K-NEWS 2020 EN

ISSUE | 14
The customer magazine by Kautex Maschinenbau
Expertise – Communication – Innovation
Three pillars for a successful
customer relationship
Sustainability as guiding principle
Energy efficiency and modern processing
techniques for post consumer regrinds
Reorganization
Optimized processes to generate
added value
www.kautex-group.com

2
04 | Customer Experience
Our guiding principle
06 | Undergoing change
An interview with Andreas Lichtenauer
and Thomas Hartkämper
08 | New heads in the management team
10 | Our commitment to
sustainability From sustainably
grown raw materials to processing
post-consumer regrinds
12 | Our customers and us
2 success stories
16 | WT extrusion heads and
RapidXchange
New technologies for higher production
efficiency
18 | Pre-acceptance runs by video livestream
Satisfied customers and cost savings
Newsflash
19 K-Foam
20 Flash-Event
20 DataCap
21 Modernization instead of replacement
22 | Composite Liner XXL
First blow molded hydrogen liner
made from polyamide
24 | A year of anniversaries
85 – 60 – 25
Three reasons to be proud

ISSUE | 14
EDITORIAL 3
Dear business partners
and friends
Publisher
Kautex Maschinenbau GmbH
Kautexstraße 54
53229 Bonn · Germany
T +49 228 489-0
F +49 228 489-414
info@kautex-group.com
www.kautex-group.com
Responsible
Communication and Marketing
Kautex Maschinenbau GmbH
Date of publication
June 2020
The coronavirus pandemic
is keeping many of us in
suspense. Here at Kautex,
we fortunately reacted early
and introduced comprehensive
safety measures so that we
were able to maintain our
machine production and
continued to deliver without
any restrictions. But these times
also provide opportunities to
try something new. Recently,
we started presenting our latest
technology virtually. The first
virtual Flash Event in April
enabled 130 customers from
across the globe to get to know
our new Kautex KSB10 machine
in continuous test mode and, at
the same time, communicate
directly with our experts.
Independently of the current events, we are continuing to drive
forward the transformation process started in 2019 as well as our
product offensive in the areas of packaging and specialties. In
addition, we have brought further experts on board (see pages
8 – 9). They will provide support for us to realize our ambitious
targets. The fact is, we are an innovation-driven company in blow
molding technology that continues to lead the way as shown by
our recent success in the production of hydrogen liners made of
polyamide plus our K-Foam and RapidXchange technologies.
I hope you enjoy a thought-provoking read and I look forward
to your feedback.
Yours
Andreas Lichtenauer
CSO Kautex Maschinenbau

4

ISSUE | 14
5
Three pillars of successful
customer relations:
Expertise – communication
– innovation
Customer service: Put structures to
the test and form cross-functional
teams to fulfill customer requirements
faster and better.
Markets change. Most companies face worldwide
competition due to globalization. With increasing
speed, we have to react to change to give our own
company an advantage over the competition and secure
our own market position. This requires strong partners who
are in a position to put ideas into practice quickly and flexibly
and to bring them to market. Partners with special know-how
and with appropriate structures. We have been among
the leading experts worldwide in the sector of extrusion blow
molding technology for decades.
However, expertise is not enough on its own. Process
operations and communication must be designed to provide
customers with optimum support and positive experiences.
From a customer perspective, better accessibility, quick reaction
times and expert support come first. The widespread pillar
structure, with each section more or less working for
themselves, no longer fits the bill. Instead, we utilize crossfunctional
teams, which coordinate and control customer
projects across all sections from provision of the offer up to
the installation of the finished machine. This avoids
breakdowns in communication and process handling. That puts
you in a better position to receive products from us quickly,
that best meet your requirements.
olegdudko/123rf.com
Put us to the test. We invite you to take on the competition in
blow molding technology together with us. Let us know what is
on your mind and let us seek innovative solutions together. You
can reach us any time via our hotline – 24/7. Brochures and data
sheets on our machines and service products are available to
download. You can visit our YouTube channel to look at a wide
range of machine applications. And please send us your feedback
– as that is part and parcel of successful customer relations.

