Award-winning plastic innovations

The mia Award Ceremony: (from right to left): Philipp Mählmeyer, Reinhard Herro, Bernd Michael, Karl Miller, Prof. Dr. Martin Bastian, Dr.-Ing. Peter Faatz, Sandra Füllsack, Carl Litherland // (from left to right) Philipp Mählmeyer, Reinhard Herro, Bernd Michael, Karl Miller, Prof. Dr. Martin Bastian, Dr.-Ing. Peter Faatz, Sandra Füllsack, Carl Litherland (Image credit: motan group)

Place 1 for Reinhard Herro and the gravimetric extraction hood developed by him. (Image credit: motan group)

2nd place for Philipp Mählmeyer for the idea of system control on a mobile device. (Image credit: motan group)

3rd place for Bernd Michael and the system he devised, METRO-Lay. (Image credit: motan group)

(Image credit: motan group)

The winners are set: Three innovative developments in the field of material handling were awarded the motan innovation award (mia) on October 18, 2018, during FAKUMA. The technology company motan organizes the competition every two years to promote ideas that are too good to be shelved.

The mia jury, a four-member panel of experts from universities and institutes in the field of plastics research, had already nominated six ideas for the award in July after an intensive evaluation. The three projects now awarded stood out particularly in terms of innovation level, relevance to practical applications in the plastics industry, as well as feasibility and market potential, and prevailed over the other contenders.

Gravimetric extraction hood secures Reinhard Herro first place

The gravimetric extraction hood (GAK) developed by Reinhard Herro is a new system for throughput measurement with batch traceability for suction conveying systems. It measures all machine throughput directly at the material source, replacing the usual measurement process at the consumer. Through a gravimetric dispenser integrated into the extraction hood, each conveying batch is weighed individually before extraction and then automatically assigned to the operated machine. With just one measurement system, it is thus possible to determine the throughput at the points of consumption. Furthermore, the GAK opens up completely new possibilities for controlling and monitoring suction conveying systems, as many processes are automated. For example, the optimal filling quantity for the conveying devices is automatically generated, preventing overfilling. The jury also appreciated that increasing automation levels enhances operational safety. Reinhard Herro receives prize money of 10,000 euros for his innovative development.

Philipp Mählmeyer achieves second place with app development

To optimally serve highly branched industrial plants, quick and precise access to current status information is required. Philipp Mählmeyer’s new app addresses this: via clear, machine-readable codes (QR codes) attached to the units, it visualizes the necessary data on a mobile device. This allows operators not only to easily query status information but also to control the associated processes. With the mobile device, mechanical adjustments, calibrations, and maintenance work can be performed locally at the unit. A major advantage of Mählmeyer’s app: the installation effort and costs are lower compared to other systems, provided the necessary plant technology is available and the controls can already be accessed via a network. Additionally, a sophisticated rights system enables a user-specific visualization on the mobile device. For example, a service technician sees different live data than an operator of the plant. motan awards this project with a prize of 6,000 euros.

The METRO-Lay system: Bernd Michael wins bronze with his idea

The highly flexible system "METRO-Lay" allows for very simple and efficient laying of service routes. METRO-Lay is a coined term created by Bernd Michael, combining "METRO" (representing all motan conveying systems) and "Lay" (referring to the world's largest scaffolding manufacturer Layher). The development consists of two main components: the Layher Allround scaffolding system, which serves as a load-bearing structure for pipe routes, and newly developed plug-in modules that ensure faster and safer installation of material and vacuum lines. The combination of these two components significantly optimizes pipeline construction. METRO-Lay shortens assembly times, reduces installation costs, and thus increases project margins. Valuable personnel resources can also be preserved thanks to the clearly structured system. Bernd Michael is awarded prize money of 4,000 euros.

Award ceremony at the Dornier Museum Friedrichshafen

The winning trophies were presented by Sandra Füllsack, CEO, and Carl Litherland, CMO of the motan group, along with the jury members at the official award ceremony on October 18 at the Dornier Museum Friedrichshafen. The total prize money of 20,000 euros is donated by motan holding GmbH, which also supports the winners with patent applications and the development of their inventions toward market readiness.

mia initiator and CEO of the motan group Sandra Füllsack on her motivation for the award:

"Willingness and ability to innovate are integral parts of our corporate culture. For us at motan, it means: no good idea should be lost – neither for our company nor for the industry. Digitalization and resource scarcity are changing the world and us. We are experiencing that the plastics industry, like all sectors, is reinventing itself. As motan, we naturally want to be at the forefront. With the mia award, we have created a tool to channel and further develop creative ideas – for the future viability of our company and the entire plastics industry."

The mia winners

1. Reinhard Herro
GAK system (Gravimetric Extraction Hood)
Automation, control, and monitoring of suction conveying systems

2. Philipp Mählmeyer
Plant control on mobile device
Targeted querying of status information via QR codes

3. Bernd Michael
System METRO-Lay
Efficient creation of routes for material and vacuum lines

The mia jury

- Prof. Dr. Martin Bastian has been directing the SKZ in Würzburg since 2006, Germany's largest plastics institute
- Dr.-Ing. Peter Faatz was a professor of plastics engineering and has been leading process development for plastics at INA Schaeffler since 2005
- Karl Miller started in 1987 as a Technical Sales Engineer at Colortronic and now manages motan-colortronic Ltd. in Great Britain
- Prof. Dr.-Ing. Christian Hopmann has been head of the Institute for Plastics Processing (IKV) in Industry and Handicraft at RWTH Aachen since April 2011