The triennial plastics spectacle known as the K show drew record crowds in its eight-day stint from 19-26 October in Dusseldorf.
The fair’s 19 halls showcased the machinery, materials and auxiliary products of 3285 exhibitors from 61 countries, and attracted over 230,000 visitors, of which 70% were from outside of Germany.
Companies and brands big and small used K as the stage for launching fresh innovation or new iterations of established technology.
Energy, material and resource efficiency were the dominant themes at K 2016, with the overarching emphasis in the machinery halls on Industry 4.0. Machine and plant manufacturing occupied the biggest exhibition area at K with over 1,900 exhibitors.
In the materials halls, we saw new product launches, innovative recycling concepts, new application areas for organic plastics and additive manufacturing. For many packaging materials suppliers, the focus was on products developed as safe for food and beverage contact, and for use in medical applications. Another important objective for tailor-made materials was to show chemical resistance to cosmetics and other chemical substances as well as stability against temperature changes.
Also going down well with visitors was the line-up of accompanying events at K 2016, especially the Special Show "Plastics shape the future" and the Science Campus. The Special Show, a central forum for swapping information, thoughts and opinions in Hall 6, complemented the exhibits for the ninth edition running.
This year saw individual themed days illustrate the impact plastics have on shaping modern living environments. The agenda featured both expert discussions and entertaining presentations and sports activities as well as exciting experiments.
At the Science Campus exhibitors and visitors to K 2016 obtained a focused overview of scientific activities and results in the plastics and rubber sectors and were given the opportunity to make contact with numerous universities, institutes and sponsoring organisations.
The next K in Düsseldorf will take place from 16 to 23 October 2019.
Look out for our extended report on K in PKN Packaging News Nov-Dec print issue.