6
Change at Kautex
Interview with Andreas Lichtenauer
and Thomas Hartkämper
Our society is changing. CO 2
reduction,
sustainability and the maintenance of our
natural resources are issues that motivate
people worldwide. One sector particularly
affected by that is the plastics industry.
Kautex is part of that. As a machine-building
company, how do you respond to the changed
framework and needs of your customers?
Thomas Hartkämper
As one of the leading manufacturers of
extrusion blow molding machines, here at
Kautex Maschinenbau, we set a new course for
change early on. That particularly includes our
commitment to sustainability. We want to be
pioneers in this area. Today, our systems and
technology are already trend-setting in terms of
efficiency, energy and resource consumption and
our system solutions are already optimized for
the processing of recyclates. For a long time,
we have tested different products and set up a
PCR database that contains all processing
parameters for the blow molding process. In
addition, we are making a massive investment
in understanding article design and functionality
of our customers and products. Through radical
weight reduction, we create verifiable added
value. That has been completely underestimated
up to now by the public, but plastic and
Kautex are making a massive contribution to
saving our planet and resources. Our global
Kautex team will press ahead with even greater
determination in the future.
It‘s not only market conditions that are
changing. Kautex is also currently in a process
of transformation. What are the company‘s
targets with the restructuring?
Andreas Lichtenauer
In the past few months, we have initiated
numerous processes that will contribute to
securing and extending our outstanding position
in the worldwide plastics machine market
over the long term. We are shaping this
transformation process together with our
customers and partners to generate added value.
To do that, we have strengthened our team over
recent months with the addition of more experts
who will drive this process forward, together
with us. With our system solutions, technology
and services, we want to offer our customers the
best possible support and give them decisive
competitive advantages. Here we are not
limiting ourselves to our extrusion blow molding
machines and extrusion heads, but we are also
offering system solutions that cover the whole
production chain. We want to reduce waiting
times and, as a partner for our customers,
offer solutions that are ideally customized to
the requirements of their appropriate target
markets. That begins with the processing of
offers through our newly formed ‘Center of
Competence‘. Here, our customers will receive at
an early stage, a tailored and well designed
offer. For the automotive and packaging areas,
we also have set up a central product application
management (PAM) system that develops
customer-oriented solutions.

ISSUE | 14
7
You have created a new section, ‘Operations‘.
What is the background?
Thomas Hartkämper
The basic idea of our changes go under the
headline ‘Lean‘. In German-speaking countries
lean is unfortunately a negative concept which
is why we have reduced it in our global
communication, vision and mission to the two
core elements of process and leadership
excellence. In recent months, we have carried
out cross-process value stream mapping at the
main production sites in Bonn and Shunde, with
the aim of eliminating all types of waste across
departments and processes. We want to
introduce more fluency to production and
develop from a specialist machine manufacturer,
to a small-series machine manufacturer. That
has led to new and optimized processes and –
derived from that – new forms of organization.
In future, hierarchies will play a secondary role.
Under the Operations section, we bring together
order management, production planning and
control, pre- and final assembly as well as system
start-up. The team have done a fantastic job in
recent months and we have been able to achieve
massive reductions in delivery time for all
products based on the optimized processes.
What impact do the changes have on the
company and how have you been able to deal
with the coronavirus pandemic in the middle
of this process?
Andreas Lichtenauer
The initiated changes are already having a
positive effect on the whole company structure.
We are now in the position to react much
quicker and respond to individual customer
requirements. Fortunately!
That proved to be successful at the start of
the coronavirus pandemic when we effectively
implemented the widest range of measures
with the aim of ”remaining 100% productive“
to remain operational during this time and
be there for our customers.
But that‘s just the start of a far-reaching product
offensive, in the areas of packaging and
specialties, we are undertaking in the next
months and years. The first results are, for
example, our new WT extrusion heads. They
have been developed for packaging applications
and, in combination with our RapidXchange
technology, enable significantly faster color
and material changes as well as considerably
improved melt qualities and material
throughput.
Thank you very much for this interview.
Andreas Lichtenauer and
Thomas Hartkämper from
the management team

