At this years “K”, plastics machinery manufacturer KraussMaffei (Munich / Germany; www.kraussmaffei.com) is presenting itself with a uniform new brand identity, featuring a corporate logo in blue and orange. According to CEO Frank Stieler, the realignment had also been driven forward by both customers and the market.

The Munich-based mechanical engineering company used the trade fair to showcase its focus on solutions for circular economy, digitalisation and new technologies in general. “Creating added value around machines” reads the new credo – its new online platform “Polymore” (www.polymore.com) was launched on stage, with the aim to improve networking of compounders and plastics processors and to make the plastics trade more transparent – see Plasteurope.com of 22.10.2019. In addition, the group is offering new digital services for both new and used machinery.

At the same time, KraussMaffei initiated the largest investment scheme in the company’s history. With the support of owner ChemChina, the machinery manufacturer has launched four projects to update its worldwide operations. In addition to the ongoing expansion in Jiaxing, Zhejiang / China, the programme also features the replacement of buildings in Germany – in Munich, Hannover and Einbeck. The main goal of all sites is to reduce the carbon footprint and increase overall efficiency.

In December 2018, KraussMaffei formally entered the Shanghai Stock Exchange. The listing was made possible through the consolidation of ChemChina’s shares in KM with subsidiary THY (Qingdao Tianhua Institute of Chemistry Engineering) which had already been listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange. As part of the IPO, the company was recently renamed KraussMaffei Company Limited (KMCL). In addition to their existing functions as CEO and CFO of the KraussMaffei group, Stieler and Harald Nippel were also confirmed as the new CEO and CFO of KMCL, respectively.

When asked about the current economic situation at the German machinery company, Stieler noted that even long-standing customers are currently showing a more reluctant behaviour. He added that “right now is a good time to re-orient and adjust the setting.”