European plastics and rubber machinery industry fall shy of global production growth

• Significant increase in global production in 2021
• Europe’s share of world production showing slight shrinkage
• China is world export leader for the first time
• OPC UA as world machine language – showcase at K 2022

Based on estimates, the global production of plastics and rubber machinery grew by 13 percent in 2021 and reached a new record level of 38.6 billion euros. China in particular stood out as a driver here, increasing its production by an above-average 15 percent. European plastics and rubber machinery manufacturers achieved a slightly below-average increase of 11 percent, and now account for 40 percent of global production. Although this means they continue to hold the lion’s share of global production, the figures also make it clear that the global plastics and rubber machinery sector has undergone a couple of shifts in recent years. In the past, the European share still accounted for almost 45 per cent.

The fact that China exported the most plastics and rubber machinery for the first time last year also fits this picture. The People’s Republic increased its exports by an impressive 28.2 percent to 5.7 billion euros, thus relegating Germany to second place, and resulting in it having to relinquish its title of world export leader, with 5.2 billion euros (plus 9.4 percent).

“In the medium term, companies in Europe will have to prepare themselves for a significantly higher price level, as raw materials and energy in particular, have become much more expensive. At the same time, the situation in the supplier is causing problems, plus, due to the increased uncertainty resulting from the war in Ukraine, processors are holding back on investments and therefore on new orders for machine manufacturers” stated Luciano Anceschi, President of the European umbrella organization of the most important national plastics and rubber machine manufacturers(EUROMAP), summing up the difficult situation.

“We have benefited from Covid, but now we have to brace ourselves for the fact that a saturation effect has occurred in large parts of our customer industries,and further growth will be difficult to achieve this year under the current conditions,” Anceschi continues. The European plastics and rubber machinery manufacturers are looking forwardto the K trade fair in October, in order to be able to present the performance of their machines and their technical innovations to their customers, with a view to circular economy and digitalisation.

OPC UA as a world machine language – showcase at K 2022

At K 2022, EUROMAP will demonstrate the OPC UA technology and the specifications for digital interfaces already available for plastics and rubbermachinery in action. Live data from connected machines can be accessed via an online dashboard by any trade fair visitor using a smartphone. Machine manufacturers worldwide can participate. This is aimed at making the great potential of platform-independent and manufacturer-independent machine-to- machine communication both visible and tangible.

Interoperability in production, i.e. the networking of all components within the production line, is considered a prerequisite for Industry 4.0. This gives machine operators the necessary access to production data, which allows them to monitor and control the processes for greater efficiency, traceability, condition monitoring through to machine learning, and artificial intelligence – and that in turn renders decisive competitive advantages for them.

The prerequisite for convenient “plug-and-play” networking is globally recognised, uniform standards for data exchange. The OPC UA standard as a global machine language is the perfect basis for the development of technical specifications for individual machines and components. After being initiated by VDMA and EUROMAP, the development of specifications is now taking place at a global level, together with the OPC Foundation and international partner associations.

Flourish: The e-commerce platform aims to bring producer stories and products to conscious consumers worldwide

With a conscious curation of ethically sourced, eco-friendly, and handmade products, Flourish is driven to impact artisan livelihoods at scale while being mindful of the planet.

The recently launched global e-commerce platform Flourish, is a brand that is not only fulfilling the needs of the conscious consumers but is also creating a sustainable
impact on the livelihood of the artisans who have created these products. The platform is curated with ethically sourced environment-friendly products across categories like apparel, jewelry, home
decor, toys, and accessories. Flourish aims to impact producer livelihoods by bringing their stories and products to conscious consumers worldwide. By ensuring the products are responsibly made
using natural raw materials that are good for the planet, Flourish is committed to being environmentally friendly. The Flourish framework is designed to make the consumer aware of where
the products come from, how they're made, and their impact on creating sustainable livelihoods for the producers and creators.