8
New heads
in the management team
We have brought further support on
board to strengthen central regions
and business areas
Jorge Cuevas Martín – Global
Service Manager
A new member of the team since May 2020 is Jorge
Cuevas Martín (51). As Global Service Manager, he
coordinates our service provision with our regional teams
and decentralized parts distribution centers and he will
expand these with a customer-oriented focus.
»We want to offer our customers
the best possible support for
adapting their production to the
current market conditions. Customer
service is our big plus.
Admir Dobraca – CEO North
America
»
The Kautex Group is experiencing
a great development. I‘m glad I
will have the opportunity to
make a personal contribution to the
Admir Dobraca (41) took over as CEO at Kautex
success of this innovative company.
Machines Inc. in the USA in February 2020.
He succeeds Bill Farrant and will strengthen and
extend our presence in the North American market.
Julia Keller – Chief Financial
Officer
Julia Keller (42) took charge of commercial
management in April 2020 in addition to
her role in Human Resources. The business
studies graduate, specialized in finance
and human resources, succeeds Frank Röhrlein,
who has now retired.
»For me, open communication, listening,
inspiring, supporting and challenging are
core factors for successfully implementing
change in the company.

ISSUE | 14
9
Michael Müller – Global Sales
Director Packaging
Mechanical engineer Michael Müller (49)
took over as Global Sales Director Packaging
at the end of April. Müller is a packaging
specialist and knows the international
market inside out. He will make a significant
contribution to guiding and promoting our
packaging sales branch.
»As a system provider, Kautex
has the opportunity to be
a key partner in the customer‘s
value chain from granules to
the finished product.
Dhanny Mulyanto – Head of
Global Supply Chain Management
»Kautex is changing and moving
forward, and is a pioneer in many
areas. I find the opportunity
to work in this kind of environment
extremely exciting and inspiring.
From March 1, 2020, Danny Mulyanto (38) has
strengthened our Change team as the new Head of
Global Supply Chain Management. He will optimize
our supply chain in terms of customer orientation and
ensure the availability and quality of our products.
Follow us on social media
– and stay up to date

Foamed PCR in middle layer
10
Sustainability –
Exemplary processing of
recycling materials
Circular Economy: On the development
for the optimized processing of recyclates
(PCR), measures for cost optimization and
improvement of the carbon footprint.
The use of recyclates is a crucial factor on the way to
a closed-loop economy in the plastics industry. The PCR
materials currently available and used by customers
have highly variable quality and characteristics. In
particular, budget commodity quality can lead to
process fluctuations and loss of quality due to impurities
in the blow molding processes. With premium quality,
which is prepared more intensively, challenges, such as
hose length fluctuations or formation of holes due to
impurities in the material, appear considerably less
often. In addition, plastic processors have a very variable
level of experience in processing these materials. These
findings come from our customer survey on the use
of recycled plastics at the K-Messe 2019 trade fair.
This feedback coincides with our own experiences. As
part of our Replax project (recycling of plastics by
Kautex) for the investigation of new possibilities, we
tested the material characteristics of PCR plastics (Post
Consumer Regrind) before customers go into series
production with it. Visitors to our exhibition at the
Technikum in Bonn can examine examples of the tested
materials from different manufacturers.
dennis.dube@kautex-group.com
SUSTAINABLE
material
FOSSIL
material

