Shape- shifter
ElringKlinger Kunststofftechnik is much more than a mere segment within the ElringKlinger Group. Supplying seals, tubing, engineered parts, assemblies, and modules made of high-performance plastics, it has served as a technology and development partner to high-specification industries for more than 50 years – a shapeshifter in the true sense of the word. We took a look behind the scenes of this extraordinary shapeshifter and examined three stand-out products destined for use in medical devices, in the semiconductor industry, and in energy storage systems...
ElringKlinger Kunststofftechnik develops and produces customized, field-proven solutions featuring high-end materials such as Polytetraflon®-PTFE and Moldflon® high-performance thermoplastics for its global customers in the automotive, chemical and process technology, energy, food and pharmaceutical, mechanical engineering, medical and life science, aerospace, semiconductor, and optics industries. Indeed, the designs, functions, and areas of application could not be more diverse.
Straight, curved, corrugated, colored: tubing for medical applications
The sheer variety of medical tubing is staggering: straight, curved, multi-lumen, corrugated, colored, tapered, specially finished or featuring flanges, colored rings, logos, or measuring scales. The materials used in these applications, such as Polytetraflon®-PTFE or Moldflon®-PTFE, come with various benefits such as chemical and temperature resistance as well as low-friction properties and biocompatibility. Medical tubing supplied by ElringKlinger Kunststofftechnik is deployed in various medical fields such as gastroenterology, laparoscopy, and proctology. With the help of an endoscope, minimally invasive diagnostic or surgical procedures can be performed on hollow organs and cavities in the human body, such as the stomach, intestines, or abdominal cavity. Colored markings on the tubing serve as an important orientation aid for medical staff when positioning it in the human body. So-called multi-lumen tubes feature extremely fine channels (lumens) that run through the tubing to allow contrast agents or instruments such as snares, catch baskets, and thin cutting or guide wires to be inserted separately and directed with high precision during medical procedures.
4 million
meters of medical tubing were produced by ElringKlinger Kunststofftechnik in Bietigheim-Bissingen in 2024.
“As part of our 2030 strategic roadmap, we are analyzing our market potential in the field of medical technology and are looking to tap into new markets with newly developed products. Our track record of working closely with our customers in a partnership built on trust spans many decades. On this basis, we develop customized high-performance plastic solutions for medical applications,” explains Bo Sun, General Manager of ElringKlinger Kunststofftechnik.
Against the backdrop of an ageing world population and global advances in medical care, medical technology is considered a growth market. It places significant demands on hygiene and cleanliness throughout the production process. The first cleanroom commenced operations at the Bietigheim-Bissingen site in 2017. At the beginning of 2025, an additional cleanroom was established for the production of medical tubing. It complies with the ISO 8 classification in line with ISO 14644-1 and provides a low-particle environment. Among the key features are an h14 fine filter, access via a personnel airlock, and double-packed products, which are brought out of the cleanroom via a materials airlock. The extrusion of medical tubing made of Polytetraflon®-PTFE is performed directly in the cleanroom. It features two extrusion lines that include inline testing of the outer diameter and inspection of the surface finish by means of image processing. During the process, the cross-section of the tubing, including the wall thickness, is checked manually using a measuring microscope. Compared to downstream manual checks, the tests and measurements conducted directly as part of the automated manufacturing process ensure greater efficiency in production and guarantee high output quality. The cleanroom can be extended easily in response to increases in capacity.
ElringKlinger Kunststofftechnik is also stepping up its production capacity in China in an effort to respond even more effectively to customer requirements in local markets. It has been operating a plant in the Chinese port city of Qingdao since 2018. A new facility located within the Sino-German Eco Park, in the immediate vicinity of the existing plant, is to be completed by the middle of this year. After the move, medical tubing will also be manufactured at this site – in a new cleanroom (ISO class 7) – alongside products for the automotive and mechanical engineering industries.
Robust, embossed, dynamic: diaphragms for the semiconductor industry
Electric cars, smartphones, robotic lawn mowers, or fully automatic coffee machines – microchips can be found in a wide range of devices used in our daily lives. These microelectronic components perform important tasks, such as controlling electronic devices. Microchips are manufactured as part of complex procedures that involve various chemical and physical processes. Production requires the highest standards of quality and cleanliness from the machinery, personnel, and manufacturing environment. In total, it takes more than 1,000 individual process steps to create a finished microchip from the metalloid silicon. The chips are etched, exposed, coated, and cleaned. Each of these numerous processing steps can give rise to minute impurities that may in turn have an adverse effect on the functionality of the coveted chips. To prevent such contamination, special plastic diaphragms are used in the valves of the systems. They are designed to filter out impurities and reliably separate various media with a range of pressure ratings.
