Fakuma 2026: Inaugural Innovation Awards Presented in Six Categories

The first-ever Fakuma Innovation Awards were presented on October 12, 2026, at the 30th Fakuma trade fair in Friedrichshafen, Germany. Organized by trade fair operator P. E. Schall in partnership with trade publication K-Zeitung, the awards recognized 18 companies and development partners across six categories. The ceremony took place in the East Foyer on the opening day of the exhibition.

The new awards aim to highlight technological advances that contribute to the development of the plastics industry. Entries were assessed on criteria including innovation, technical and economic benefits, and sustainability. To be eligible, innovations had to be showcased at Fakuma as commercially available products, functional prototypes, or live demonstrations.

Injection Molding
Anybrid GmbH took first place in the Injection Molding category with its compact, mobile "Flying Injection Molding Machine." Designed for direct integration into automated production lines, the approximately 150 kg unit enables functional plastic features to be injection-molded directly onto existing components. This eliminates the need to transfer parts to a conventional injection molding machine for additional processing steps.

Extrusion
Maag Germany GmbH secured first place in the Extrusion category. Among the company's latest innovations is the "extrex⁶ EC" gear pump, developed specifically for rigid PVC processing. Its design eliminates dead zones to minimize material buildup and thermal degradation of the temperature-sensitive PVC melt. By ensuring a consistent melt flow, the pump can also reduce the load on the extruder and improve overall energy efficiency.

Recycling
Untha Deutschland GmbH won first place in the Recycling category. The company is showcasing its new MR series of shredders, designed to handle demanding plastic waste streams. Suitable for materials ranging from thick-walled plastic parts to film bales and other difficult-to-process waste, the machines are engineered to provide robust, energy-efficient size reduction ahead of downstream recycling operations.

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<>Toolmaking, Moldmaking & Thermoforming
Leonhardt e.K. claimed first place in this category with an innovative approach to miniaturizing collapsible-core tooling. The company is presenting a collapsible core with a diameter of just 3 mm, enabling the demolding of very small injection-molded parts featuring internal undercuts. The technology opens up potential applications in precision engineering and medical technology, where increasingly complex miniature components are required.

Compounding & Materials
Syensqo received first place in the Compounding & Materials category for its high-performance polymer "Ryton PPS XE3500 OR." The orange-colored polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) grade has been developed specifically for electrical insulation of busbars used in high-voltage DC fast-charging systems.

According to Syensqo, the material combines high temperature resistance, dielectric strength, and impact toughness. The company is demonstrating its processing capabilities using an extruded busbar manufactured by Standard-Metallwerke.

Plastics Technology Enablers (Peripheral Equipment)
Austria-based royos joining solutions GmbH took first place in the Plastics Technology Enablers category with its "Polymer Stir Welding" process. The technology enables plastics to be joined to metals or wood without the need for additional adhesives, screws, or complex surface pretreatment.

The process is intended to expand design possibilities for hybrid lightweight structures while reducing the material and energy requirements associated with joining operations.

Independent Jury Representing Research, Industry and Trade Media
The winners were selected by an independent six-member expert jury comprising representatives from academia, industry, and the trade press.

The jury included Prof. Dr.-Ing. Christian Bonten of the Institute of Plastics Engineering (IKT) at the University of Stuttgart; Prof. Dr.-Ing. Christian Hopmann of the Institute for Plastics Processing (IKV) at RWTH Aachen University; Dr. Christine Bunte of Plastics Europe Deutschland; Dr.-Ing. Magnus Orth of igus; Simone M. Fischer of Ingenieurbüro Fischer; and Dominik Bechlarz of K-Zeitung.

Entries were evaluated against predefined criteria, with particular emphasis on technical performance, commercial relevance, and contributions to sustainability.

With the launch of the Fakuma Innovation Awards, the organizers aim to give greater visibility to technological developments across the plastics industry while encouraging closer exchange between technology developers, equipment manufacturers, and end users.

Fakuma 2026, Friedrichshafen, Germany, October 12–16, 2026

More information:
www.fakuma-messe.de, www.schall-messen.de, anybrid.de, maag.com, www.untha.com, www.leonhardt-tooling.de, www.syensqo.com, royos.at

P.E. Schall GmbH & Co. KG Messeunternehmen, Frickenhausen, Germany

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