ISSUE | 14
11
Fossil raw material
Sustainable raw material
Machine
Process
Cycle time
Top load
Material
Recycable
Weight
KBB60D
ReCo3
13 seconds
220N
HDPE
Yes
48g
Machine
Process
Cycle time
Top load
Material
Recycable
Weight
KBB60D
ReCo3, foamed middle layer
13 seconds
230N
I‘m green TM polyethylene and PCR (Braskem)
Yes
39g
Ahead of K-show 2019, we also carried
out tests with our partner Braskem within
the scope of these trials. The aim was to
produce a plastic bottle as sustainable as
possible. The result is a triple-layered bottle
that uses a renewable raw material in
the external and internal layers, with the
middle layer made of a premium recycling
material. In order to reduce the
consumption of materials and to lower the
costs of the expensive recycling material,
the middle layer was foamed using our
K-Foam process. By maintaining the cycle
time and all mechanical characteristics, it
was possible to reduce the amount of
material in the bottle by 18%.
This example shows that it is possible
now to achieve a financially interesting
use of PCR materials using Kautex
technology. From a technical point of
view, all Kautex blow molding machines
are capable of processing such materials.
We will be happy to advise interested
customers.

12
KBB machines meet stringent
requirements of the pharmaceutical
industry
Röchling Medical, a division in the
Röchling Group, is installing two new
KBB machines at its site in Neuhaus
am Rennweg, Germany. The allelectric
blow molding machines meet
the exacting GMP C class clean room
requirements and ensure the complete
transfer of operating data from
production. The new high-performance
machines will make an important
contribution to increasing the revenues
generated by the Medical division
in the group as a whole.
We selected the Kautex
machines because they
provide us with the highest standards
and required production reliability at
all times. Kautex has unparalleled
technical expertise that encompasses
the entire extrusion process and has
actively supported us effectively also
at short notice. The new machines are
not just helping us achieve our
commercial targets. They are also
supporting our sustainability aims.
Alexander Stauch,
Managing Director BU
Medical Europe

ISSUE | 14
13
The Röchling Group, headquartered
in Mannheim, Germany, is one
of the world‘s leading plastics
processing companies. The
Röchling Medical division offers
its customers a wide range of
high quality components and
assemblies through to complete
OEM products. Röchling Medical
has a global workforce of around
1,200 employees at six locations.
Its product portfolio also includes
standard plastic products with
special expertise in the areas of
diagnostics, fluid management,
pharmaceuticals and surgery
& interventional. These skills are
complemented by extended
services for Development and
Regulatory Affairs through
to the approval of a complete
medical product.
At the Neuhaus site, hollow plastic
bodies of all sizes, consisting of
up to 6 layers, are manufactured,
using standard manufacturing
Pharmaceutical
packaging from
Röchling Medical
processes, combinations of
different plastics and multi-layer
processes. Everything, from
development to series production,
takes place there.
Safe, reliable production processes
are especially important for
pharmaceutical products. Errors
in the production process,
variations in product quality and
microbial contamination can have
direct consequences for the
health of people and animals.
For this reason, Röchling Medical
manufactures, processes and
packs all its products under
controlled clean room conditions.
As part of the modernization
and expansion strategy at the
Neuhaus site, the company has
now brought two KBB extrusion
blow molding machines into
operation. These are the latest
generation of the all-electric high
performance machines. They
operate at high speeds, with
outstanding precision, and are
highly energy-efficient. These
machines supplied to Röchling
Medical have been fitted with
digital industrial features,
including sensors for transferring
vital operating data.
Protecting the environment and
improving living and environmental
conditions are at the heart of
Röchling‘s company goals. When
planning production processes, the
issues how plastic waste can be
reduced and its reuse be increased is
always considered . It‘s therefore
hardly surprising that KBB machine
operators at Röchling are being
trained on the digital twins of the
KBB series: the virtual machines.
Kautex developed these simulators
so that customers can be trained
without using materials or energy
unnecessarily. One of Kautex‘s goals
is to reduce granulate loss in its
actual processes to zero percent.
The machines are already designed
for low-waste production. Despite,
the company is striving to further
reduce the amount of flashing
generated in the production
process. Producers such as Röchling
Medical are currently unable
to process recycled material.
At present, the recycled materials
recuperated from mechanical
recycling processes are not pure
enough to be used for pharmaceutical
products. However, research into
chemical recycling processes which
would make this possible is currently
being conducted world-wide.

