Photo credit: OFI/Michael Pyerin
Awarded: H.F. Mark Medal and Sustainability Award presented
Additional chairs had to be set up at short notice because there was so much interest in taking part in this evening event.
To be present at the H.F. On October 12, 2023, around 100 guests gathered in the ÖIAV ballroom, in the House of Engineers in Vienna, to be there and to find out more about this year's award winner.
For their outstanding achievements in the field of polymer science and plastics economics, Univ.-Prof. DI Dr. Vasiliki-Maria Archodoulaki, who teaches at the Institute of Materials Science and Technology at the TU Vienna, and DI Dr. Jürgen Miethlinger, MBA, Managing Director of Lenzing Plastics GmbH & Co KG, with H.F. Mark Medal honored. In memory of Hermann Franz Mark, the founder of modern polymer chemistry, the H.F. Mark Medal has been awarded by the OFI since 1975.
“With their research and personal commitment, the award winners advance developments in the plastics industry and thus actively contribute to providing answers to burning questions and thus shaping the future of all of us,” says Prof. KR Ing. Hubert Culik, MAS, President of the OFI.
The responsible use of the resources available to us is particularly important. In order to show the exciting questions surrounding sustainability and plastics that current projects in Austria are dealing with, the H.F. Mark Medal Commission the H.F. Mark Sustainability Award launched. Which project would receive this prize was announced at the evening event to the drumbeat: About the first H.F. The Mark Sustainability Award went to the research project “Bioplastic based on chitosan 100% sustainable”, submitted by Pigmentsolution.
Photo credit: OFI/Michael Pyerin
H.F. Mark Medaille and H.F. Mark Sustainability Award 2023 awarded
Around 100 guests gathered on the evening of October 12th in the ÖIAV ballroom, in the House of Engineers in Vienna, to attend the H.F. Mark Medaille 2023 to be there and to find out more about this year's winner. For their outstanding achievements in the field of polymer science and plastics economics, Univ.-Prof. DI Dr. Vasiliki-Maria Archodoulaki, who teaches at the Institute of Materials Science and Technology at the TU Vienna, and DI Dr. Jürgen Miethlinger, MBA, Managing Director of Lenzing Plastics GmbH & Co KG, with H.F. Mark Medal honored. The medal has been awarded by the OFI since 1975 in memory of Hermann Franz Mark, the founder of modern polymer chemistry.
“In the spirit of Hermann Franz Mark, who always valued personal exchange and the transfer of knowledge, we honor the H.F. “Mark Medaille recognizes the special commitment of the award winners,” said Prof. KR Ing. Hubert Culik, MAS, President of the OFI. “With their research and personal commitment, they drive developments in the plastics industry and thus actively contribute to providing answers to burning questions and thus shaping the future of all of us.”
The responsible use of the resources available to us is particularly important. This became particularly clear in the panel discussions this year.
Univ.-Prof. DI Dr. Vasiliki-Maria Archodoulaki
Univ.-Prof. DI Dr. Vasiliki-Maria Archodoulaki received an award, and since then many more have followed, including the MiA Award in 2009 and, twice, the Best Teacher Award from the Faculty of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering. She currently teaches at the Institute of Materials Science and Technology at the Vienna University of Technology.
“Teaching and knowledge transfer lie with Univ.-Prof. DI Dr. Vasiliki-Maria Archodoulaki is obviously close to her heart,” says DI Udo Pappler, OFI Managing Director. “She teaches with great commitment at the TU Vienna, actively advocates for equal treatment and is a pioneer in research into the recycling of plastics.”
The focus of the panel discussion between Univ.-Prof. DI Dr. Vasiliki-Maria Archodoulaki, her laudator Univ.-Prof. DI Dr. Simone Knaus and OFI Managing Director DI Udo Pappler, highlighted the importance of teaching, promoting young talent and networking. The two TU professors gave insight into joint projects and emphasized how important the interaction of brain, heart and humor is in research.
