Plastium GmbH in Lauterbach, Black Forest, has established itself in the plastics processing industry over more than 50 years. The medium-sized company impressively demonstrates how to survive in a challenging market environment through a careful management with innovative technology, courage and responsibility.

The arrival of Frank Heinzelmann and Siegfried Eichinger on the management board marked a turning point in the company’s history. Back in 2020, in the middle of the coronavirus crisis, they expanded the service portfolio by acquiring additional processing companies, thus forming an efficient cluster.

Today, around 70 employees work in 3-shift operation and realize a wide range of products and services at two locations, in Lauterbach and Schiltach, from parts development with the customer to toolmaking, injection molding, assembly and logistics.

Plastium’s machine park is particularly noteworthy. The various mergers and acquisitions have resulted in a diversified machine park with around 100 machines. The clamping forces of the injection molding machines range from 20 to 350 tons, with several 2K machines also available. Overall, Plastium has machines from many different manufacturers in its ranks, now including electric machines from Zhafir.

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Mr. Eichinger shows a wafer frame made of SAN Tyril 790 with a shot weight of 57.2 g and a cycle time of 33 seconds sprayed on an energy-efficient Zeres 90 tons.

Mr. Heinzelmann shows a spacer made of Sysplast ABS regranulate, with a shot weight of 113.46 g and a cycle time of 44 seconds, injection-molded on an energy-efficient Zeres 120 tons.

Zhafir machines easily integrated into the MES

In 2023, Plastium acquired five machines from the Zhafir Zeres series, with clamping forces of 60, 90 and 120 tons. Thanks to their open connectivity and excellent energy efficiency, they are Plastium’s first choice, especially in times of rising energy and operating costs. Heinzelmann explains: “The Zeres machines are the first to be switched on and the last to be switched off in order to save energy. We installed them in May 2023 and they have been running smoothly ever since, making a significant contribution to energy efficiency.”

Murat Kaplan looks around to see if his “children” are all running.

Excellent service from HEWACO and HTIG

According to Heinzelmann and Eichinger, the decision in favor of Zeres was based on several factors: “The attractive price, the eligibility as an electric machine, the extremely low consumption, and the smooth integration into our MES system Pro-Ses.” In addition, the sales and service teams from Haitian International Germany and HEWACO – sales partners in south-west Germany – “made it very easy” for them, with fast response times and efficient support during integration into the MES system.

Plastium GmbH is a typical contract injection molder, but also has a broad range of in-house products in the packaging sector. The company is involved early on in the process with advice and design and has its own toolmaking department, which primarily serves to maintain and service the tools. The available application processes include 2K injection molding, assembly injection molding, insert molding and unscrewing techniques.

Plastium supplies a wide range of industries such as sanitary, electrical engineering, medical technology, automotive, etc. Plastium also produces its own products for a wide range of applications, such as universal packaging tins, boxes and trays for branded goods.

At Plastium, every machine is monitored using modern energy consumption measurements, among other things.

Energy costs reduced by more than 40 percent

The company has made remarkable progress in energy efficiency, particularly through the use of Zeres machines. “In total, these measures have led to energy cost savings of over 40 percent,” says Eichinger.

Heinzelmann and Eichinger describe the current economic situation as “challenging”, partly due to the economic slump in the second half of 2023 and the loss of purchasing power. Nevertheless, they plan to purchase further energy-saving models from Zhafir, even if they are currently waiting to see how the market develops.

Prudent corporate management with a view to the future

Plastium is using various strategic levers to emerge stronger from the current economic situation. These include reducing costs, particularly energy costs, generating new volumes through online marketing strategies, investing in modern QM equipment, and expanding in the direction of Industry 4.0. The managing directors attach great importance to process monitoring and energy consumption measurements to stand out from the competition in terms of technology.

In addition to saving energy, the fair and social treatment of employees is a major issue at Plastium. Here, the company is seen as an organism in which every part is important and attempts to meet the needs of the employees. For example, by investing in technology, training and health management, but also through flexible arrangements in terms of place of work and working hours.

In terms of sustainability, the management believes that the company is not only well positioned in terms of energy, but also aims to have a positive impact on the region. As the largest employer in Lauterbach, the company believes it has a responsibility to survive in the long term and contribute to the regional economy.

