German Cleanroom Institute mourns Dr.-Ing. Erwin Bürkle

Dr.-Ing. Erwin Bürk­le

The German Cleanroom Institute (DRRI) mourns its long-standing advisory board member, supporter, and idea generator Dr.-Ing. Erwin Bürk­le. His death at the age of 82 leaves an irreplaceable gap at the DRRI and in the industry.

Erwin Bürk­le was highly respected in cleanroom technology for his comprehensive knowledge of plastics processing and its further development. Throughout his life, he aimed to enable his industry to find new and concrete solutions to problems through scientific insights and continuous advancements. This included the challenging task of injection molding in cleanrooms – a process that is now widely used internationally.

His professional career, shaped by ongoing education, began with training as a toolmaker. He then completed further training to become an industrial foreman before studying mechanical engineering at FH and TU Munich, ultimately earning his doctorate at the Institute for Plastics Processing (IKV) at RWTH Aachen.

From 1978 to 2010, Erwin Bürk­le influenced the German plastics industry primarily through his work at KraussMaffei Technologies GmbH in Munich. As head of the department for fundamental development and new technologies, he set the course for plastics processing on an innovative path that many companies continue to follow today. His expertise mainly concerned injection molding technology and the interaction of multiple processing technologies. When he was farewelled by his long-standing employer in 2009, they described him as a “decisive catalyst for over decades and one of the most important bridge builders between science and industry in the entire plastics sector.”

Erwin Bürk­le was happy to share his knowledge. In addition to his role as a specialist advisor at the DRRI, he participated in many committees and expert panels, such as at IKV RWTH Aachen, the South German Plastics Center Würzburg, VDI, VDMA, and Rosenheim University of Applied Sciences.

For his fruitful research work and practical dissemination of knowledge, he was awarded in 1998 as the first recipient of the Dr.-Richard-Escales Media Award by Carl Hanser Verlag and the Association of German Tool and Mold Makers (VDWF). Since then, the award has been given to personalities in the plastics industry who, like him, have “earned recognition in the areas of training and knowledge transfer in plastics technology.” In addition to other awards, he received the Georg Menges Prize from the Gummi- und Kunststoffmaschinen Fachverband within VDMA, PlasticsEurope Germany, and the Association for the Promotion of IKV at RWTH Aachen.

The members of the DRRI owe Dr.-Ing. Erwin Bürk­le great gratitude and will remember him with the highest appreciation. We will miss him.

On behalf of the German Cleanroom Institute
Dr. Gernod Dittel