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05/29/2024

Plastics technology department with Carrera track at Hessentag 2024

From May 24 to 25, 2024, the Department of Plastics Engineering at the Institute of Materials Engineering, University of Kassel, presented itself at the Hessentag in Fritzlar at the stand of the Hessian Ministry of Science and Research, Art and Culture.

The Department of Plastics Technology presented a Carrera track that is controlled by electrically conductive smart plastic training belts from the Kassel-based university spin-off STRAFFR. This is an example of the integration of functions into the material plastic in order to save natural resources, among other things, a key area of research at BiTWerk. Visitors to the stand had great fun testing the Carrera track and competing against each other.

In addition, the department presented its activities on bioplastics as part of the joint research project "BeBio2 - Resistance of bioplastics and biocomposites" and offered visitors the chance to explore the materials from which these plastics are produced and processed at the IfW. "BeBio2" builds on the joint project "Safer Materials", which was funded by the state program "LOEWE" from 2015 to 2018 and in which scientists from the University of Kassel, in cooperation with other research partners, were already researching how materials such as metal, plastic or concrete can become more resistant and reliable even under external influences.

On the opening day of the Hessentag, May 24, Hessian Minister President Boris Rhein and his wife Tanja Raab-Rhein visited the HMWK stand. They also took the opportunity to try their hand at the Carrera track and had a little race with the plastic ribbons. On May 25, the Hessian Minister of Economics Kaweh Mansoori also stopped by the HMWK stand to find out about the activities on site.

Image: HMWK

The staff of the Department of Plastics Technology at the University of Kassel would like to thank the Hessian Ministry of Science and Research, Art and Culture for giving them the opportunity to present their research at the Hessentag 2024 in Fritzlar and were delighted with the lively attendance of interested visitors of all ages and from a wide range of backgrounds.

The Carrera track in action and the feel box for bioplastics:

Carrera track with Straffr belts. The video is embedded via the YouTube platform. Google's privacy policy applies.
Feel-Box Bioplastics - The video is embedded via the YouTube platform. Google's privacy policy applies.