Co-created and co-convened by Industree Foundation, Flourish is visualized as a 100% producer- owned platform, where producers and producer groups are curated not only by their products but
also by their intentions and ability to pay fair wages all along the value chain. In addition to fair wages, producers and producer groups on the platform will also receive dividends when the
platform starts making profits. Flourish is also building a strong board of governance to involve thought leaders and well-wishers of India’s estimated 200 million artisans and the globe’s 1 Billion.

A landmark platform consciously curated with natural and ethically sourced products, it is aimed at the economic transformation of the millions of Indian and global artisans, paving the path for the
next Regenerative Economy. So far, brands like Anantaya, Sasha, Rangasutra, Khamir, Kaarigar Clinic, Avani, Kadam Haat, Iro Iro, Paiwand, Reva, and many more from various parts of India have been listed on the platform.

Cosmo Ferrites announces Vikas Puri as Business Head

for India operations

With 29 years of experience, Vikas will be responsible for devising strategies for effective day-to-day operations

a leading manufacturer and exporter of Soft Ferrites and an emerging player in wire wound magnetic components, today announced the appointment of Mr. Vikas Puri as Business Head for their operations in India. In his new role, Vikas will be responsible for devising strategical solutions to everyday operations and will be expected to strengthen Cosmo Ferrites’ presence in the fast-growing ferrites market space.

A seasoned business leader with above 29 years of experience, Vikas holds laurels of working in diverse areas of EMS, Automotive and Power Electronics. In his past tenures, he has served in a number of leadership roles, including Business Head (India) of Varroc Lighting Systems, Managing Director of Marquardt India Pvt. Ltd., SBU Head of Minda Stoneridge Instruments Ltd., and Director Operations of General Electric. Throughout his career, he has been driven by a passion to leverage innovation in product management to better enable providers to deliver best of the services.

Welcoming him, Mr. Pankaj Poddar, Group CEO, Cosmo Films and Cosmo Ferrites said, “I am delighted to welcome Vikas as our new Business Head for Ferrites operations in India. He has a sharp business acumen with a knowledge of diverse sectors. His experience in building effective portfolios and achieving market leadership through winning teams make him a great asset at Cosmo Ferrites. We look forward to working with him and welcome his inputs in attaining our strategic goals.”

Commenting on his new role, Mr. Vikas Puri, Business Head, Cosmo Ferrites Limited said, “I am honoured to take up this responsibility that the company has entrusted me with. With Cosmo Ferrites operating at record levels and with a deep and talented leadership bench in place, it is now time for me to add value from my role. I will be exploring uncharted avenues to grow our business through various initiatives. I am obsessed with enhancing business practices with innovation, and I will ensure Cosmo Ferrites continues to be at the forefront of ferrites industry.”

Vikas has done his Bachelor of Engineering in Electronics & Communication from SDM College of engineering and is an alumnus of National Institute of Labour Education Madras.

TPEs for thrilling deep-sea fishing

KRAIBURG TPE, a global manufacturer of thermoplastic elastomers (TPE)and custom TPE solutions for a variety of industries, offers the GP/AP and FC/S TPE series of compounds to fulfil the design and performance specifications for deep sea fishing gear.

A fishing expedition to the deep parts of an ocean is rewarding with trophies of big game fishing. While deep sea fishing is a leisurely pastime, it does require a high level of mastery, technique, and physical stamina. As such, quality fishing equipment is important. Equipment such as fishing rods, indicators, fishing lines, gear spinning reels, pliers, lures, safety
features and more need to be customized to suit the type of fish to be caught.

That is why materials such as thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) are beingused to improve the functionality, durability, and safety of fishing gear, related accessories and features.

KRAIBURG TPE’s innovative materials offers high-quality, custom- engineered TPE compounds that come in a wide range of hardness from super-soft (< 10 shore A) up to 66 shore D to fulfil the variety of applications required for fishing equipment.

Non-slip, comfortable handling for fishing equipment

KRAIBURG TPE’s GP/AP series of compounds offer advantages such astactile sense of the surface and texture for fishing equipment to enhance the immersive experience of deep-sea fishing.

