Kiefel partners with startup Watttron to market plastic-film heaters that reduce material and energy consumption

An enterprising startup and a well-established maker of plastics processing equipment have formed a partnership devoted to developing plastics molding innovations. Kiefel GmbH (Freilassing, Germany), which serves customers in the automotive, medical engineering, refrigeration and packaging industries, announced yesterday that it is teaming up with Watttron GmbH (Freital, Germany), a spin-off company from the Institute of Natural Materials Technology of the Technical University of Dresden and the Fraunhofer Institute for Process Engineering and Packaging Dresden. Watttron has developed smart heating systems that reduce material and energy consumption in the plastics processing, packaging, medical, pharmaceutical and food sectors. 

Watttron's heating technology forms the foundation of the partnership’s development goals, said Kiefel in a press release. The technology enables precise, targeted heating of surfaces by means of square heating pixels that can be individually controlled. Targeted heating combined with optimized flow of the plastic film adapted to the desired shape ensures a uniform wall thickness of molded parts. The technology allows plastics processor to use thinner plastic film, significantly reducing energy consumption. 

"We are excited about our partner's technology and look forward to contributing our industry experience to develop marketable solutions for the key industries of packaging, medical and automotive. This collaboration is a perfect example of the pioneering spirit of our company," commented Thomas J. Halletz, Managing Director of Kiefel. 

The international success of Kiefel GmbH in the packaging industry will serve as a basis for the industrial development and marketing of new products within the scope of this cooperation, said the company. Development teams from Kiefel subsidiaries Bosch Sprang and Mold & Matic will participate in the project.