Natural Polymer Materials for Injection Moulding: Insights from KPA Ulm 2026
- 2 days ago
- 3 min read
Updated: 1 day ago
Last week, our sales managers and application engineers travelled to Ulm for this year’s KPA - the trade fair dedicated entirely to injection moulding.
With injection moulding being one of the core processing technologies for traceless®, it was an important place for us to be. Not only to share our vision for natural polymer-based materials, but to connect with converters who are actively thinking about how their material portfolio will evolve in the coming years.
Because natural polymer-based materials like traceless® do not create impact through material innovation alone. They require the right partners - and deep expertise in injection moulding - to prove that they can work under real industrial conditions.
Starting from Impact, Optimising for Performance
Injection moulding is one of the most established processing technologies in the plastics industry. For decades, it has enabled highly efficient, precise and scalable production of rigid and semi-rigid parts. Conventional plastics have been optimized for this process to deliver maximum performance: broad processing windows, high mechanical strength and long-term durability. Technically, they can fulfil almost any requirement. The environmental impact, however, is well known.
With traceless®, we deliberately start from the opposite direction. The environmental impact sets the boundary.
Our material is designed with maximum environmental responsibility in mind: plastic-free, based on agricultural residues, saving up to 91% of CO₂ emissions compared to conventional plastics and naturally compostable.
We do not synthesize new polymer chains. Instead, we work with natural polymers that already exist in nature - such as starch, cellulose and proteins - and transform them into a biobased and compostable thermoplastic material through our patented process.
Designing within this ecological framework means setting clear priorities. The environmental impact defines the boundaries, and within those boundaries, we optimize for performance.
This approach does not aim to replicate every conventional plastic application. Instead, it opens up specific fields of use where functional requirements and environmental responsibility align and where traceless® can create real value - for example in rigid and semi-rigid applications with shorter product lifetimes, in products that are difficult to recycle, or in areas where regulatory frameworks are evolving.
What Industrial Readiness Means in Injection Moulding
From the beginning, we knew that ecological performance alone would not be enough. A material only creates impact if manufacturers can realistically adopt it.
Exactly this theme was the core of Leonie’s talk: “Materials designed for nature – inspired by nature, developed for industry.” on the first day of KPA.
In injection moulding specifically, it means performance where it matters most - on existing production lines, with:
Reliable processing on standard injection moulding machines
Predictable cycle times
Stable and reproducible material behaviour
Compatibility with conventional cold- and hot-runner systems
Scalability beyond pilot stage
Our injection moulding portfolio - covering rigid and semi-rigid applications - is developed with exactly this mindset.
In practical terms, converters can evaluate traceless® based on:
Good flowability across a broad MFI range, suitable for multi-cavity moulds
Processing at comparatively lower machine temperatures, reducing operational energy demand
Cycle times aligned with industrial throughput requirements
Mechanical strength and impact resistance suitable for defined rigid parts
What We Took Away from KPA
Perhaps the most important insight from KPA, however, was this: material transformation does not happen through materials alone. It happens through collaboration.
Building a new material class in injection moulding requires partners who are willing to test, evaluate and strategically integrate new options into their portfolio.
And that was exactly our reason for being at KPA - to engage with injection moulders who are, already today, considering how their material portfolio will evolve over the coming years. Natural polymers will not replace every conventional polymer. But in the right rigid and semi-rigid injection moulding applications, they can create measurable value. With production scaling up and successful trials completed, traceless® is steadily moving from validation toward implementation.
If you are currently evaluating how natural polymer-based materials could complement your injection moulding portfolio, we would be glad to continue the conversation. Reach out to our sales-team via sales@traceless.eu
