Arguably one of the world’s most versatile materials, PU has advanced into all areas of modern life. Over 2 million tons of polyurethane are produced in the EU every year – for furniture, car seats, packaging, footwear, electrical goods, building insulation, medical devices, high-tech coatings or lightweight design. Widely used in everyday manufacturing, PU technology effectively provides added value by enhancing the properties and functionality of parts and products.

The PU processing industry operates in a highly competitive market with increasingly complex environmental requirements. There is an ever growing demand for tailored solutions that enable fast response times and large-scale production to very high environmental standards. This pressure has recently fuelled further investment in PU technology, boosting developments in areas such as PU lightweight design, surface technology and bio-plastics.

“The beauty of polyurethane as an inherently flexible and adaptable material is that it comes with a great capacity for development and change”, says Ulika Tosner, Exhibition Director of PSE Europe at the organiser, Mack Brooks Exhibitions. “This opens up exciting opportunities for PU processing companies and the many industries they serve.”

Ulika Tosner continues: “It is testament to the success of the launch event last year that we have attracted a spectacular line-up of international leaders in PU processing, together with a number of innovative SMEs, research institutes and industry organisations from Germany, Europe and beyond. All of them are innovation drivers in PU processing, happy to discuss individual manufacturing solutions in direct exchange with PU users. This makes PSE Europe a perfect networking and sourcing platform for production specialists who seek to implement new polyurethane solutions in their manufacturing.”

Exhibitors at PSE Europe represent an excellent cross-section of the PU processing industry, including processing equipment manufacturers, raw material producers, PU system suppliers, PU-related service providers and leading research institutes. Companies like C.O.I.M. S.P.A., DUNA-Corradini S.p.A., FRIMO Group GmbH, FoamPartner Otto Bock Kunststoff GmbH, Isochem Group, Jiahua Chemicals Inc., KraussMaffei Technologies GmbH and Milliken Europe BVBA have all taken up exhibition stands to show the growing potential of polyurethane as an economic and ecological alternative to conventional materials in manufacturing.

Visitors can look forward to exciting product innovations and live demonstrations presented at the exhibition stands and in seminar sessions or special feature areas. Product highlights include new PU technologies for lightweight construction and foaming, the latest in reaction injection mould design, bio-based materials and low-emission additives, improved mould release agents and tool cleaning technologies, high-precision mixing and measuring technology, automation solutions for efficient handling, modern line control technology and software, as well as new business strategies for PU processors and their suppliers.

3-day seminar programme with expert speakers

An outstanding 3-day seminar programme provides further knowledge and insights into major developments in PU processing. It will also present key strategies adopted by industry leaders to succeed and grow in this rapidly evolving market. Confirmed speakers are listed below.

Tuesday, 26 March 2019: Materials / Sustainability: The first day of the seminar programme focuses on raw materials used to manufacture polyurethane including a dedicated section for renewable materials, recycling and sustainability.

• Bomix Chemie GmbH, a supplier of coating systems and PU pastes for the direct colouring of polyurethane-foams.
• Nitroil® Performance Chemicals, a specialist for low-emission additives to the Polyurethane industry

Wednesday, 27 March 2019: Applications: On day two, the programme highlights the enormous potential of polyurethane and illustrates how the material supports the progress of innovative applications within many different industries.

• DUNA-Corradini S.p.A., a specialist for polyurethane foams and epoxy resins
• ebalta Kunststoff GmbH, a manufacturer of high-performance epoxy resins and lay-up pastes for mould making
• FoamPartner Otto Bock Kunststoff GmbH, a provider of over 200 high-quality speciality foams
• Jiahua Chemicals Inc., a leading independent Chinese specialty chemicals manufacturing group
• Mahr Metering Systems GmbH, a supplier of dispensing and mixing systems for processing liquid plastics
• Milliken, a global innovation leader for specialty chemicals, floor covering and performance materials
• Simpatec, a provider of 3D CAE technology to optimise injection moulding processes

Thursday, 28 March 2019: Processes and Machinery: The third seminar day concentrates on the world of production processes and machines within the industry.

• Dekumed Kunststoff- und Maschinenvertrieb GmbH & Co KG, a provider of mixing, metering and dispensing equipment
• Exypnos, a specialist for bonding, framing or encapsulation applications involving polyurethane
• Filtration Group GmbH, a supplier of filtration solutions for life science, process technologies, fluid and indoor air quality applications.
• KraussMaffei, a global manufacturer of injection moulding machines, machines for plastics extrusion technology, and reaction process machinery

Both visitors and exhibitors of PSE Europe 2019 are invited to attend the seminars free of charge, providing a perfect opportunity for attendees to network both with the presenting specialists and with each other.

The full conference programme and further updates will be published on www.pse-europe.com

Feature Area for interactive demonstrations

In this dedicated space for hands-on demonstrations, exhibiting companies display novel PU products to bridge the gap between theory and practice and give trade visitors a better understanding of how their polyurethane solutions work in real-life.

Sustainability Area highlighting green solutions

The Sustainability Area is a special exhibition area where companies have the opportunity to present innovative products and services relating to all aspects of sustainability in the PU world, for example using PU as key material in lightweight design to effectively reduce energy consumption, or advancements in bio-based or low-emission PUs for increased biocompatibility.

Information Service for trade visitors

PSE Europe offers a variety of services for trade visitors who wish to receive regular updates on the show.

Visitors can now order the new Visitor Brochure which contains all relevant information on PSE Europe 2019 in a handy format, including show and visitor profile, exhibitor list and key facts on opening hours, ticket prices and accommodation.

The Show Preview with profiles of many exhibitors and their products will be published in January 2019.

The organiser has recently published a White Paper outlining some of the recent developments and trends that will shape the polyurethane industry over the coming years. It also contains case studies on how exhibitors have been able to offer added value by introducing new PU processing solutions and methods to the market. The White Paper is available for free download.

The Visitor Brochure and the White Paper are available at www.pse-europe.com