After two years of construction, German machinery company KraussMaffei has moved to its new plant, from Hanover to Laatzen. Covering 97,000 sq m, it offers space for up to 750 workplaces for the production of extrusion systems and recycling equipment for the plastics and rubber processing industries.
Relocation started in July and is expected to be completed by December. During the entire relocation period, production is continued.
The move from Hanover to Krauss-Maffei-Straße in Laatzen is part of the new location strategy of the Munich-based company – involving the relocation of four sites to larger and more modern production facilities.
The new plants in JiaXing (near Shanghai) and in Einbeck (near Göttingen) have already been in operation since 2020. In Einbeck, KraussMaffei’s subsidiary Burgsmüller produces core components for extruders.
Also this year, KraussMaffei will move into the new headquarters in Parsdorf, east of Munich. The manufacturer of machinery and solutions for the plastics processing industry say it has invested a total of three-digit millions of euros in its new production sites.
Dr. Michael Ruf, KraussMaffei’s CEO, says he is “thrilled that with the commissioning of this ultra-modern site now underway”.
“We are opening a new chapter in the 184-year history of KraussMaffei. In our new extrusion and recycling technology centre, we are placing an even stronger focus on circular economy. This means that in Laatzen we are going to develop new solutions to make recycling processes even more efficient and thus more attractive. For example, we are going to work on a variety of digital products designed to optimize the energy efficiency of our customers’ machine utilisation,” he added.
The Smart Factory established in Laatzen is said to impress with “consistently networked production, data processing in real time, process visualisation and data evaluation”. The use of “state-of-the-art” machine tools is also said to significantly increase efficiency in production. Manufacturing times for extrusion components are simultaneously reduced, so that customers will benefit from shorter delivery times.
“In the new Laatzen plant, all extrusion technologies – from pipe and profile extrusion through sheet and flat film extrusion to rubber and foam extrusion – as well as compounding and recycling technologies are combined at a single location,” explains Dieter Thewes, CEO of KraussMaffei Extrusion GmbH, emphasising the benefits of the new site.
In addition to the new office and production buildings, KraussMaffei has established a Customer Experience Centre for customers and visitors. At the same time, an Innovation Centre is available for technical trials performed within the frame of customer-specific projects. Demanding and complex extrusion applications can be tested here on up to 26 lines under realistic production conditions.