ChinaPlas is underway in Guangzhou and the major global plastics and rubber event - which is the second-largest in the world and the largest in Asia - has shone the spotlight on the success of German-Chinese relations in the industry.
Chinaplas
The plastics association the VDMA and ChinaPlas organiser Adsale highlighted the achievements of both nations' plastics and rubber industries over the past 30 years thanks to their innate efficiency.
With Blue Competence, German plastics and rubber machinery manufacturers demonstrate the value they offer the Chinese industry in terms of supplying sophisticated and efficient technology. Energy efficiency is not the only factor that counts in the Blue Competence mission statement.
Adsale Chairman Stanley Chu acknowledged the VDMA's solid support, upon which he has been able to rely since the first ever ChinaPlas in 1983. In the subsequent decades, the fair has grown from strength to strength and now houses 3,000 exhibitors from 40 countries and coming in second only to the gargantuan K Show in Düsseldorf.
"Germany is a trailblazer in sophisticated technologies. The VDMA’s support and its member firms’ presence at ChinaPlas are vital," stated Chu.
At this year's Chinaplas, the official German pavilion alone hosts 140 companies supplying the Chinese market with high-end technology that is in demand in the Asian superpower.
Thorsten Kühmann, Managing Director of the VDMA Plastics and Rubber Machinery Association, said: "We share the same objectives when it comes to sustainability. We recognise the need for saving energy and other resources as well, because their supplies are not unlimited. At the same time, we see sustainable technologies as a model for economic success both for machinery manufacturers and for their customers, the plastics converters. Energy efficiency is an important driving force of economic success."
A broad alliance of many injection moulding machine manufacturers has succeeded in developing the EUROMAP energy measurement standards 60.1 and 60.2 for this category of machines. Dr Karlheinz Bourdon, Vice0President Technologies at KraussMaffei Technologies GmbH, explained the two-stage approach: “EUROMAP 60.1 provides an initial overview of machinery-related energy consumption; 60.2 also enables complex, customer- specific injection moulding applications to be compared in relation to the product.
"With these standards for measuring specific energy consumption, manufacturers are facing up to their responsibility: the transparency the standards provide requires them to develop technologies that are increasingly more efficient in their use of energy."
Kühmann added that there are also energy measurement standards for extrusion blow moulding machines, and others, for thermoforming for example, are under development.
Energy efficiency is worthwhile for customers, something Karlheinz Bourdon illustrated for KraussMaffei technology using a graphic example.
“For pallet manufacturing, assuming a throughput of 440 kg/h and a price of 1.15 euro/kg for new raw material, the annual savings potential for the machinery operator is more than €200,000 (£141,800).” This is made possible by APC (adaptive process control), a new machine function that KraussMaffei offers to its customers. It helps the machine operator to always produce good quality products while using energy efficiently. There are savings to be achieved not only in energy consumption but also in terms of materials and production time.
Helmut Heinson, Managing Director of Arburg GmbH + Co KG, also believes the benefits for customers are not confined to energy efficiency.
"It is not enough simply to consider a machine’s energy consumption. We have to look at productivity gains as a whole. Apart from greater throughput and reliable quality, this also includes adding value with ever more complex plastic products. And all that while using as little energy as possible," he said.
The Chinese market for plastics and rubber machinery is changing. Sales of high-grade plant and machinery are rising. Energy efficiency has always been an important quality factor in the high price segment. But demand for machinery in the mid and low price segments is not slackening either.
Joanne Shen, Managing Director of Coperion (Nanjing) Machinery Co. Ltd., stated: “Coperion has adapted to the changed requirements of the Chinese market. Just recently we developed a new and even more efficient mid-tier machine series for the Chinese market that meets the requirements of the global market as well.”
When asked whether energy efficiency plays an important part in all three segments, she explained: “Energy efficiency has always been an important criterion at the high end, but our customers want to secure competitive advantages for themselves with energy-efficient manufacturing in the mid and low price segments as well.”
