturing and lightweight construction,
the Institute of Plastics Processing (IKV) in Industry and the
Skilled Crafts at RWTH Aachen University offered a number of
important highlights at the recent 28th International Colloquium
Plastics Technology in Aachen. The event attracted 825 plastics
experts from 24 nations. The keen interest of the delegates, who
came from some 300 companies and institutions, underlined the
importance of the event as a global meeting place for the plas-
tics segment. The internationalisation of the industry and of plas-
tics research was clearly visible in the audience. The visitors
praised the broad content of the presentations and their tech-
nical depth – aspects that make the IKV Colloquium such an im-
portant highlight.
The Georg Menges prize 2016 was presented to Dipl.-Ing.
Hartwig Meier, head of Product and Application Technology at
Lanxess Germany, in the presence of Professor em. Georg
Menges himself. The prize has been awarded since 1999 by IKV,
the VDMA and PlasticsEurope to people who have rendered out-
standing service to cooperation between the sciences and eco-
nomics in the field of plastics processing. Expressing his thanks
for the award, Hartwig Meier said: "I have always been fasci-
nated by the challenge of putting to use in production some-
thing that has been created in science and research."
A special highlight of the Colloquium was the visit to the IKV
laboratories and pilot plants during "IKV 360°". Here, visitors
were able to watch live demonstrations of the machines and test
benches and find out more about the Institute’s research activi-
ties. They also had an opportunity to talk to the IKV research
staff about the projects. Another highlight at the event was the
official hand-over of the brand-new laboratory for additive man-
ufacturing, which was built as part of the expansion project at
the end of 2015.
The accompanying trade show in the Aachen Congress Centre
featured the products and services of 46 exhibitors from all areas
of the industry. Machine and tool manufacturers, producers of
raw materials and peripherals, companies offering instrumenta-
tion, control and testing equipment, and providers of software
and engineering services showed their latest developments and
products, many of which had come about through cooperation
with IKV.
"The IKV Colloquium has, for more than 66 years, been the cen-
tral meeting place for innovative plastics companies. The inter-
nationalisation of the Colloquium goes hand in hand with the
internationalisation strategy at IKV, and thus accurately reflects
what is currently shaping our plastics segment. The Colloquium
can thus be regarded as lubricating the interplay between sci-
ence and industry, producing the leaders and innovations of to-
morrow," said the head of IKV, Professor Christian Hopmann,
summing up.
The next colloquium will be held on 28 February
and 1 March , 2018 in Aachen.
28th International Colloquium Plastics Technology 2016:
an international meeting place for the industry
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