Extrusion International 3-2024

16 Extrusion International 3/2024 INDUSTRY NEWS Nomination for the German Innovation Award  As a country, Germany is understandably proud of its reputation for creating new and innovative products. And there is one award that recognises this more than any other: The German Innovation Award, operated and judged by the prestigious German Design Council. In 2024, LEIBINGER is delighted to be nominated for the Award, thanks to its remarkable new IQJET indus - trial printer. But what is special about the newest and most advanced printer? Continuous inkjet printing (CIJ) is an essential part of the production process for printing onto a huge variety of products, from food packing and furniture to eggs and electronics. The information they print – such as barcodes, batch numbers and expiry dates – is impor - tant for the efficient tracking of products and the digital operation of the world’s supply chains. But while modern businesses have had to reduce costs, improve sustainability, and reduce downtime, many manufacturers are still using legacy platforms sell- ing of printer that has been in use for decades. Not so with LEIBINGER, the company has constantly innovated to address these major concerns in the following ways. Maintenance free for 5 years: The IQJET is mainte - nance-free for five years thanks to its SMART. CARE concept. Unlike other CIJ printers, the IQJET has no con - stantly running feed pump, reducing wear and tear on components. Reducing maintenance costs to zero is a huge advantage for cost-conscious businesses. No production stops for cleaning: When there is a break in production, many printers become clogged as ink dries on the printhead. This entails lengthy clean- ing cycles prior to resuming production, where even an Back to Normal Business Mode  Following the acquisition by Jwell in January 2024, Kautex Maschinenbau is back to its normal operative business and continues implementing the corporate strategy with a full focus on the final plastic product of its customers supported by its philosophy of process, quality and leadership excellence. Haichao He, President of Jwell mentioned that the Kautex Brand, Machines, and Technologies have a strong image and are well known in the blow mold- ing market. “With a well-developed strategy and well- skilled employees, Kautex continues building a brand reputation as a premium machinery solution provider in the blow molding machinery world. We continue to pursue this strategy consistently and enrich it with ele- ments of the Jwell strategy.” After finalizing all requirements for the company reg - istration, Kautex Maschinenbau is now back to normal operation mode. Three blow molding machines have been shipped out from the production facility in Bonn to customers so far after the successful factory acceptance test in Bonn. The next three machines will be ready in the upcoming months. Not only for machine delivery, the sales and after-sales activities have been a focus of the management team during these times. The sales business is getting back on track again. The end-to-end supply chain management is working also very well. The collaboration between the Kautex Team and Jwell Teamwas shown intensively in the last weeks with joint visits to customers in Europe and the Asian region. Kautex Maschinenbau is entering a new chapter with a fresh leadership team. Thomas Hartkämper, CEO and CSO of the Kautex Maschinenbau Group will leave the company at his request. "After we were able to ensure that the established corporate strategy was maintained, I was able to accept a new challenge in my professional career with a clear conscience. The management team we have built up over the last few years represents the path we have taken to align the Kautex Maschinenbau Group with sustainable growth. The entry of the stra- tegic investor and the associated completion of the transformation is a very good time for me to hand over a reorganized and up-and-coming company to the next level," says Thomas Hartkämper. After securing the brand, patents, and most relevant assets of the Kautex Group, Jwell has established a new company Foshan Kautex Machinery Manufacturing, Co. Ltd. In the region Shunde Foshan City, Guangdong Province. Haichao He, the chairman of Jwell, takes over the role of the CEO, supported by. Quanquan Zhou. The finaliza - tion of the facility and the new company is still ongoing. Some operative topics can be handled already through the “NewCo” in Shunde. Kautex Maschinenbau System GmbH www.kautex-group.com Jwell Machinery Co. Ltd www.jwell.cn Strategy launch at K 2022