DI Dr. Jürgen Miethlinger, MBA
Teaching, research and development also play a role in the career of the evening's second prize winner. DI Dr. Jürgen Miethlinger, MBA was not only managing director of Poloplast and its parent company with over 3,000 employees, but also taught at the Johannes Kepler University in Linz. There he founded the Institute for Polymer Extrusion and Compounding (IPEC) in 2010. He is currently managing director of Lenzing Plastics.
“DI Dr. explained how important research and development are for establishing innovative ideas and that this also requires teaching. “I never lost sight of Jürgen Miethlinger, MBA throughout his career,” says OFI Managing Director Dr. Michael Balak about the award winner.
Not only about his previous services to the plastics industry, DI Dr. Jürgen Miethlinger, MBA, his laudator Prof. Dr. Walter Friesenbichler, himself a holder of the H.F. Mark Medaille and OFI Managing Director Michael Balak exchanged ideas in the panel discussion, but also about further career goals and visions for the future.
Awarded for the first time: H. F. Mark Sustainability Award
In order to show the exciting questions surrounding sustainability and plastics that current projects in Austria are dealing with, the H.F. Mark Medal Commission the H.F. Mark Sustainability Award launched. This was awarded for the first time in 2023 as part of the celebratory evening event.
“The H.F. Mark Sustainability Award 2023 goes to the project 'Bioplastic based on chitosan 100% sustainable', submitted by Pigmentsolution," announced moderator Stefanie Fürnsinn. The project was able to convince the jury by using chitin to produce a reusable, biodegradable polymer that also has antimicrobial properties.
After the official part of the event, at the end there was a personal conversation with the evening's award winners and their companions and perhaps one or two new project ideas were born.
Photo credit: OFI/Michael Pyerin
Sustainability Awards
Pigmentsolution is pleased to announce that, together with the support of the FFG, we have been nominated as a winner of this year's Sustainability Award with our development!
Our Chitosan research project also includes the innovative use of natural and renewable raw materials. The industrial future also lies in our environment.
The celebration will take place on October 12, 2023 in Vienna. This award shows the enormous importance in the field of sustainability, renewable raw materials and the environmentally friendly use of raw materials.
The sustainable use of the resources available to us is becoming more and more important. In the general public's debate on the subject, plastics are currently viewed particularly critically. Due to its specific properties, the material is suitable for a wide range of applications and can offer decisive advantages over other materials. Plastic can and will continue to play an important role in the design of sustainable products in the future. To show this potential, the H.F. Mark Sustainability Award launched. This wants to give a stage to projects that are dedicated to current challenges relating to the topic of "sustainability of plastics".
Wood surface day
Thank you for your visit!
We would like to thank our visitors at this year's European Coatings Show (ECS)
Hall 3C, Booth 3C-726
28. until March 30, 2023 in Nuremberg
European Coatings Show | Exhibition Center | 90471 Nuremberg
Click here for our new interactive brochure!
We hope you enjoy browsing!
Discover our new technologies.
Take off safely with PURE CABIN, the latest FACC innovation!
The corona pandemic has changed all our lives - people want to feel safe, and hygiene is becoming an increasingly important factor. With PURE CABIN, the internationally leading aerospace company FACC has created an innovative, antimicrobial surface coating for aircraft cabins. In addition to strengthening the technology group's position in the important field of aftermarket services, PURE CABIN offers passengers a relaxed and carefree flight experience in compliance with the highest safety standards. FACC will present the innovation to the market at MRO Americas taking place end April in Orlando, USA.
Safety is a word which has taken on a special meaning these days. For many things which we did not use to think twice about, we are now asking ourselves: how safe is it? Humans are haptic beings; our sense of touch plays a decisive role in our perception and experience of the world. The corona pandemic has not only changed our feeling of safety, but also the way we interact with surfaces. The fear of contamination, for instance, may contribute to people feeling less safe in airplane cabins than before. This change in attitude toward touching materials and objects is a new reality and will continue even after the critical phases of the pandemic – at least for some time.
