Netstal, KraussMaffei’s high-performance injection molding machine brand produced at the machinery manufacturer’s subsidiary at Näfels, Switzerland, has entered into a strategic partnership with materials producer Sabic.
The collaboration, which will focus on application, material and processing innovations in the thin-wall packaging industry through collaboration across the segment's entire value chain, will be officially launched the first quarter of 2021 at Netstal’s Innovation Centre at KraussMaffei HighPerformance AG in Näfels.
The center will provide Sabic with the development, processing, material and application testing facilities it needs to develop new material solutions. Significant investments in expansion and equipment are planned, tailored to the needs of the packaging industry that include a dedicated laboratory for injection molding and part performance evaluation.
For Sabic, the focus at the joint application center will be on how to improve important properties of thin-wall packaging applications, such as balance of stiffness, impact strength, cycle time reduction and sustainability.
These improved material and process insights will lead to a further optimization of the Netstal Product Packaging portfolio.
Calling the collaboration a "major investment in synergy for us," Sergi Monros, Sabic vice president of performance polymers & industry solutions, petrochemicals, said the companies aimed to combine their expertise in polymer science and processing to improve ‘the competitive edge of customers throughout the thin-wall packaging industry and beyond’.
“We are pleased to welcome Sabic at our Netstal business headquarters here in Switzerland,” said Renzo Davatz, CEO of KraussMaffei HighPerformance AG. “The collaboration with SABIC will add significant momentum to the further development and commercialization of our product portfolio for innovative new thin-wall packaging applications.”