The Merseburg Advisory Board for Economic Development met on April 6th in the factory halls of Exipnos GmbH. It was a fruitful meeting for both sides.
Merseburg, April 2016 Future technology up close: In the production hall of Exipnos GmbH, the advisory board members were able to witness firsthand how finished injection-molded parts are produced directly from raw materials and additives. “Thanks to DCIM technology , many manufacturers will be able to do without compounds, an intermediate product that has been our core business until now, “ explained Exipnos Managing Director Peter Putsch, outlining the foreseeable consequences of his company’s award-winning invention ( Direct Compounding Injection Molding ).
The owner, however, has no concerns about undermining his own company. “The goal in founding Exipnos was not to create another old-school compounding plant. Rather, we see ourselves as a mediator between the technological worlds that characterize the plastics industry today,” Putsch explained in his introductory presentation. Exipnos thus contributes to bridging historically grown gaps between compounding and injection molding, mechanical engineering and application. ” DCIM is just the beginning.”
As a supplier to the automotive industry, the company, whose history through its parent company Putsch Plastics dates back to the beginnings of the plastics industry, has also made a name for itself with its excellent color laboratory , newly developed high-tech materials and freely configurable, metal-free circuits in plastic workpieces.
Kathrin Schaper-Thoma, Managing Director of the Merseburg Innovation and Technology Center (mitz), perked up when Peter Putsch mentioned microgranules, which open up new possibilities in 3D printing. “Are you familiar with the enficos network?” the manager asked. “It brings together the key players in Central Germany in the field of rapid prototyping technologies .” The ninth conference on the topic will take place at Merseburg University of Applied Sciences on May 18th.
Eberhard Bachmann appreciates the dialogue. “That’s precisely why the Economic Development Advisory Board has been meeting in companies for about four years now, rather than in some office,” says the city’s economic development officer. According to him, the volunteer body, established in 2004 at the initiative of the business community, has about 20 members, including representatives from companies, financial institutions, research facilities, and chambers of commerce. Numerous successful projects have since been “significantly shaped by suggestions from the Advisory Board,” Bachmann adds. He cites “the ‘Perspective’ vocational training fair and the Halle-Merseburg Plastics Competence Center” as examples.
The economic development officer proudly reviewed the development of the Merseburg North industrial park that evening , where Exipnos has also been located since 2014. “In the 21 years since its opening, around 100 companies have established themselves here,” he summarized. Of a total of 66 hectares, less than three are currently available. “In contrast, the number of people working here has risen to more than 2,000.”
According to Peter Putsch, this is not the end of the success story: “We certainly want to continue growing here at this location.”
