January 29, 2025
Green and also economical?
PATHS TO COMPETITIVE
DECARBONIZATION OF THE PLASTICS INDUSTRY
2nd Zittau Plastics and Lightweight Design Conference
How can sustainability and competitiveness of plastic components be reconciled?
Top-class speakers from science and industry will give you answers to this question at the second Zittau Plastics and Lightweight Design Conference (ZKLT) on January 29. 2025, at the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences. Be inspired by innovations and best practice examples in plastics processing and fiber composite lightweight design and production that contribute to achieving a climate-neutral industry.
The event is aimed particularly at companies, scientists and students from Germany, Poland and the Czech Republic. In addition to lectures and discussions with simultaneous translation, you can expect an accompanying exhibition, guided tours of the plastics laboratories of the university and Fraunhofer in Zittau, as well as plenty of opportunity for conversation and networking over culinary delights.
Look forward to an exciting, varied and sustainable program with interesting guests and secure your place by registering via this website.
AGENDA
8:30 am
9:00 am
9:05 am
9:20 am
9:45 am
10:10 am
Registration
Welcome and Opening the 2nd Zittau Plastics and Lightweight Design Conference
Prof. Sebastian Scholz, Fraunhofer Plastics Technology Center
Greetings
Prof. Alexander Kratzsch, Rector of the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences
Dr. Stephan Meyer, District Administrator of the Görlitz District
Hubert Papaj, Chairman of the Board at KARR
KEYNOTE
Decoupling the plastics industry from negative environmental impacts
Prof. Jakob Hildebrand, Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences
Bivalent resource efficiency through near-series technology fusion
Prof. Lothar Kroll, Chemnitz University of Technology
Break with opportunities for discussions and visits to the accompanying exhibition
SESSION 1: BIOCOMPOSITES
10:45 am
11:10 am
11:35 am
12:00 pm
Natural fibers as reinforcement in SMC: From concept to industrially suitable process and material
Dr. Rafael Cordeiro, Fraunhofer Plastics Technology Center and Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences
Innovations in large-scale additive manufacturing with bioplastics
Woodrow Wiest, RISE Research Institutes of Sweden
Lightweight design with wooden structures
Prof. André Wagenführ and Carolin Siegel, Dresden University of Technology
Lunch break with opportunities for discussions and visits to the accompanying exhibition
SESSION 2: CIRCULAR ECONOMY AS THE KEY TO SUSTAINABLE PLASTIC COMPONENTS
1:00 PM
1:25 PM
Sustainable and high-quality: Sandwich injection molding of plastic components made from recycled material
Ralf Meier, KraussMaffei Technologies and Dr. Volker Reichert, A&E GmbH
Resource-efficient utilization of organic sheet waste: direct integration into the injection molding process
Prof. Martin Würtele, Rosenheim University of Technology
SESSION 3: INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS
1:50 PM
2:15 pm
Sustainable Aviation through Lightweight Construction as a Key Technology
Marc Fette, CTC GmbH, an Airbus Company
Modern trends in sustainable materials at Škoda vehicles
Jan Riedl, Škoda Auto
2:40 pm
ECo2Floor - Vehicle underbodies made of natural fibres and recycled polypropylene for use in future
Electric vehicle platforms
3:05 PM
3:15 pm
Closing remarks
Prof. Sebastian Scholz
Get-together
Visit to the accompanying exhibition
Guided tours through the plastics laboratories at Fraunhofer and Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences
A test drive with our autonomous WALEMO shuttle
4:30 pm
end of the event
Die Vorträge werden simultan in die Sprachen – Polnisch, Deutsch und Tschechisch – übersetzt.
speakers
Prof. Jakob Hildebrandt, holder of the professorship for corporate environmental protection and sustainability at the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences
The research focus of Prof. Hildebrandt's working group includes realistic material flow analysis and life cycle assessment with the aim of setting realistic requirements for greenhouse gas reduction, circularity and technical CO2 sinks for biogenic materials and plastics. The lecture on decoupling the plastics industry from negative environmental impacts uses milestones from a backcasting perspective to outline how a trend reversal - away from increasing ecological damage and towards environmentally and climate-friendly plastic use - could be achieved technically and strategically.
Prof. Lothar Kroll, holder of the professorship for Lightweight Structures and Plastics Processing (SLK) at the Chemnitz University of Technology
Prof. Kroll is also chairman of the board of the Saxony Lightweight Construction Alliance (LAS) and spokesperson for the core competence "Resource-efficient production and lightweight construction" at Chemnitz University of Technology. With his Silesian roots, he maintains close cooperation with Polish institutes, including as a member of the institute council of the Łukasiewicz research network institutes "Ceramics and Building Materials" (Krakow) and "Heavy Organic Synthesis Blachownia" (Kędzierzyn-Koźle). Kroll's commitment promotes international exchange and the development of innovative lightweight construction technologies. In his lecture, Prof. Kroll shows how an intelligent merging of individual plastic processes in large series (MERGE) can not only save costs and time, but also improve the ecological balance.
Marc Fette, CEO, Composite Technology Center/CTC GmbH (an AIRBUS Company), Chairman of the VDI Advisory Board for Aerospace Technology
The AIRBUS subsidiary CTC - Composite Technology Center focuses on innovative technologies for the industrial and automated processing of composites and multi-material composites for aviation. Under the leadership of Dr. Fette, the CTC is tackling the challenges of aviation to make flying more sustainable. In his presentation, he will talk about the opportunities and challenges of reducing CO2 emissions through consistent but also economical lightweight construction.