14
Dynapack Asia – Production
quality and sustainability
as key factors for customer
decision-making
Dynapack Asia is one of the major players in the packaging
market in South-East Asia. The company operates 35
production sites in China, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore,
Thailand and Vietnam. The majority of its customers are
large multinational brand owners such as Beiersdorf, Coca
Cola, Exxon Mobil, Procter & Gamble, Shell and Unilever.
Some of its relationships with these businesses extend back
more than 30 years. The company is currently experiencing
extremely dynamic growth. In 2022, it wants to break
through the billion dollar sales barrier.
Dynapack Asia produces high
quality plastic products for
packaging items as diverse as
foodstuffs, drinks, cosmetics,
pharmaceuticals, chemicals and
lubricants. The company also
produces precision injection
molded products for use in the
automotive industry, electrical
appliances, consumer goods and
the electronics industry. The
company uses the very latest
production standards and
processes and is continually
developing them, with the focus
on innovation, operating
excellence, product quality and
sustainability. Being close to its
multinational customers, thanks to
the company‘s presence in six
countries in Asia, is also a key
factor for Dynapack Asia.
The company has successfully
worked together with Kautex
Maschinenbau for many years.
After a pilot project with a
KBB60D machine, which Kautex
built on the basis of a standard
specification, the two companies
have already developed numerous
extrusion blow molders specially
tailored to the specific production
conditions of Dynapack Asia.
At present, Dynapack operates 24
Kautex machines of different sizes,
21 KBB and 3 KCC machines.
The fully electric KBB blow molders
are not only very economical in
their use of power and resources,
but also have big data-capability.
By adding intelligent downstream
modules, they can also easily
be extended to create an entire
production system. Their
renowned quick change systems
means customers can make
significant product cost savings
in the long term.
Packaging from
Dynapack Asia‘s
portfolio

ISSUE | 14
15
Kautex Maschinenbau is an
important partner for us. Working
together, we can reliably achieve our
customers‘ stringent and growing demands
for quality, accuracy, reliability of supply and
cost-effectiveness. Our customers think the
same as we dvo: they view our decision to
work together with Kautex as an indicator of
production quality and reliability.
As a company that focuses on sustainability,
we work hard to reduce the amount of
material and energy we use, and our
C0 2
emissions. Kautex machines are ideally
suited to this. These machines are already
able to process recycled plastics reliably and
effectively, and this is something we will be
more intensively involved with in future.
Tony Hambali, CEO
of Dynapack Asia

16
New WT heads reduce color changeover
times by up to 75%
New Kautex extrusion heads in the WT series
enable a complete color changeover – mainly
in 30 to 60 minutes.
Short changeover times – the high productivity. The new WT extrusion
heads from Kautex Maschinenbau reduce the change over time in
comparison to a traditional extrusion head by up to 75%. Combined with
RapidXchange technology, you can significantly reduce the downtime of
your machines for changes of color and material. That not only increases
productivity but also reduces energy and raw material consumption.
The extrusion heads in the WT series have been developed for packaging
applications. Modular construction enables subsequent retrofitting on
view stripes, thus making it easier to plan investment. Heads are available
both for mono, two-layer DeCo as well as for three-layer ReCo applications
with variable die diameters between 25 and 600mm. Further applications
on request.
leon.walinski@kautex-group.com
Spiral mandrel
for optimized
melt flow