Safety made by FACC
With its latest product, the aerospace company has demonstrated that innovation is not an empty buzzword for FACC, but that it is firmly anchored in its DNA: With PURE CABIN, FACC has developed a solution that effectively and sustainably frees surfaces from all types of viruses, bacteria and fungi, and gives passengers back a carefree flight experience. “PURE CABIN not only enables new, and even higher, hygiene standards to be achieved - passengers can now once again embark on their journey completely relaxed without worrying, and enjoy their flight. This also means having a good feeling about stowing their luggage in the overhead compartments, making themselves comfortable in their seat, folding down their seat table, adjusting the light and much more besides," explains Robert Machtlinger, CEO of FACC.
The permanent photocatalytic surface solution by FACC is based on the TiO2 plus metal complex and was developed for line-fit cabin products and retrofit cabin applications. PURE CABIN is completely harmless to health: the substances are neither toxic nor biocide-based. Moreover, it can be applied to all surfaces: whether laminate, leather, metal, injection molding, fabrics or other materials – the special solution guarantees that virtually all viruses are eliminated in less than 10 minutes - and for up to one year! In addition, PURE CABIN scores with its quick and easy handling: After cleaning the surfaces, the solution is applied to the respective material and left for five minutes, after which the enclosed special lamp can be used to check whether all areas have been reached. The effectiveness of PURE CABIN has been checked and confirmed by means of a professional, standardized ISO test procedure carried out by independent laboratories such as OFI.
Strengthening aftermarket services
With PURE CABIN, FACC has added another powerful product to its aftermarket services portfolio. "As a high-tech company with a claim to leadership, we are constantly striving to develop further. PURE CABIN not only contributes significantly to flight safety - even after the end of the corona pandemic - but also strengthens our solid position in the growing field of aftermarket services," emphasizes Christian Mundigler, Vice President of FACC Aftermarket Services. "Our goal is to make the mobility of the future even safer by means of innovative solutions such as PURE CABIN, and to create travel experiences that make all the difference," concludes Mundigler. Partner in the development of the PURE CABIN solution was the Upper Austrian company Pigmentsolution GmbH.
Progress
Pigmentsolution expands additive production in Austria
November 6, 2019
Pigmentsolution is investing in its fully automated production facility for water-based additives in Austria. This production plant for water-based additives is being built at the Austrian site in Regau.
A fully automatic production plant for water-based additives is being built at the Regau site in Austria.
In the second quarter of 2020, Pigmentsolution in Austria will build a fully continuous production plant for aqueous epoxy-functional silane emulsions without VOCs and emulsifier systems. It is thus relocating production from Obernburg in Germany to Regau in Austria. This plant continuously produces additives for the paints and coatings industry according to the Industry 4.0 concept.
Fully automatic additive production
Two reactors will be installed, one of which will be used exclusively for R&D of novel water-borne additives. These reactors are able to react automatically to customer requests and to be controlled order-related. Intelligent information systems enable customers to obtain information about production, order tracking and delivery status at any time.
The company works fully automatically in the production of additives with customer-related order processing and raw material purchasing. Production planning functions fully automatically around the clock. Quality parameters and analyses are checked fully automatically via laboratory automation. Product data can be checked online via a platform.
ECOLOGICAL PACKAGING 2020
Pigmentsolution GmbH will gradually adapt the packaging units to renewable raw materials in all areas.
This area of ecological and sustainable packaging is the great wish of many customers, but also increasingly the goal of many companies that responsibly face the environmental impact of packaging waste. We as Pigmentsolution GmbH also face the challenges of the market and the many solution requests from large environmental associations and from politics. From 01-2020 we will be relying on environmentally friendly packaging solutions in our extensive product portfolio. We present our customers with packaging that is 100% ecological. What does 100% ecological mean?
It is high-quality paper packaging that is made exclusively from renewable raw materials. These are not bleached and are therefore very stable in the four-layer system. Tests showed that the white, bleached paper sack systems in the compaction plant could not withstand the pressure and that another layer was needed to achieve this.
