KURZ and Deckerform present bundled sustainability expertise at Fakuma 2021

Fürth/Germany, October 4, 2021: Climate change is considered one of the greatest challenges of our time. More than ever before, companies are therefore also obliged to put sustainability on their list of priorities and to develop sustainable solutions. LEONHARD KURZ will be demonstrating how this can be achieved at the 27th Fakuma trade fair, which will take place from October 12 to 16 in Friedrichshafen, Germany. KURZ, the expert in innovative plastic surface solutions, will demonstrate live together with its partner Deckerform how the use of recycled materials can be combined with effective decoration, and thus become an attractive alternative for manufacturers. “With RECOPOUND®, we have found a particularly effective and sustainable solution for producing high-quality recycled pellets from production residues,” says Johannes Romming, Project Manager Innovation & Sustainability at LEONHARD KURZ. “The visual properties of the recycled material are in no way inferior to those of new material. The parts manufactured with the pellets using injection molding also score points with efficient processing and a wide range of design options.” Fakuma visitors can see all this for themselves: As a giveaway for interested parties, spray-foamed watering cans made of RECOPOUND® are produced live at Booth A6-6413 by Deckerform and finished with a transfer decoration on a hot-stamping machine from KURZ subsidiary Baier. The design of the watering cans was created in close cooperation between the partner companies LEONHARD KURZ and Deckerform.

Machine for more environmentally friendly injection molding

An injection molding machine from the Japanese manufacturer Toyo’s Si-6s series is used, which is sold exclusively in German-speaking countries by Deckerform. This is a fully electric injection molding machine with a closing force of 230 tons, which is significantly more environmentally friendly in operation than hydraulic models. On the one hand, the excellent efficiency of the electric motors reduces the power consumption, and on the other hand, there is no idle operation. In this way, energy savings of up to 70 percent compared to the hydraulic machine can be achieved. The machine shown at the Deckerform stand is particularly efficient because it can be used for a wide range of special processes and different applications. In addition to conventional injection molding, material-saving injection foaming and injection embossing can also be implemented.

LEONHARD KURZ has been working with Deckerform from Aichach, Bavaria, since 2019 to bundle the expertise of both companies in process and application technology. “Sustainability has become increasingly important over time,” says Anna Tschacha from Deckerform’s management team. “We quickly recognized the great potential in the use of synergy effects on both sides. We’re pleased to be able to jointly present the innovations resulting from our close cooperation at Fakuma.”

Design for Recycling: Environmentally friendly and aesthetic

RECOPOUND® by KURZ is a recycled PET-based compound that can be used as a construction material for robust plastic products in a wide range of industries – whether for large transport boxes, technical components, or garden furniture. The high-quality recycled pellets are the result of RECOSYS®, the unique take-back and recycling system for PET transfer carriers in the industry, which remain as residual material after decoration. The PET transfer carriers are processed in a particularly efficient process and fed back into the utilization cycle in the form of pellets. In addition to saving fossil fuels, up to 40 percent of CO₂ emissions can be saved in this way. In order to visually enhance the products, the entire range of KURZ plastic decorations can also be implemented for components made from recycled material. In keeping with the motto ‘Design for Recycling’, the result is no less aesthetic than with new material. In addition, the finishing has no negative impact on the recyclability of the component.

Sustainability – from production to recycling

RECOPOUND® and the associated RECOSYS® recycling system are just two building blocks in LEONHARD KURZ’s ‘Lifecycle Thinking’ – and this will be clearly demonstrated at this year’s Fakuma trade fair as well. As a global company, the expert in plastic surface solutions is aware of its responsibility and is therefore consistently working on sustainable processes and products for itself and its customers. Saving resources and improving the eco-balance are important goals that KURZ is working towards, for example, with its own photovoltaic, heat and energy systems. At the trade fair, the company will demonstrate that sustainability is a point of consideration for every KURZ product - with a wide variety of exhibits, in particular from the automotive, consumer electronics, and home appliances sectors. The experts in the field of ‘Lifecycle Thinking’ will also be available at the stand for all questions Fakuma visitors might want to ask about environmentally friendly technologies and innovations.

Online presence leading up to Fakuma

LEONHARD KURZ is also using its trade fair presence in Friedrichshafen to kick off a comprehensive online presentation of the company’s innovations and exhibition highlights. Visit www.fakuma.kurz.de for detailed information and extras such as videos or 3D animations on Fakuma products and topics.

At a glance

Fakuma 2021 – October 12 – 16, 2021
LEONHARD KURZ Stiftung & Co. KG: Hall A4, Stand A4-4122
Product group: Machines and equipment for finishing, decorating, printing, and marking
Trade fair presentation focuses on: Automotive interior/exterior, consumer electronics, home appliances, sustainability