With a clear, confident view of the future and a philosophy that goes beyond pure profit, Plastium appears well equipped to continue to be an important player in the plastics industry in the future.

Latest News from Plastium:

Big even when it’s small

Shortly before the end of the year, Plastium welcomed 3 siblings (7, 9, 10 years old) who built a miniature injection molding machine from many plastic building blocks at home.
The new “big” machine has also been successfully in use at Plastium since June 2023 and produces high-precision plastic components in an energy-efficient manner.
The proud “builders” with their mother and Plastium employee were welcomed by the managing directors Frank Heinzelmann and Siegfried Eichinger and were allowed to see the big brother of their model in action in production.
After all the excitement and the new impressions in an unfamiliar environment, the children were delighted to receive an Eruopa Park voucher as a small thank-you.
“Plastium’s work with young talent can’t start early enough”!

In terms of sustainability, the management believes that the company is not only well positioned in terms of energy, but also aims to have a positive impact on the region. As the largest employer in Lauterbach, the company believes it has a responsibility to survive in the long term and contribute to the regional economy.

With a clear, confident view of the future and a philosophy that goes beyond pure profit, Plastium appears well equipped to continue to be an important player in the plastics industry in the future.

The siblings and proud “builders” of the miniature injection molding machine with (from left to right) Production Manager Martin Lauble, Siegfried Eichinger, Manuela Fehrenbacher and Frank Heinzelmann.

(from left) Torsten Nowak, Reinhold Ganzer, Thomas Herf and Jakob Weitz in front of a two-platen Haitian Jupiter machine, one of 47 machines now installed at the Möller Group.

The Möller Group has been working with Haitian for more than 20 years now, and it’s a close and intensive partnership. How do you see the cooperation yourself, is there a secret to its success?

Torsten Nowak: “Basically, Haitian and the Möller Group have been working together since 2012. Initially, there were a few starting difficulties, which caused us a lot of concern at the time. But at the time, the CEO of Haitian in Germany reacted very quickly and consistently, and was also very accommodating. That was very generous and impressed us to a certain extent. Haitian did its homework and rectified the weak points. Lessons learned. Then came the next Generation 3 and they were back in the race.”

How many Haitian machines are running in the MöllerGroup today?

Thomas Herf: “So far there are 47 machines in total, spread across all locations worldwide. We mainly use the Jupiter, but also the Mars series and two electric Zeres machines, with clamping forces ranging from 150 to 1,850 tons.”

The Mars is also at the center of the latest project, right?

Herf: “Yes, we are getting a Mars 200 for MöllerFlex. For the first time with a V1300 robot plus production cell from Smart Solutions – our first Hilectro robot, so to speak.”

Will the MöllerGroup focus more on automation in the future or will it remain more of a supplement to “Made by People”?

Nowak: “For me, our mission statement “Made by People: Dynamic, Different, Dedicated” really embodies the essence of our company. We have given it a lot of thought because it is an important aspect of our culture.
And, of course, we need to keep our production processes flexible. By integrating new technologies – as well as new, creative approaches and effective processes – we always want to have the opportunity and be able to actively exploit synergies and dynamically adapt to new requirements. To guarantee our ability to deliver, but also to react to changes in customer call-off behavior.”

Herf: “Sometimes, especially in Europe, this means that we temporarily stop production for a week or a weekend. This requires close coordination with the scheduling of the customer production plants, as flexibility is a top priority for us.”

Nowak: “I would like to add that our philosophy is based on the three core characteristics of dynamics, difference and dedication, based on the Kaizen method. We have developed them further as “MöllerEconovation”. This implies a high degree of flexibility and the ability to react quickly to necessary changes. Sometimes it means relying heavily on the human factor to achieve this flexibility. A high degree of automation can sometimes lead to less flexibility, so we strive for a balanced approach. Our strategy aims to keep flexibility high, even if this means sacrificing automated processes. We often have controversial discussions to find the best solution.”

MöllerGroup is one of the big players in the global automotive industry

So far there are 47 Haitian machines in total, spread across all locations worldwide.