ISSUE | 14
17
Higher production efficiency
with RapidXchange
RapidXchange technology saves significant
time with color and material changeovers
with extrusion blow molding machines.
That reduces manufacturing costs, ensures
the quality of the products and makes
production processes considerably more
sustainable.
RapidXchange is
available for
Kautex extrusion
heads
In production processes with blow molding machines, the color
and material changeovers on extrusion heads primarily take up
a lot of time. That is caused by the time-consuming purging of
color and material deposits that are formed in the extrusion
head flow channels during extrusion.
We have developed a solution for this problem with our
RapidXchange technology. RapidXchange drastically reduces
the time required for color changeovers. To that end, the
technology optimizes flow characteristics of the flow channels.
Those zones of the flow channels, where low flow speeds
occur with classic distribution systems during the purging
process, can be eliminated using RapidXchange. This prevents
deposits and smaller deposit build-ups are completely purged
out of the system immediately.
RapidXchange is currently available for
extrusion heads in the WT series
specifically for packaging applications.
Thanks to the accelerated color change
over, you can achieve significantly lower
material consumption through the
shorter changeover times. At the same
time, RapidXchange produces a uniform
all-round distribution that enables you to
achieve an even better quality of
production. Non-productive times are
thereby significantly reduced, which
makes your production use significantly
less resources and thereby become more
sustainable.
Comparison of a mono layer application
90 min | Conventional head
40 min | Conventional head with coating
75% SAVINGS
20 min | Head with RapidXchange

18
Kautex introduces virtual
acceptance procedures
New opportunities for digital
customer service with virtual
pre-acceptance tests via video
live stream.
Customers can associate acceptance processes with long
travel times and high travel costs. Kautex Maschinenbau
have recently introduced the possibility of completing
acceptance processes via the Internet. For a first virtual
pre-acceptance check with our customer Logoplaste, five
web cams were installed on a all-electric KBB60D blow
Despite the difficulties that
COVID-19 brought in terms of
movement of people to support trials,
homologations and Equipment
Acceptance, we were able to maintain all
activities that were planned and follow
them Remotely. The high Level of
connectivity has enabled us to keep
activities, perform tasks and achieve all
our activities with success.
molding machine. The cameras, positioned on five
important points of the production process, transmitted
video in real-time to Logoplaste. The customer has the
opportunity to review and assess all stages of production
without being on-site.
With these modern acceptance processes, we are able to
achieve significant savings in time and cost while also
remaining as close to our customers as possible at every
point, even in these times of contact bans and travel
restrictions.
Paulo Correia,
R&D Director
Logoplaste
Innovation Lab

ISSUE | 14
19
Up to 20% less material used
thanks to K-Foam
Sustainable: The use of K-Foam not
only saves material. The foam structure
improves rigidity and insulation in
products.
Webcams transmit
each production
step directly to the
customer
It sounds easy and can actually be incorporated into all
extrusion blow molding machines: the new Kautex foam
technology K-Foam. Behind the name there is a unique
technology that offers crucial advantages in the production
of blow molded products. It was primarily developed to
reduce consumption of materials.
At the same time, during the plastification process, gas – in
high-precision amounts – is injected into the polymer melt of
the extruder. The fine-celled foam structures, that are
produced, lead to an increased volume of the melt and thus
significantly reduce the amount of plastic required. The
foamed-up material also has outstanding product rigidity and
a significantly higher insulation effect.
As a customer, you benefit in a number of ways. The innovative
manufacturing process cannot only reduce your plastic
requirement by up to 20%, which in turn cuts the unit cost.
The innovative process also reliably reduces production-related
emissions by up to 20%. Therefore, the integration of foam
technology brings both economic and significant environmental
benefits.
K-Foam is ideally suited to Kautex machines and incorporated
into the Kautex–HMI. Operation and process management is
controlled via the central operating unit on the machine. New
blow molding machines can immediately be fitted with K-Foam.
You can also upgrade your old machines.
K-Foam
operating panel
Schematic view of inserting
the gas during the
plastification process