The compounds also provide dry haptics, optimized flow properties, and good PP adhesion to a variety of equipment, allowing for flexibility in designs. Deep sea anglers not only benefit from fishing gear designs but the newer designs also safeguard the fragile marine ecosystem.

The compounds are pre-colored and can be colored in a variety of shades, ensuring global color consistency for a variety of fishing equipment, including fishing rod handles, fishing bite indicators, anti-slip grips, and more

Choice for soft, safe material for fish baits

KRAIBURG TPE’s FC/S series of compounds is an extremely soft materialwith excellent dry and pleasant surface haptics. It has high resilience, good elasticity, and optimized mechanical properties at low hardness, allowing for use in applications such as fishing bait that mimics the real bait.

The series also complies with Regulation (EU) No 10/2011, US FDA CFR 21 (raw material conformity), EN71-3 and ISO 10993-10 (skin irritation), since it
is free of animal ingredients and silicones.

The colorable translucent and transparent compounds can be used to produce hair rig boilies bait, which is a fishing method that allows a bait to be presented without sitting directly on the fishing hook and requires a soft material like TPE.

Other possible related TPE applications include belt, spinning reels, reel turning knob, long nose plier grips, binoculars’ surface, lip grippers, gripping device, and more.

Sustainability successes of our TPE

Besides the material for fishing equipment, KRAIBURG TPE’s recent sustainability innovations include a specially developed material solution for automotive, consumer, and industry applications comprising post-consumer recycled (PCR) and post-industrial recycled (PIR) content.

Are you looking for a sustainable TPE solution? Talk to us!

Our experts are happy to answer any questions you have, as well as to offer the right solution for your application.

SABIC, Tesco, Heinz & Berry join forces in closed-loop project for Heinz Beanz Snap Pots based on certified circular PP

• SABIC has teamed up with Heinz, Tesco and Berry in an innovative recycling trial in the UK designed to close the loop on soft plastic food packaging
• Used soft plastic packaging collected from Tesco stores is used to produce certified circular polypropylene as part of SABIC’s TRUCIRCLE™ portfolio

 SABIC, a global leader in the chemical industry, has joined forces with Heinz, Tesco and Berry in an innovative recycling trial in the UK designed to close the loop on soft plastic food packaging. Flexible plastic packaging collected from Tesco stores has been used to produce certified circular polypropylene (PP) from SABIC’s TRUCIRCLE™ portfolio for microwavable Heinz Beanz Snap Pots, made from 39% recycled soft plastic. The transformation of the industry towards a circular economy requires unprecedented innovation and intensive collaboration across the value chain. SABIC is at the forefront of this journey, and this latest achievement is yet another example of the company’s commitment to accelerate the change and ensure that plastic products are designed, produced, used and recycled more sustainably.

Consumers are encouraged to return soft plastic packaging to collection points set up at Tesco stores. A portion of this collected plastic packaging is converted into recycled oils, called TACOIL, through a thermal anaerobic conversion process. SABIC uses the oil to produce certified circular polypropylene of the same quality as virgin resin. With these polymer pellets, Berry Global, a leading supplier of innovative packaging solutions, then manufactures the new Beanz Snap Pots and sends them to Heinz for filling with Beanz and delivery to Tesco. Once emptied, the pots and sleeves can be returned to kerbside collection points.

The collaboration aligns with SABIC’s TRUCIRCLE program and the company’s commitment to drive the transformation of the plastic packaging economy towards circularity. “We are happy to reaffirm our role as a provider of unique circular solutions,” states Lada Kurelec, General Manager PP, PET, PS, PVC, PU & Elastomers Businesses for Petrochemicals at SABIC. “Next to the material know-how, we have brought value chain partners together and provided crucial elements such as support with certification processes or life-cycle assessment calculations, all while helping to prevent valuable used plastics from being lost to landfill or incineration.”

