Interview: When wear protection and extrusion knowledge meet.

Mr. Nix, what is the source of specialist extrusion knowledge at Reifenhäuser Reiloy Extrusion Systems?

First and foremost, it comes from a great deal of experience. Reifenhäuser's extrusion history goes back to the 1950s, so we have been active in the field of extrusion for more than 70 years. Over this long period of time, we have visited countless customers, seen many applications, and participated in the entire development. Today, we have concentrated all this historically amassed extrusion knowledge in our state-of-the-art Technology Center in Troisdorf where we carry out trials in collaboration with customers. In addition, we always keep our eyes on current trends and invest in modern simulation tools. This allows us to offer customers a viable solution even before trials begin.

How significant is it that you are a manufacturer of extrusion machines and virtually your own supplier?

Our Reifenhäuser network is of great advantage to us. We produce wear protection for extrusion lines that are developed and manufactured under the same roof; therefore, plastics processing is more than just theory to us. We are experienced in the production of blown films, flat films, spunbonded nonwovens, and meltblown. We know at first hand what is required of extruders and receive direct, very honest feedback. Being a supplier to our own company naturally gives us an additional incentive to improve constantly. All our external customers benefit from this as well.

Do you see a big difference here compared to the competition?

Absolutely. No other competitor combines experts for line technology, experts for extruders, and its own experts for wear protection under a single roof. We have a complete overview over the entire field of plastics extrusion. This is what sets us apart. There’s a good reason why we call ourselves “The Extrusioneers”.

How is Reifenhäuser's extrusion expertise reflected in Reiloy wear protection?

Actually, you can’t separate the one from the other. Our customers process plastics with different end-use properties and so they are faced with different requirements. Our task is to supply them with machines that solve these challenges. With wear protection, we focus on the best possible protection for the machine against abrasive and corrosive mechanisms, and at the same time, our extrusion expertise helps us to keep tabs on the best processing procedure. As I already mentioned: For us, these two points cannot be viewed separately. Wear protection suppliers who, like us, also have practical extrusion knowledge have a clear advantage.

How do your customers benefit from this in real terms?

They receive delivery of a robust, long-life machine that is well-designed down to the last detail where process engineering and wear protection are both addressed at the design stage. We can adapt extruders to their exact requirements without having to discuss decisive details with third-party manufacturers. At Reifenhäuser, we have all the necessary expertise for this. Our customers naturally benefit from our experience and, last but not least, from a top price-performance ratio. Thanks to our strong network, we can offer customized solutions at attractive prices.