K2025 Review: K stands for rubber

Billed as the ‘world’s No. 1 trade fair for plastics and rubber,” K2025 is taking place 8-15 Oct in Düsseldorf, Germany, with around 3000 registered exhibitors and 200,000 visitors expected to attend.

Over the eight days, participants from across the global plastics & rubber industries are meeting there to show and learn about new materials and manufacturing technologies – and discuss current issues around sustainability and other challenges facing the polymer sector.

While K stands for Kunststoffe, the German word for ‘plastics’, a stroll through the exhibition halls will reveal a full range of innovative rubber and elastomer technologies on the exhibition stands.

German rubber industry association the WDK has announced that it will participate in K2025, describing the event as "a central meeting place for the industry and a lighthouse event which illustrates the innovative capacity of the plastics and rubber industry." Added MD Boris Engelhardt, K2025 "represents a unique platform for the rubber and elastomer industry, where companies can find out about the latest innovations from their suppliers, and present their products to an international audience."  Read more

Hall 16 / Stand F21 (Sponsored)

Founded in 1885 and headquartered in Busto Arsizio (Italy), COMERIO ERCOLE celebrates 140 years of excellence in engineering and manufacturing for the rubber and plastic industries. At K2025 Düsseldorf, the company presents a powerful showcase of high-tech solutions, digital innovation, and sustainable industrial strategies aligned with INDUSTRY 5.0. COMERIO ERCOLE during the show will present newest tool for sustainability performance tracking CELEMETRY®. This AI-powered web application enables real-time CO? footprint monitoring, tracking electricity, gas, and water consumption directly from the production line. Designed for CSRD-compliant sustainability reporting, CELEMETRY® transforms production data into actionable ESG insights, supports continuous improvement, and enhances post-sales value with predictive analytics and remote services. Visit us at Hall 16, Booth F21 to experience CELEMETRY® in action and explore the future of sustainable and digital manufacturing with COMERIO ERCOLE.

HALL 1

Stand C90

US extrusion tooling maker Guill Tool & Engineering will spotlight advanced tools, tips and dies, as well as new developments, including cam-lock, rotary die design, single-point concentricity enhancements. Features will include an extrusion head said to eliminate the need for fastening hardware via a fixed center design, multi-port spiral flow and gum space adjustment.

HALL 4

Building 04.1 / Anticipating the upcoming end-of-life vehicle directive, Dow MobilityScience will showcase solutions that support OEMs in meeting regulatory targets. These include Evoair polyolefin elastomers (POEs) based leather, described as a “lightweight alternative leather solution offering a luxurious feel,” in automotive seating applications.

HALL 6

Stand A10 / Wacker will present a series of temper-free liquid silicone rubber grades for food applications – including a bio-methanol-based variant. Moulded parts made from Elastosil Eco LR 5003 are said to be “resource-saving and meet the guidelines for food contact products even without thermal post-treatment. Target applications include lifestyle products, drinking straws, baking tins, dough scrapers and other mass-produced items. At the expo, Wacker will use the material to produce mouthpieces for innovative water bottles.

Wacker will also present new silicone products for energy, e-mobility digitalization and sustainability at K2025. Highlights will include ‘ceramifying’ silicone rubber for e-mobility and electroactive silicone laminates for sensors, among others. Another feature will be A live production demo of mouthpieces for air up water bottles with resource-saving silicone elastomers.

HALL 14

Stand 14A41 / Wickert will showcase customised automation solutions for hydraulic presses and expertise in the fields of composites, rubber, friction, plastics, and powder processing – including cleanroom solutions. Innovations featured will include an automated spraying system for rubber and plastics processing in hydraulic presses. The system is claimed to eliminate error-prone manual application of release and flow agents, which until now has carried risks for both product quality and workplace safety.

(Contact ERJ Support for special placement of your K2025 announcements)