The Snap Pots recycling trial is part of Heinz’s global pledge aimed at making 100% of its packaging recyclable, reusable or compostable by 2025. Jojo de Noronha, President Northern Europe at Heinz, says: “We’re proud to have teamed up with experts in the field of advanced recycling and sustainable packaging to bring this important innovation to our customers. Our hope is that this prompts an industry-wide look at what more can be done to address the lack of soft plastics being recycled in the UK, and we can, as a collective, get better when it comes to developing new packaging solutions that are both good for both our consumers and for our planet.”

Jean-Marc Galvez, President of Berry Global’s Consumer Packaging International Division, said: “This is a prime example of an innovative advancement in circular packaging design made possible by collaboration across the entire value chain. This type of circular approach helps capture and reuse plastics that currently go unrecycled to keep materials in use and out of our oceans and landfills.”

To date flexible packaging has been difficult to recycle, and until 2020 just 6% of soft plastic packaging was being recycled in the UK[1]. Tesco started collecting soft plastic in all its large stores in 2021 to help plug this recycling gap in the UK. The Heinz and Tesco project with certified circular polymer from SABIC is considered a breakthrough with the potential of a real game changer. James Bull, Tesco’s Head of Packaging, said: “This innovative collaboration is one of the ways that soft plastic returned to stores by our customers will be recycled into new food-grade packaging. After doing everything we can to remove and reduce plastic, we want to develop circular recycling solutions so that used packaging can be recycled back into packaging again.”

The new Heinz Beanz microwavable pots are made with 39% of certified circular SABIC® PP homopolymer suitable for injection molded or thermoformed food packaging products. The material meets the requirements of food-contact safety regulations and is a true drop-in solution to replace virgin PP in this thin-wall application without compromising processability or mechanical performance. The recycled content in the Snap Pots is validated by mass balance according to the International Sustainability & Carbon Certification (ISCC) PLUS program.

SABIC’s certified circular polymers form part of the company’s TRUCIRCLE portfolio and services for circular solutions. The offering also includes design for recyclability, mechanically recycled products, certified renewable polymers from bio-based feedstock and closed loop initiatives to recycle plastic back into high quality applications and help prevent valuable used plastics from becoming waste.

1. Collect – Post-consumer soft plastic packaging which would otherwise be incinerated or taken to landfill is collected at Tesco stores nationwide
2. Convert – The collected packaging is then converted using a thermal anaerobic conversion process into an optimal oil feedstock
3. Transform – SABIC takes the recycled oil and uses it as alternative feedstock in the production process to manufacture virgin, food-contact approved polymer pellets
4. Create – On site at its ISCC-certified manufacturing sites, sustainable packaging specialist Berry Global then applies its thermoforming capabilities to mould the food-contact approved polymer pellets made with 39% recycled plastics based on a mass-balance approach into new, post-consumer recyclable Snap Pots
5. Recycle – Finally, the completed Snap Pots are sent to Heinz to be filled with Beanz and delivered back to Tesco stores. Once used, the pots can be recycled as part of kerbside collections

[1] WRAP https://wrap.org.uk/resources/guide/creating-circular-economy-flexible-plastic-packaging#

Ascend to focus on driving e-mobility, sustainability and growth at K 2022

Ascend Performance Materials previewed some corporate updates and highlights in advance of K 2022 at a recent press conference in Rotterdam. Under the theme of “Advancing Together”, Ascend outlined the ways it is helping customers solve some of the most pressing technical challenges globally.

Among the highlights:

Ascend is committed to executing its sustainability strategy built around the pillars of empowering people, innovating solutions and operating without compromise. The company has made a public commitment across a broad range of sustainability goals, including the reduction of its greenhouse gas emissions by 80% by 2030.

Toward that goal, the company continues to invest significant capital across its manufacturing locations to utilize a greater percentage of renewable energy and the reduction of emissions. It recently installed cogeneration units at its plant in Decatur, Ala which reduced the overall environmental footprint by 80%. The company’s advances in the area of cogeneration contributed to its second consecutive win of the American Chemistry Council’s Responsible Care Initiative of the Year.

