The German Plastics Center (SKZ) supports industry with the production of sample quantities and prototypes

SKZ offers its customers and partners the opportunity to have sample quantities of plastic compounds or prototypes, such as profiles, pipes or injection-molded samples, produced. Companies can thus save development time and costs.

Industry often lacks the time and equipment to test new developments or test and optimize processes in addition to ongoing customer orders. The SKZ therefore offers the possibility of producing sample quantities or prototypes, which can then be used directly in the companies.

“Since some companies are busy with their current orders and cannot convert their systems for small series at the first go, our partners are increasingly approaching us with inquiries. Thanks to our well-equipped pilot plants, we are able to test a wide variety of constellations and produce sample compounds or, for example, films and short tube sections. The company can then use these for testing purposes or have us carry out comparisons directly,” explains Hatice Malatyali, Compounding and Extrusion Group Manager at SKZ.

Thanks to the extensive equipment, the possibilities are indeed very diverse. In addition to pipes, material compounds and films, sheets or profiles are also frequently in demand. In addition to compounders and extruders, injection molding machines, a recycling plant and various testing devices are also available at SKZ. Therefore, process analyses and testing of non-destructive testing methods are also possible.

“Due to the very broadly positioned technology, we have already been able to support various new developments from the industry or also solve quality problems. Therefore, we are even planning to increase the capacities for orders on samples of any kind. Among other things, a blown film line will be put into operation this year, for example, which will open up new possibilities for us in the film sector,” emphasizes Matthias Ruff, Sales Manager Education & Research at SKZ.

Always being up to date and permanently optimizing manufacturing processes is a basic prerequisite for remaining competitive in the industry. At the same time, production lines are ideally well utilized. Topics such as process optimization, quality assurance, small batches for new developments or even compounds from alternative materials are enormously important in order to survive in the markets of the plastics industry.