If we want to maintain today‘s standards,
future generations will have to rely on bioplastics even more than we do now.
Plastics are finite, as they are won from crude oil.
Bioplastics are a great alternative – they give us more independence concerning
raw materials. Our research cluster deals with bioplastics.
We are affiliated with Faculty II, Mechanical and Bioprocess Engineering,
at the Ahlem campus.
We produce and modify bioplastics.
Thanks to our industrial scale like facilities, we are able to cover the plastic product chain,
ranging from materials up to real products with a size of 50 cm.
In recent years, our team has become quite large.
It’s now divided into different groups and focal points.
Our teams work on the sustainability, public relations,
material development and engineering.
Producing bioplastics is like baking.
There’s a recipe and different ingredients that determine the final product‘s characteristics.
The extruder is like a giant kneading machine.
weighing the material that is molt, ingredients are dispensed and released
as well as cut at the front in the form of tiny, lenticular plastic granules.
We make bioplastics from plant-based materials
like starch or sugar.
Bioplastic can be both biodegradable and durable.
Meanwhile, our research focus is on durable bioplastics with new special material properties
and the use of residues as raw material with its advantages specially with the view of sustainability.
Under high pressure it is injected into the tool where it cools down.
A robot removes the component from the tool and places them on the conveyor belt for further processing.
Right now, we are producing the top and bottom part of a computer mouse.
Once all parts have been manufactured, they are delivered to a company for assembly.
Environmental awareness is growing.
Many people are concerned about sustainability.
What happens to the huge amounts of trash we produce?
In Germany, throughout Europe, we need alternative solutions.
This research cluster is important as it tries to establish a strong
network of all these new interlinked technologies.
This University brings together various disciplines that we also engage in,
like industry 4.0. Hanover University of Applied Sciences thus promotes
the idea of research, not only with regard to basic research.