Ascend also announced it will begin using bio-based feedstock and outlined its plans to achieve ISCC+ certification for its production throughout the nylon chain. By 2023, the company will offer bio-based acrylonitrile, hexamethylene diamine and polyamides.

“We have a dedicated and growing team working throughout Ascend, helping us advance sustainability across every facet of our company,” said Chris Johnson, Ascend’s director of sustainability. “Our commitment to sustainability extends far beyond our fence line. We’ve implemented a Design with Sustainability in Mind process for our products to ensure they have sustainability benefits.”

Mr. Johnson touted Acteev as an example of a product with sustainable benefits because of its long-lasting and durable odor-fighting properties.

SK Capital, Ascend’s parent company, recently appointed Anne Kolton, former executive vice president for sustainability at the American Chemistry Council, as chief sustainability officer to oversee sustainability initiatives at each of their companies.

Advancing engineered materials. Together.

As a fully integrated producer of durable materials, Ascend has a unique ability to tailor polyamide polymer chemistry and global compounding expertise. These traits combined with deep application engineering and end-market knowledge, allow the company to serve a wide variety of customers, including those focused on e-mobility, electrification, connectivity, renewable energy and packaging through its expanded portfolio. Among the highlighted products were:

Vydyne® Thermaplus: A new technology platform of high-temperature, high-ductile PA66 for fasteners; designed as a smarter replacement for PA46.
Starflam® flame-retardant polyamides: A full portfolio of UL yellow card-certified FR materials designed to meet a variety of performance requirements.
HiDura™: A growing portfolio of long-chain polyamides for consumer goods and connectors, as well as copolymers for films that make packaging more durable.
Dr. Steve Manning, senior director for engineered materials, also expanded upon the company’s string of recent acquisitions.

“Since 2018, we have added six manufacturing facilities globally,” said Dr. Manning. “Each one not only brought us closer to our customers, but also brought us unique capabilities; from the flame-retardant materials from Eurostar Engineering Plastics to masterbatches and recycling from Poliblend and EssetiPlast.”

The company has also established technical centers in Detroit, Suzhou and Fosses, and announced plans for a hexamethylene diamine plant in Lianyungang, China, increasing production of a key precursor for PA66.

Advancing e-mobility. Together.

Ascend’s e-range is a combination of the company’s manufacturing capabilities, product portfolio and application development expertise. Ascend’s dedicated e-mobility team, which was founded in 2018, has been providing the e-mobility market with high-performance solutions focused on safe power infrastructure, a secure and comfortable ride, and reliable thermal management.

With a portfolio of high-temperature, hydrolysis-resistant and flame-retardant materials, Ascend has worked with leading manufacturers on critical applications to improve the performance and safety of electric vehicles.

Ascend’s team of e-mobility application development engineers and polymer scientists created a novel solution to dampen noise, vibration and harshness in electric vehicles. EV motors produce vibrations at 10 times the frequency of internal combustion engines, making standard automotive under-the-hood dampening materials less effective.

Vydyne AVS is a new engineered material effective at dampening high-frequency vibrations at the motor, which translates into an 80% reduction in cabin sound pressure.

“Ultimately, the success of EVs relies on overcoming the barriers of adoption,” said Ian van Duijvenboode, senior director for e-mobility at Ascend. “We are focused on improving the passenger experience while simultaneously creating solutions that reduce complexity and weight.”

Ascend will exhibit at K 2022 in Düsseldorf, Germany from Oct. 19-26 at stand 6A07.

Plastics Industry Association Names New Equipment Council Director

WASHINGTON, D.C.—The Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS) has announced that Whitney Taveras, the association’s Director of Financial Planning and Analysis, has moved to the role of Equipment Council Director. In this new role, Taveras directs the activities of a council representing PLASTICS largest constituent group, consisting of companies that manufacture and otherwise deal in plastics machinery and molds.

