Ben Daniel: Thank you Mr. Reifenhäuser for the insightful tour of your impressive factory. Could you provide a concise overview of Reifenhäuser Group’s journey from its founding to its current position in the industry?
Bernd Reifenhäuser: Sure! Our history dates back to 1911 when my grandfather opened a blacksmith shop here in Troisdorf. The business grew slowly, and before World War II, we were already building small machines. After the war, we soon built our first extruder, which marked the beginning of our focus on extrusion technology. Over the years, we have specialized in
blown film, cast, sheet, coating, and non-woven lines. We also manufacture core components such as extruders, screws, barrels and dies in-house,
ensuring design control and process efficiency.
Ben: You refer to yourselves as “Extrusioneers.” Could you elaborate on this term and its significance to Reifenhäuser?
Bernd: It signifies our core focus on extrusion as a business and underscores our engineers’ pivotal role in driving technological advancements. This philosophy encapsulates our commitment to innovation and engineering excellence.
Ben: Could you outline your strategic vision? What specific goals and objectives have you set?
Bernd: Our strategy starts internally. We emphasize understanding our history to guide future actions.
We have 3 main characteristics:
1. A strong foundation
2. Commitment to ethical practices
3. Innovation
As a family-owned business, we prioritize long-term responsibility over shareholder value, treating our employees and customers with respect, learning from mistakes, and always keeping our promises. We continuously seek to innovate and explore new technologies, even those that may not yield immediate profits.
Ben: What are the prevailing trends and challenges facing the flexible packaging industry, especially regarding its environmental impact?
Bernd: Performance remains a priority, but innovations in application and sustainability are crucial. Sustainability involves the principles of reuse, reduce, and recycle. We are actively developing all-PE pouches and other recyclable materials. Regulatory changes will signifi cantly infl uence these efforts; for instance, the European Parliament is advancing regulations to increase recycling rates and impose taxes on non recyclable materials. Our R-Cycle initiative aims to improve plastics recyclability. Using the GS1-based digital product passport, we track and identify packaging material compositions, enhancing sorting accuracy and recycled plastics’ quality.
This closed-loop system integrates upstream supplier data with downstream recycling processes, ensuring high-quality recycling and compliance with regulations. In collaboration with key partners like Al Bayader International in the UAE, we have implemented the R-Cycle system with Spinneys in the UAE. This partnership underscores our commitment to sustainability and the practical application of our digital product passport. Through collaborations like this, we strive to enhance the recyclability of flexible packaging and contribute to a more sustainable future.
Ben: How does Reifenhäuser implement digitalization and automation in its new installations, focusing on modern technologies’ integration into mainstream manufacturing and production?
Bernd: Automation ensures consistent production, safety, efficiency, and independence from fluctuation of highly skilled workes. For instance, our PAM System (Precise Autonomous Mechatronic) completely automates the adjustment of flat film extrusion dies and our coextrusion feedblock. This increases Overall Equipment Effectiveness (OEE) with short changeover times and reduces production waste and energy consumption.
Digitalization involves analyzing vast amounts of data to enhance machine performance and connectivity. Our c.Hub platform is therefore designed to integrate and connect the entire shopfloor – regardless of the manufacturer – of plastics extrusion and packaging producers. As centralized data platform it acquires real-time data from any source, providing our customers with instant insights and visibility to boost efficiency and improve transparency on production processes.
Ben: Can you elaborate on the joint development of the world’s first 18-micron MDO-PE film by Reifenhäuser Blown Film, LG Chem, and BOBST?
Bernd: Thanks to our patented EVO Ultra Stretch MDO directly positioned in the blown film line’s haul-off the film is stretched from the first heat making the process more reliable. This results in better film performance and the potential to down-gauge to 18 microns, that makes it comparable to PET film for easy replacement in current multi-material laminated films. This advancement aligns with regulatory trends and offers significant cost savings. Reifenhäuser has produced the 18-micron MDO-PE film stably and reproducibly over many hours in the test runs.
Ben: How does Reifenhäuser distinguish itself from competitors in the market?
Bernd: We cultivate enduring relationships with our customers, providing guidance and consultation to ensure smooth startups and successful operations. Our dedication to customer centric innovation and collaboration is the cornerstone of our success.
Ben: What message does Reifenhäuser have for brand commitment to the MEA region?
Bernd: We are dedicated to partnering closely with our customers, listening to their needs, and collaborating on the development of new products and technologies. As the Middle East and Africa experience rapid growth, we are expanding our sales, service, and engineering presence to cater to this burgeoning market and to grow together with our customers. Our objective is to facilitate seamless technology adoption and deliver continuous support and education to our customers.