Prof. Martin Würtele, Professor in the Plastics Engineering course with a focus on injection molding and toolmaking at Rosenheim University of Technology
Until 2022, Prof. Würtele worked for over 20 years in various positions at KraussMaffei Technologies GmbH, most recently as Director Global Innovation & Basic Development. His areas of expertise are plastics processing in general as well as tool technology, injection molding technology, special injection molding processes, plasticizing systems and process technology. In his lecture, he shows how resource-efficient utilization of organic sheet offcuts in injection molding processes helps to reconcile sustainability, lightweight construction and competitiveness.
Fabian Groh, Project Manager for Pre-Development of Mounting Systems, AUDI AG
Fabian Groh has been a Project Manager in the Pre-Development of Mounting Systems at AUDI AG since 2020. Previously, he worked as an R&D Engineer in the pre-development of underbody components and in the development of fiber-reinforced plastics at AUDI.
In his presentation, he will discuss the potential of vehicle underbodies made from sustainable materials such as natural fibers and recycled polypropylene. These innovative materials contribute to reducing the carbon footprint while meeting the requirements of modern electric vehicle platforms. Fabian Groh will highlight the challenges and advancements in integrating these materials into series production and provide insights into future developments.
Dr. Rafael Cordeiro, scientist in the Biocomposites and SMC Technologies department at the Fraunhofer Plastics Technology Center and at the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences
At the Fraunhofer Plastics Center Upper Lusatia, sustainability is consistently combined with economic efficiency. To this end, they have set themselves the goal of closing the gap between the research laboratory and the large-scale application of bio-based plastics and composites and of converting innovative processes into robust, industrially viable processes. Dr. Cordeiro has been researching natural fiber-reinforced plastics for over 10 years, particularly sustainable SMC molding compounds. In his presentation, he will show how natural fiber-based SMC not only improves sustainability aspects, but can also be suitable for industrial use and economical.
Prof. André Wagenführ, holder of the professorship for wood technology and fiber materials technology, Institute for Natural Materials Technology at Dresden University of Technology
Prof. Wagenführ conducts research in the field of material development and processing. The focus is on materials based on lignocellulose and other natural fibers. In addition to relevant topics on the design and production of differently structured materials, technological aspects of further processing and plant and mechanical engineering through to tool development are also investigated. In his lecture, Prof. Wagenführ impressively shows the enormous potential for lightweight construction in wood and wood composite materials.
Jan Riedl, Technical employee at Škoda Auto, Mlada Boleslav, CZ
Škoda Auto is a Czech car manufacturer, now part of the Volkswagen Group, producing a wide range from small cars to SUVs. The company has a strong focus on innovation and electromobility to promote the transition to sustainable mobility solutions. Jan Riedl was able to gain extensive insights into the various areas of the company through his successful participation in the Student Talent Program. He works in a team that deals with the development of new materials as well as corrosion and weather resistance. In his presentation, he will shed light on current trends and innovations in the field of sustainable materials used in Škoda vehicles and illustrate the complexity and different perspectives of material development in the automotive industry.
Carolin Siegel, Assistant at the Chair of Wood Technology and Fiber Material Technology, Institute of Natural Materials Technology at the Technical University of Dresden
Carolin Siegel has been working at the professorship for over 10 years. In her lecture, she will shed light on the exciting connection between lightweight construction, plastics technology and wood as a material. The aim of her research is to adapt established technologies from the field of fibre composites for the use of wood as a reinforcing material. The aim is to efficiently tap into the great lightweight construction potential of wood for industrial applications.
Woodrow Wiest, Research Engineer, Additive Manufacturing at RISE Research Institutes of Sweden, SE
The American-born man began his career as a captain on large sailing ships before settling in Gothenburg and discovering his passion for innovative technologies. At RISE, he began producing boats using 3D printing. Together with his colleagues, he developed the large-format 3D -Printing is being further developed and, in addition to boats, is also printing complex structures for the automotive industry, energy technology, construction and the design industry. In his presentation, Wiest will talk about the transformative power of 3D printing using industrial robots and how this technology enables the production of large, complex and sustainable products revolutionized.
Ralf Meier, sales engineer at KraussMaffei Technologies GmbH
Ralf Meier started his career 40 years ago as a toolmaker and mold maker for the injection molding industry. He has remained loyal to this industry to this day and now works for Germany's leading manufacturer of injection molding machines and application technology, Krauss Maffei Technologies. Meier brings his extensive expertise to customers and partners to develop individual technical solutions for every application. He is closely linked to science, with which he works on new developments for the industry. In his presentation, Meier reports on how high-quality components can be made from recycled material using sandwich technology.
Dr. Volker Reichert, Managing Director of A&E Produktionstechnik GmbH
Dr. Volker Reichert began his career as a designer and later as head of process development at the injection molding machine manufacturer Sächsische Kunststofftechnik Freital. At the beginning of 2000 he founded A&E Produktionstechnik GmbH, which he still heads today as managing director. In his long career he has been involved in many developments, particularly in 2K injection molding technology. In his lecture together with Ralf Meier he shows how high-quality recycled components can be produced reproducibly using innovative tool and hot runner technology.
accompanying exhibition
Organizer
If you have any questions about the event, please contact:
or by phone:
+49 3583/54086-0
The event is co-financed by the European Union within the project “Green Future of the Border Region” from the resources of the European Regional Development Fund in the context of the cooperation program INTERREG Poland - Saxony 2021 - 2027.