“Having worked behind the scenes in finance, I have had the opportunity to interface with staff and members throughout the association,” said Taveras. “I’m excited about the opportunity to bring the perspective I’ve developed to this new role, especially in terms of member engagement and representing the interests of our Equipment Council members. They are passionate about this industry, and so am I.”

“We are extremely excited to have Whitney take the lead as Equipment Council Director,” said Glenn Anderson, COO of PLASTICS. “Her experience and background ideally position her for success in our efforts to take the very best care of our largest and most engaged council.”

This new role has added significance for Taveras, whose father was the late and much-respected Bill Carteaux, longtime CEO of PLASTICS and member of the Plastics Hall of Fame. “I keep my father’s Hall of Fame award on my desk, and think of him every day,” said Taveras. “I can never hope to fill his shoes, but I do see this new role as an opportunity to continue his legacy of dedication to our industry and support for our members. I hope he’s proud of me.”

“The Equipment Council is at the heart of our association and I’m very glad to have them in such good hands,” said Matt Seaholm, CEO of PLASTICS. “With Whitney as their Director, I know the council will only grow stronger in the coming years.”

Taveras started her tenure at PLASTICS in 2015 as Staff Accountant and went on to hold the positions of Senior Accountant, Manager of Financial Planning and Analysis, and then Director of Financial Planning and Analysis. Prior to joining PLASTICS, she held various managerial roles in the field of residential property management. She is a graduate of Baldwin Wallace College (now Baldwin Wallace University) with a bachelor’s degree in Marketing.

SABIC COLLABORATES WITH UPM RAFLATAC TO LAUNCH THE WORLD’S FIRST LABEL MATERIAL MADE FROM CERTIFIED CIRCULAR OCEAN BOUND PLASTIC

• UPM Raflatac’s new Ocean Action label is the first made using SABIC’s certified circular polyolefins for packaging label applications
• Recovered ocean bound plastic (OBP) that has the potential to end up in our rivers and oceans is certified by Zero Plastic Oceans and Control Union
• The value chain collaboration with UPM Raflatac demonstrates how ocean bound plastic can be brought back into a circular material stream for conversion into high quality packaging labels

SABIC, a global leader in the chemical industry, has joined an innovative project with value chain partners to help UPM Raflatac launch the world’s first packaging label materials made from SABIC ® certified circular polypropylene (PP) based on advanced recycled ocean bound plastic (OBP). The label materials are marketed under the UPM Raflatac Ocean Action trademark.

“We are proud to offer our customers another more sustainable choice through the advanced recycling of used plastic that could otherwise end up in our rivers and oceans,” adds Lada Kurelec, General Manager PP, PET, PS, PVC, PU & Elastomers Businesses for Petrochemicals at SABIC. “These labels containing ocean bound plastic connect with our TRUCIRCLE ™ program of circular solutions designed to help reduce plastic waste, mitigate fossil depletion and protect our planet.”

Ocean bound plastic is abandoned plastic waste found in areas up to 50 km inland from waterways that may eventually be washed into the ocean by rainfall, rivers or tides. Zero Plastic Oceans, a non-governmental organization dedicated to addressing plastic pollution issues, has estimated that OBP from uncontrolled waste disposal accounts for 80 percent of marine plastic litter.

”The new innovative Ocean Action label material is the latest step in our beyond fossils journey. It does not only help prevent the plastic waste from ending up in the oceans but also offers brand owners the possibility to meet their recycled content targets for packaging. The Ocean Action label material is an easy-to-use drop-in solution created especially for food and cosmetics end-uses as it has exactly the same performance as the current fossil-based labels,” says Eliisa Laurikainen, Business Development Manager from UPM Raflatac. The OBP used in the project is recovered by local partners of HHI, a Malaysia based recycling company. The sustainable sourcing, proper collection and management of the OBP is certified by Zero Plastic Oceans and Control Union. HHI converts OBP into a pyrolysis oil by using advanced recycling, and SABIC uses this oil as an alternative feedstock to produce certified circular SABIC PP polymer for further processing to film by Taghleef. Then, UPM Raflatac produces the label material.