The semiconductor industry is a significant growth market. With processes becoming increasingly automated and the emergence of artificial intelligence, demand looks set to rise further in the future. The Heidenheim facility operated by ElringKlinger Kunststofftechnik is widely acknowledged for its expertise in the manufacture of diaphragms, which are used in valves for semiconductor fabrication systems. “At present, we produce 400,000 diaphragms per year in Heidenheim. We are looking to expand our production capacity at this site as part of a plant extension. From mid-2025, the diaphragms will be manufactured in a new facility consisting of up to four embossing machines instead of the previous two,” explains Stefan Schmid, CEO of ElringKlinger Kunststofftechnik.
ElringKlinger Kunststofftechnik supplies an extensive range of diaphragms. The company currently offers its customers twenty different types of diaphragm and is capable of developing products that are tailored specifically to customer requirements. The diaphragms made of Polytetraflon®-PTFE (polytetrafluoroethylene) stand out for their mechanical, thermal, and physiological properties. They are anti-adhesive, chemically resistant to aggressive media, sterilizable, and temperature-resistant from -60 °C to +200 °C. Thanks to the embossing process, the material used is also characterized by good flexural fatigue strength. As a result, the diaphragms are dynamic by nature, while the axial pull-out forces of the component to be connected are significantly enhanced, making the assembly as a whole much more resilient – perfect properties for a wide range of applications.
-60 °C
The diaphragms made of Polytetraflon®-PTFE are temperature-resistant from -60 °C to +200 °C.
ESSs store the surplus energy from wind and sun. The units can be connected in groups to create a network.
The Heidenheim facility operated by ElringKlinger Kunststofftechnik is widely acknowledged for its expertise in the manufacture of diaphragms, which are used in valves for semiconductor fabrication systems.
Media-tight, durable, corrosion-resistant: heat exchangers for energy storage systems
Whether it is for charging a car, operating a heat pump, or cooking on an induction hob – electricity has become an integral part of our everyday lives and consumption looks set to rise even further. At the same time, renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power are being used in an effort to meet emission reduction targets. In view of these megatrends, it is essential that renewable energy is utilized and stored efficiently.
Energy storage systems (ESSs) play a pivotal role in this area. Imagine a solar panel that has been installed on your roof: when the sun is shining, the panel generates a great deal of energy. But what happens when it gets dark or the sun is no longer shining? It is precisely in these scenarios that battery-based ESSs play their part: they store surplus energy and release it when it is needed. An ESS can be seen as a giant “energy storage power bank” – only much larger and more powerful.
The redox flow battery is a highly durable and flexible form of energy storage technology. In this context, the vanadium redox flow battery (VRFB), which uses vanadium – a metal found around the globe – in various oxidation states, is particularly widespread. Liquid electrolyte solutions are used as the storage medium. The latter is kept in external tanks and only pumped into the cells during the charging and discharging processes. The redox reactions take place at the electrodes. During the charging process, electrical energy is converted into chemical energy and thus stored. The process is reversed when discharging. The battery performance is defined by the number and dimensions of the stacks, while the capacity is determined by the volume of electrolyte solution in the tanks. These two parameters can be scaled and customized independently of each other.
810
dedicated employees at six sites on three continents are at the heart of the innovatory prowess.
The individual components made of high-performance plastic are welded together so that the heat exchangers are media-tight and safe.
The electrolyte solutions heat up during use and as a result of the electrochemical reactions. This calls for efficient cooling in order to ensure the highest possible system performance and operational availability. It is here that the Thermo-X™ heat exchanger engineered by ElringKlinger Kunststofftechnik comes into play. This tailor-made solution is designed to ensure that the process media always remain within the appropriate temperature range. Thermo-X™ heat exchangers feature high-performance plastics that are resistant to corrosion and acids – a decisive advantage over conventional metal-based heat exchangers. They are manufactured from specially developed materials such as Moldflon®-PFA, -PVDF, -PP, or -PE, taking into account the field of application and customer requirements. Depending on the overall system design, the heat exchanger can be integrated directly into the electrolyte tank or externally into the ESS. The design of the heat exchanger can be adapted flexibly to the customer’s system. The heat exchanger is engineered on the basis of the shell-and-tube principle: the electrolyte solution flows through countless plastic tubes that are firmly welded into the shell tube. At the same time, a liquid coolant flows around the tubes, whereby heat is transferred by means of the counterflow principle and the electrolyte solution is kept at a constant optimum operating temperature.
”With our heat exchanger, we are able to offer our customers a tailor-made solution that is not only efficient and chemically resistant but also safe and sustainable. The various components of the heat exchanger are manufactured using state-of-the-art welding machines and specially developed tools at our plant in Mönchengladbach,” say CEO Stefan Schmid and General Manager Bo Sun.
From medical tubing to diaphragms and heat exchangers – the “shape” of these products could not be more diverse. It is one overriding aspect, however, that will always remain crucial to ElringKlinger Kunststofftechnik’s innovative products: 810 dedicated employees at six sites on three continents are at the heart of the performance and innovatory prowess of this extraordinary shapeshifter – as encountered directly or indirectly at many points in our everyday lives.
