IKV-Kolloquium 2010: 500 experts discuss the prospects for plastics technology

With 500 experts from 15 countries, plus 40 exhibitors, the 25th International Plastics Technology Colloquium 2010 organised by the Institut für Kunststoffverarbeitung (IKV), which looks back on a long tradition, was able to maintain its position as the rendezvous for the plastics sector. From 3 to 4 March, 60 speakers addressed the IKV’s guests, who had come from more than 250 companies and institutions, focussing on this year’s motto of “Plastics technology – looking ahead”.

The welcoming addresses of the Vice-Chancellor of RWTH Aachen University, Professor Ernst Schmachtenberg, the Lord Mayor of the City of Aachen, Marcel Philipp, and the President of the IKV’s Association of Sponsors, Professor Franz Brandstetter, underlined the positive situation of research, teaching and business in Aachen.

Professor Walter Michaeli, Head of the IKV and the Colloquium host, devoted his opening speech to the subject of research against the backdrop of the conflicting expectations of the university and industry. He stressed that, precisely in Aachen, the active transfer of research findings to specific industrial applications formed part of the basic understanding of research. This served to secure long-term competitive advantages for industry and also prosperity for society. The Colloquium also constituted part of this knowledge transfer. The award made to Professor em. Dr. Dr. h.c. Hartwig Höcker, former Head of the German Wool Research Institute (DWI) at RWTH Aachen University, was also related to this. He received the Georg Menges Prize 2010 in recognition of his versatile, untiring and altruistic commitment to establishing a climate conducive to communication and cooperation between science and industry.

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In recognition of outstanding integrative cooperation between scientists, the Young Researcher Award was presented for the first time in 2009 to researcher groups involved in the “Integrative production technology for high-wage countries” excellence cluster, including to scientists from the IKV. And the “Fibre-Reinforced-Plastics Study Prize” was donated by Dr.-Ing. Peter Ehrentraut for the second time. The award went to Dipl.-Ing. Robert Bastian from the IKV for his outstanding degree thesis entitled “Optimising the production of CRP bicycle frames by the prepreg process”. With his work, Bastian created the basis for a racing cycle frame in CRP which responds to the racing cyclists’ demands for greater stiffness with a lower weight.

The feedback from participants and exhibitors at the 2010 IKV Colloquium was highly positive overall. It has already been agreed that the next International Plastics Technology Colloquium will take place in 2012, in line with the standard schedule of a Colloquium every two years. The venue and the precise date are to be announced soon.

More Information: www.ikv-kolloquium.de, www.ikv-aachen.de

25. Int. Kunststofftechnisches Kolloquium, 3.-4. März 2010, Aachen

Institut für Kunststoffverarbeitung, Aachen

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