The plastic waste used in the process value chain of making Ocean Action label material is certified under the Zero Plastics Oceans program, and the final label material under ISCC PLUS. This means that the material flow is controlled and tracked from the ocean bound plastic to the final packaging following a set of predefined and transparent rules.

The Ocean Action label material is available as White and Clear Top Coated PP films with RP37, RF37, and RP74 adhesives and PET 23 PCR and glassine liners. These label materials are a perfect fit for fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG), such as household goods, personal care, packaged foods, and beverages. Since the certified circular PP from SABIC performs the same way as comparable fossil-based virgin PP, the switch to the OBP material solution required no changes to the film and label material manufacturing processes.

SABIC’s certified circular polymers form part of the company’s TRUCIRCLE portfolio and services for circular solutions. The offering also includes design for recyclability, mechanically recycled products, certified renewable polymers from bio-based feedstock and closed loop initiatives to recycle plastic back into high quality applications and help prevent valuable used plastics from becoming waste.

K 2022 Benefits From New Hepa Filters In The Exhibition Halls

Messe Düsseldorf ensures highest air quality

Messe Düsseldorf is coming up with a new technical highlight: HEPA filters. These high-efficiency particulate air filters introduce clinically clean air into the halls while at the same time reducing heating and cooling energy consumption. By the end of June 2022, the complete Düsseldorf Exhibition and Congress Centre will be equipped with HEPA filters.

It is the most effective air cleaning technology currently available: HEPA filters remove 99.9% of viruses, bacteria and other particulates from the air and release the cleaned air into the room again. These high-efficiency filters make for highest air quality in ORs, at Intensive Care Units and now also at Messe Düsseldorf and Düsseldorf Congress. Halls 1, 9 to 17 as well as Congress Center Düsseldorf CCD have already been refitted. 80% of the EUR 1.4 million invested were paid by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection as part of a funding programme.

Infection risk reduced to a minimum

Stressing the advantages for the re-start, Wolfram N. Diener, President & CEO of Messe Düsseldorf, says: “Our new HEPA filters help to ensure that we can offer all guests the greatest possible protection during our trade fairs. In combination with our high-performance ventilation system, our voluntary hygiene measures, our spacious premises and halls, we reduce the infection risk to a minimum. After two pandemic years and a period of intense digital communication participants can feel safe when networking, initiating business deals and experiencing innovations in person again.”

Contribution to sustainability

HEPA filters complement and relieve the already powerful ventilation systems at Messe Düsseldorf. The fully automatic system with 60,000 measuring points safeguards optimal air quality and supplies the halls with ten million cubic metres of fresh outside air via ten kilometres of ventilation pipes every hour. Bernhard J. Stempfle, Managing Director Finance and Infrastructure, emphasises the efficiency: “HEPA filters reduce the heating and cooling energy consumption of our ventilation systems and enable their energetically sensible operation. When outside temperatures are low we can mix the outside air supplied with warm hall air, thereby reducing the heating requirements and still achieve clinically clean incoming air. This means that the HEPA filters also make an important contribution to sustainable trade fairs.”

Additional infection protection is not only provided by the HEPA filters and ventilation systems but also by Messe Düsseldorf’s voluntary hygiene measures. The trade fair company continues recommending attendees to wear medical face masks and keep a 1.5 m distance from other persons on the fairgrounds. Furthermore, Messe Düsseldorf makes sanitizing dispensers available and has frequently used contact surfaces cleaned several times daily. Distance markings in waiting areas help to prevent crowds from forming in front of information counters and ticket offices. Doors, unless they are fire doors, are left open so that they can be passed through contactless. Transparent droplet guards at service and information counters will also remain in place.