20
Innovations and machines live
in operation
Flash events mark the start of a new and virtual customer
information format. Even in difficult times, this brings
customer service closer, as selected customer groups can
be invited to exclusive presentations and demonstrations
whenever particular technology solutions can be
demonstrated live.
This provides the opportunity to experience machine
solutions live, via the Internet. Every virtual visitor has
the opportunity to ask individual questions to their host
during the demonstration.
The first virtual events on the machine series KSB and KSH
have already been held with great success.
Customer relations in spite of distance:
Virtual flash events offer immediate
opportunities to experience technology
live in operation.
DataCap
With DataCap, Kautex Maschinenbau offers data acquisition packages that
you can use to set up a central data acquisition system for your Kautex
machines. Not only does this make your production processes more transparent,
it also increases the efficiency and quality of your output.
Central data acquisition system for all Kautex machines
DataCap uses a standardized data acquisition system that allows you to analyze
your Kautex machines easily and from one central location. For example, smart
monitoring lets you keep a constant eye on your production and make your
manufacturing processes more efficient. All new Kautex machines are already
compatible with DataCap, while old systems can be retrofitted on request. The
data acquisition system can be installed in shortest time and with minimum outlay.
Thanks to the international communications standard OPC-UA, the packages on
offer are easy to integrate into existing production systems.
Available packages
packages
All packages on offer are built around the basic DataCap package.
Package 1 /
Basic
Purpose of the package:
to provide an overview of the
machine’s status and ongoing
production
Contents of the package:
piece counter, cycle time, extruder
status, temperatures
Package 4 /
Process monitoring
Purpose of the package:
to monitor all data relevant to the
process or item (quality assurance)
Contents of the package:
process times, motion profiles, blowing
air control, mold cooling water
www.kautex-group.com
Package 2 /
WDS profile
Purpose of the package:
to monitor the quality of the
wall thickness distribution in the
preform
Contents of the package:
target and actual value curve, maximum
deviation, quality indicator
Package 5 /
Machine monitoring
Purpose of the package:
to monitor the machine
Contents of the package:
motor torques and temperatures,
motion energy and times; closing
force
felix.bittner@kautex-group.com
More transparency for
Centralized
your Central production
monitoring and
Package 3 /
Energy
analysis of production
processes
Transparent
Clear increase in efficiency
and quality
Compatible
Simple integration across
the entire line thanks to
the OPC UA standard
Easy installation
New Kautex machines
are readily compatible,
while old models can be
retrofitted
Standardized
Identical design for all
Kautex machines
Purpose of the package:
to monitor the fed-in energy (electrical,
cooling water, air)
Contents of the package:
electrical energy consumption,
cooling water consumption including
pressure and temperature;
air consumption and pressure
Package 6 /
Condition monitoring
Purpose of the package:
to promptly detect and prevent
system failures
Contents of the package:
vibration analysis of extruder motor
and gearbox
Product Info
2019-072
DataCap enables central
data collection for all Kautex
machines.
In times of digitalization, intelligent monitoring creates new
opportunities to reliably oversee and target development of
manufacturing processes. Thanks to standardized data
collection with DataCap, customers can monitor and analyze all
machine and production processes at any time via a central
unit. New Kautex machines are immediately compatible with
the standardized system and older units can be upgraded at
reasonable cost.
We offer a total of six different packages under DataCap. As
required, customers have a flexible choice of which sections of
their production are to be digitally recorded and monitored.
For effective quality assurance, process data, machine details or
energy flows can be clearly presented. This enables production
processes to be optimized and potential outages identified and
avoided. Kautex Maschinenbau guarantee integration of
DataCap into existing production systems via the international
communication standard OPCUA.

ISSUE | 14
21
Modernization instead of replacement.
There‘s life left in your machines.
With modern controls
and new components,
older blow molding
equipment can be
brought up to current
production standards.
Kautex machines are designed to be
durable and can be adapted to current
requirements relating to productivity,
energy efficiency and operating
comfort at any time. Outdated
components such as controls, extrusion
heads, extruders and closing devices
are replaced as required by modern
modules. In this way, older machines
can be incorporated in the modern
service tools such as Kautex Remote
Service, which enables fast remote
diagnostics when necessary.
In addition, production lines can be retrospectively automated and
expanded via our modernization program. Completely new procedures
can also incorporated in production. We also offer individual
modernization and upgrading solutions for machines from SIG-
Blowtec, Voith Fischer, Battenfeld Fischer and Fischer W. Müller as well
as products from other blow molding machine manufacturers
Blow Command Eco – Virtual set-up saves
time and costs
We now offer a virtual setup of our new control tool
Blow Command Eco (BC Eco) for our KEB machine
series. As with our virtual training sessions, the initial setup does not
happen on site, but instead virtually in-house with us. This enables a
significant reduction in the time used for onsite setup. For you that
means quicker setup, shorter downtimes and significantly lower costs.