We decided to use the non-bleached four-layer system. In addition, the outer packaging of the paper sacks will be converted to PLA-based biodegradable films made from renewable raw materials. The enormous pollution of our ecosystem by plastic waste is reduced many times over with the PLA packaging.
Highlights of PLA-based bio films:
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High oxygen barrier
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Good water vapor permeability
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Longer storage stability
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Cost reduction
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Good barrier against fat, oil, alcohol
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Good aroma barrier
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Good mineral oil barrier
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Recyclable
PLA-based bio films show lower energy consumption values and convince with very low CO2 emission values throughout the entire production process. This gives the ecological packaging optimal global warming potential (GWP).
The ecological balance is also optimal, because these biofilms are 100% recyclable, as they can be disposed of together with the waste paper. Furthermore, the PLA packaging is biodegradable and compostable in accordance with DIN ISO EN 13432. Compostable means when a packaging has decomposed to 90 percent under aerobic conditions within six months.
Innovation emperor!
We are among the top 10 of 186 companies.
On June 6th, the OÖNachrichten and their partners awarded the Pegasus in six categories at a gala in the Brucknerhaus in Linz - from the success story to the lighthouse, from the innovation emperor to the future hope, from the entrepreneur / manager of the year to the entrepreneurial life's work. Companies with an exceptional history are predestined for the success stories category. Anyone who wants to become an innovation emperor applies with innovative products or services. Lighthouses are large companies that shape Upper Austria and also shine. The female leader and the crystal Pegasus will be determined by a prominent jury. Pigmentsolution GmbH from Regau made it into the top 10 of 186 companies in the “Innovation” category.
News - Technologietransfer Pigmentsolution GmbH and Zhejiang Development-Center Co., Ltd
Pigmentsolution GmbH, headquartered in Austria, acquires 65 percent of Zhejiang Development Center Co., Ltd in China. The investment is part of an established global growth strategy.
Andreas Kröger, Managing Director of Pigmentsolution GmbH, says: “We are very grateful to ZDC for the trust that has been placed in us. ZDC plays a prominent role for Pigmentsolution's steady growth ambitions as well as for our goal of taking a leading position in the global consolidation of the industry. The newest member of the Pigmentsolution organization is a unique company in its market, a technological pioneer that is also a leader in environmental protection, with extremely competent employees and values that align with our own. With the investment in ZDC, our development and research in the business field for photocatalysis systems and matting systems grows significantly. It also signals that we are ready to do more - both in Europe and globally. "
We are able to strengthen our own, established industrial business and benefit from numerous other strengths, including our expertise in R&D and, last but not least, our much larger geographic reach. The merger creates a strong basis for further expansion on the European and Asian markets.
The possibility of producing high-quality system solutions in Germany, Austria and China directly in the key markets of tomorrow offers enormous advantages. When making the decision, it was very important for Pigmentsolution that ZDC lives the same customer orientation. In this way, the company tradition of both companies continues with its values and relationships.
WINNER BEST BUSINESS AWARD 2018
PIGMENTSOLUTION IS THE PROUD WINNER OF THE BEST BUSINESS AWARD 2018 FOR SUSTAINABLE CORPORATE MANAGEMENT.
IN THE CATEGORY "COMPANIES WITH LESS THAN 30 EMPLOYEES" WE WERE ABLE TO ACHIEVE THE SILVER PLACE AND THANK YOU VERY MUCH!
READ ALL ABOUT THE AWARD VIA THE FOLLOWING BUTTON.
MATT FROM THE HOT GAS FLOW
SPRAY CALCINATION // IT'S SHARE IN THE LACQUER SYSTEM IS ONLY A FEW PERCENT BUT ITS EFFECT TRIGGES PURCHASING PULSES AND MAKES THE TILLS OF VEHICLE MANUFACTURERS AND FURNITURE PRODUCERS DOUBLE: MATTING AGENTS. THANKS TO A NEW PROCESS OF SPRAY CALCINATION IN A PULSING HOT GAS FLOW, TEST STRIPS ARE CREATED FROM NEW IDEAS WITHIN A FEW WEEKS.