Flexibility versus productivity – how do you solve this in concrete terms in the plant, in daily practice?

Nowak: “In reality, this means that we are prepared to overcome challenges. Uninterrupted production is not our main goal. We deliberately keep our stock levels low and sometimes deliberately provoke unrest in order to make problems and inefficiencies quickly visible. This is characteristic of our approach and shows our willingness to make frequent adjustments in order to remain flexible.”

To what extent do you also expect this flexibility to adapt from the machines?

Herf: “The machines have to be robust in order to cope with the frequent changeovers. We have frequent tool changes and many set-up processes, so everything has to work smoothly. The Mars and the Jupiter are the most uncomplicated machines in our plants.”

Nowak: “This can sometimes seem unconventional from the outside, but it is an essential part of our strategy. I believe that this high level of flexibility will ultimately be a decisive factor in our future competitiveness.”

What do you expect from Haitian as a supplier?

Herf: “Accessibility. For example, we need an emergency plan for spare parts, with availability within 24 hours. Also global availability, with contact persons who speak English.”

How do you rate the collaboration with Haitian in terms of trust, availability and service?

Nowak: “I particularly appreciate the way in which we interact and this unique blend of familiarity and professional seriousness. When I’m in Ebermannsdorf, for example, I feel this sunny, Chinese atmosphere, which forms an impressive symbiosis with the solid, Bavarian seriousness and reliability.”

Herf: “What particularly impresses me in our cooperation is the energy and power with which projects, such as the plant in Serbia, are realized in such a short time. This dynamic Chinese energy, coupled with efficient implementation, is remarkable.”

Ganzer: “Haitian and MöllerGroup – this has been an intensive partnership for many years, based on mutual trust and constructive criticism. Service and availability have to be right, of course. But apart from that, both are also involved in the development process of each other. In some cases, Haitian is involved at a very early stage and can design the machine in a customized way, and conversely, the MöllerGroup has many requirements or suggestions, some of which have already been incorporated into a our series.”

Nowak: “I think that is also a key aspect. When you work with Haitian, you have a strong partner at your side. This partnership is based on mutual trust and efficiency. Both empathy and criticism have their place in established partnerships, and that’s a good thing.”

The perfect transition to sustainability. Energy efficiency is undoubtedly a decisive factor for your company. It would be interesting to know what measures you have introduced in recent years, especially in the last two to three years. How strong is your focus on energy efficiency?

Nowak: “As a plastics processing company, we are at the heart of decarbonization, especially with our large-volume machines and the materials we use. We are aware of this responsibility and we are committed to it. This applies in particular to the automotive sector, where premium brands set ambitious sustainability targets that we integrated into our corporate strategy at an early stage.”

Herf: “When purchasing energy and using solar systems, we attach great importance to ensuring that energy efficiency and CO2 reduction are part of our procurement strategy. This applies both to the direct energy consumption of our capital goods and injection molding machines as well as our commitment to CO2 neutrality. Our purchasing strategy is driving these issues forward. We have a committee that brings together different perspectives such as purchasing, engineering, project management and risk management. An important aspect of this is to analyze in more detail what the actual energy consumption and CO2 footprint look like.”

Nowak: “We have our own sister company, Möller Real Estate, which takes care of energy management and the energy efficiency of building technology.”

With regard to recycling: do you have a specific quota for the use of recyclates in your production?

Nowak: “We pursue two approaches: Reducing the use of materials in production and increasing the purchase of recyclates. However, we have to adhere to the specifications of our customers, who often demand original materials. We strive to have our own recycling processes, but are also restricted by customer specifications. The question is whether customers should be more open to recyclates. We are working closely with large chemical companies and discussing how recyclates can be offered at an affordable price without compromising quality.”

MöllerGroup GmbH acts as a holding company and the operating business comprises the business areas of MöllerWerke GmbH, MöllerFlex GmbH and MöllerTech International GmbH, each of which is successful with a different specific focus, from soft plastic compounds to technical construction parts.

The company currently has 15 locations (Germany, UK, Romania, USA, China) with ten production plants and employs around 2,000 people worldwide. In the 2022 financial year, the Group generated sales of around 300 million euros, around 70 percent of which in the automotive sector.