22
The work we are doing here is truly
pioneering. The liner size we have now
achieved is just the start. We are confident that,
in future, we will also be able to use this method
to produce considerably larger liners for
hydrogen pressure vessels.
Abdellah El Bouchfrati,
Head of Composite
Business Development at
Kautex, sees great
potential for the new
technology

ISSUE | 14
23
320-liter hydrogen liner made
of polyamide
Innovative procedure opens up
new possibilities for hydrogen
technology for the production
of thermoplastic composite
pressure vessels (CPVs)
Kautex Maschinenbau blow molding experts have successfully
produced a large-volume polyamide liner for hydrogen pressure
vessels, using extrusion blow molding technology. The liner is over
2 meters long, with a diameter of approximately 500 mm and a
volume of 320 L. This is the first time a liner for a hydrogen
container has been produced in this size using blow molding
technology.
Hydrogen presents particularly significant challenges in relation
to the line and materials permeability. As the smallest molecule in
the periodic table, the gas can defuse through nearly all plastic
materials. Special polyamides (PAs) have the best barrier properties.
However, due to their low melt rigidity and complexity, they have
previously been difficult to process on this scale by blow molding
The process developed by Kautex in partnership with a plastics
manufacturer has made it possible for the first time, to produce
a hydrogen liner through a blow molding process on a scale
interesting to the industry.
This opens up new possibilities for hydrogen technology to be used
to produce thermoplastic composite pressure vessels (CPVs) used
for example, in fuel tanks for commercial vehicles, buses, trains and
ships as well as for the transportation and storage of hydrogen.
Plastic pressure vessels are not only significantly lighter than steel
tanks but also completely resistant to corrosion.
The Kautex offer covers the development and production of
prototypes and low-volume production through to the construction
of complete production facilities for the manufacture of composite
pressure vessels.
Abdellah.El-bouchfrati@kautex-group.com

24
Three anniversaries
in a year
2020 marked a special year in
the company history of Kautex
Maschinenbau. In addition to
the 85th anniversary of the foundation
of the company, this year also
marks the 60th birthday of our
subsidiary in the USA and 25 years of
machine manufacturing in China.
Advertising for
innovative plastic
bottles
Our foundation goes back to the year 1935 and the plastics
pioneer Reinhold Hagen. His passion for experimenting
and entrepreneurial skill, saw him succeed in developing
the world‘s first standard production plant for
manufacturing plastic containers, as early as 1949. Thanks
to huge success, Kautex was able to expand beyond
Germany for the first time in 1960 with the establishment
of the first international subsidiary in New Jersey, USA.
The foundation of the first German Chinese joint venture
in Shunde in southern China followed in 1995 and the
Chinese KCC series is now in its third generation.
Today we count as one of the leading manufacturers worldwide of hightechnology
extrusion blow molders and shape the plastics sector with efficient and
sustainable solutions. Issues like recycling and efficiency stimulate our research and
development work as does the introduction of new technologies and services in
the age of digitalization. That includes technology to continue to improve the
carbon footprint in the production of hollow parts. We are convinced of one thing:
If we continue to actively contribute to associate the positive characteristics of
these products with worldwide functioning recycling loops, then that will be a
significant step for everybody towards a sustainable future.
First Kautex extrusion blow
molding machine, 1956
Branch office in Linden,
New Jersey, USA, 1960
Production site in
Shunde, China, 2020