MACHINERY | THERMOFORMING


Digital heating improves thermoforming


Klaudiusz Holeczek, head of R&D at Watttron, told delegates at last year’s Thin Wall Packaging event in Cologne, Germany, that the company’s ‘digital heating’ technology can improve the thermoforming process. The company’s ceramic film heaters


incorporate sensors close to heat circuits for greater temperature control in processes like thermoforming. This ‘pixel-wise’ heating and control ensures defined heating of the plastic, with a variation of no more than 3°C.


“This produces fully reproducible thermoforming results with no time or position temperature deviation,” he said.


Benefits include reduced material


costs, as more material per roll is used. It can also help to reduce downtime – and the cost of energy. The heaters can be retrofitted to


existing machines, he added, with typical module sizes of 40 x 40mm (64 heating pixels) and 40 x 50mm (80 heating pixels). Modules can be


“In order to remain continuously competitive, we must make better use of the strengths of our respective production sites for our customers locally,” said Matt Sieverding, CEO of Kiefel. As part of its ‘One Kiefel’ strategy, the company


will make cuts elsewhere – including around 100 jobs at its Freilassing site. It is looking to focus on “all segments with great growth potential and a wide customer base, such as standard automation, to make better use of market opportunities and expand the product portfolio”. Despite the job cuts, Kiefel plans to invest “in the millions” this year to strengthen the Freilassing site, such as by establishing a polymer innovation centre. The centre gives customers access to Kiefel’s


Above: Holder: “Realigning Illig is a


challenging task”


latest machines, which can be used for tool and product sampling, and customer-oriented proto- typing. “We are creating a first-class development


environment,” said Sieverding. For its part, Illig has changed its upper manage-


ment, following its acquisition by German financial investor Orlando Capital in August last year. Matthias Holder has become the company’s


chief sales officer (CSO) and chief technology officer (CTO), replacing Jürgen Lochner – who is leaving the company after four years. Holder will head the sales, technology and


service divisions, which an initial focus on the “strate- gic realignment of the global sales and service business in a challenging market environment”. “Realigning Illig is a challenging task,” he said. Illig’s top management also includes Carsten


Strenger (CEO), who is responsible for production and commercial divisions, and Thomas Schmidt – who has been chief transformation officer since the acquisition in August 2024.


18 FILM & SHEET EXTRUSION | March 2025


added together to create an array. Holeczek cited one example of a heating surface comprising 195 standard modules, to create an area of 600 x 520mm. “It can help to reduce material and


energy consumption by 50%,” he said. n Thin Wall Packaging ran in Cologne, Germany in November 2024. For more details on the next edition of the event, contact Diana Koumi (diana.koumi@amiplastics.com) on +44 (0) 117 311 1527.


Licensing deal TaktoTek of Finland has expanded its in-mould structural electronics (IMSE) technology through a recent licensing agreement with Germany’s New Albea. New Albea supplies automotive, home electron-


ics, and telecommunications industries with film insert moulding (FIM) and precision manufacturing. It is a full-service provider to all IMSE production processes including decorative and electronics printing, thermoforming, and injection moulding. “New Albea’s vertically integrated production system makes it an excellent partner for scaling IMSE mass production,” said Marko Suo-Anttila, SVP of consulting and services at TactoTek. IMSE solutions integrate electronics, mechanics, and cosmetic surfaces within light, thin, single- piece parts made using film insert moulding. Dynamic lighting, responsive touch controls, sensors, and connectivity are commonly integrated within IMSE parts. “IMSE provides enhanced design flexibility and the ability to advance those decorative surfaces into fully functional single-piece FIM electronics solutions,” said Thomas Schuller, general manager at New Albea.


CLICK ON THE LINKS FOR MORE INFORMATION: � www.fyous.com � www.rayplastics.com � www.kydex.com � www.sml.at � www.wm-thermoforming.com � www.kiefel.com � www.illig.de � www.tactotek.com � www.albea.de � www.watttron.com


www.filmandsheet.com


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