60 Years of the Kunststoff-Zentrum in Leipzig gGmbH

"Research. Examination. Further education. - 60 years active for the plastics industry"

"WITH THE INDUSTRY – for the Industry" – With this claim, the Plastics Center in Leipzig (KUZ) conducts research and development work for the plastics processing and application industry. Since its founding in June 1960, KUZ has developed over the past six decades into a renowned institute operating across Germany and Europe, firmly anchored in the industry. In 2020, the Plastics Center celebrates its 60th anniversary.

60 Years of Research Spirit

The founding of KUZ took place on June 1, 1960, as a Central Laboratory for Plastics Processing, a scientific-technical center of the Association of State-Owned Enterprises. The initial research focuses were primarily on testing technology and injection molding processing. KUZ has always operated in a dynamic environment: economic, scientific, and technological developments shaped the company's daily research activities and brought about long-term changes. After the political transformation in 1990, KUZ was privatized and strengthened with the establishment of the Support Association for the Plastics Center in Leipzig e.V., a non-profit research institution. The statutory purpose of the support association, as the sole shareholder of KUZ, remains today to promote science and research through supporting short- and medium-term development goals for non-profit research work.

In addition to the original technological focus, the construction of a new technical center in 1996 added polyurethane processing as another research priority. Likewise, the development of connection technology advanced KUZ's orientation towards interdisciplinary, technology-oriented research. KUZ aims to further develop technologies through applied R&D projects and services and to expand professional training in technological fields as a competence center.

In 2010, KUZ established a technical basis for the process combination of injection molding and PUR reaction technology, creating a bridge between the technologies. The opening of the Microplastic Technology Application Center (MiKA) in 2014 brought together the know-how developed in various stages of development in the field of microplastic technologies and laid the foundation for application-oriented industry projects.

The KUZ Today: Sustainable with a View to the Future

Today, KUZ sees itself as a modern institution that acts sustainably with a view to the future. Over 60 employees drive forward the research and development activities of KUZ with the help of multidisciplinary scientific expertise to meet current and future industry requirements. The current research focuses are lightweight construction, miniaturization, functionalization, as well as technology and innovation research for plastics engineering solutions. A particular emphasis is placed on developing and optimizing products and processes regarding resource and energy efficiency, which are crucial for long-term sustainable plastic applications. The influences of global megatrends are reflected in activities in the areas of Industry 4.0 plastics, artificial intelligence, and applied digitization.

For example, sustainable solutions are being developed around the topic of thermoplastic foam injection molding for manufacturing lightweight and stiffer components, also in combination with bio- or recycled plastics. Simultaneously, evaluation tools for foam structure are being designed using artificial intelligence tools.

The research priorities of KUZ are aimed at supporting companies in the regional and supra-regional plastics processing industry in developing innovations. The services of the accredited testing laboratory and the offering of technical knowledge transfer through further education complete KUZ's scientific portfolio and ensure that the center is always responsive to customer problems. Through collaborations with various economic and knowledge networks, national professional networking is promoted to harness synergies. Novel research findings thus lay the groundwork for innovations that enable the German Mittelstand to strengthen its leading position.