Refinement of thermoplastics: color and additive batches, functional compounds, and color formulations for 3D pellet printing.
GRAFE Technology GmbH
Blankenhain (Thuringia) · GermanyNew on Amplifa
About GRAFE
GRAFE is a mid-sized, family-owned specialist in the refinement of thermoplastics with respect to their design and technology properties. The company develops and produces custom color masterbatches, additive batches and functional compounds as well as color formulations for 3D pellet printing based on PETG. With BIOCOLEN®, GRAFE offers masterbatches and compounds based on biodegradable and bio-based polymers, and with CYCOLEN® products for the coloring and additive treatment of Post-Industrial (PIR) and Post-Consumer Recyclates (PCR). At its own pilot plant at headquarters in Blankenhain, production processes are precisely simulated in advance; more than 10,000 color creations are developed per year at the Color Design Center. As a group with 405 employees, GRAFE supplies more than 3,000 customers from a wide range of industries in over 60 countries, supporting them from consulting through material development to the production of tailor-made solutions.
- Site
- Blankenhain, Germany
- Processes
- Production of color masterbatches, Production of additive batches (additive masterbatches), Development and production of functional compounds, Color formulations for 3D pellet printing (PETG standard colors), Masterbatches and compounds based on biodegradable and bio-based polymers (BIOCOLEN®), Masterbatches for coloring and additive treatment of recyclates PIR/PCR (CYCOLEN®), Pre-simulation of production processes in the pilot plant, Color design (over 10,000 color creations per year)
- Materials
- Thermoplastics, PETG, Biodegradable polymers, Bio-based polymers, Post-Industrial Recyclate (PIR), Post-Consumer Recyclate (PCR), Color Masterbatches, Additive Batches
- Certificates
- DIN EN ISO 9001:2015, IATF 16949:2016, ISO 9001, IATF 16949
- Employees
- 405
- Industries
- Plastics processing, Circular economy / recycling, 3D pellet printing, Automotive, Packaging
- 01
Consulting and development
- 02
Color design
- 03
Material development / compounding
- 04
Pre-simulation in the pilot plant
- 05
Production of masterbatches, additive batches and compounds
Materials & Processes
Color Masterbatches
Custom coloring of thermoplastics for customer-specific design requirements.
Additive Batches
Additive masterbatches for targeted functionalization of thermoplastics.
Functional Compounds
Extensive range of compounds with technically tailored material properties.
BIOCOLEN® (bio-based & biodegradable polymers)
Masterbatches and compounds for environmentally conscious applications without compromising color fastness or material properties.
CYCOLEN® (PIR/PCR recyclates)
Masterbatches for coloring and additive treatment of Post-Industrial and Post-Consumer Recyclates for the circular economy.
PETG
Carrier material for standard colors in 3D pellet printing.
Locations
Blankenhain
DEHeadquarters / Color Design Center with pilot plant
- Materials
- Thermoplastics, PETG, BIOCOLEN®, CYCOLEN®
- 3× ARBURG Allrounder (injection molding / compounding pilot plant)
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Production of color masterbatchesPlastics | – | – | – | – | Thermoplastics |
| Production of additive batches (additive masterbatches)Plastics | – | – | – | – | Thermoplastics |
| Development and production of functional compoundsPlastics | – | – | – | – | Thermoplastics |
| Color formulations for 3D pellet printing (PETG standard colors)Additive | – | – | – | – | PETG |
| Masterbatches and compounds based on biodegradable and bio-based polymers (BIOCOLEN®)Plastics | – | – | – | – | Biodegradable polymers, Bio-based polymers |
| Masterbatches for coloring and additive treatment of recyclates PIR/PCR (CYCOLEN®)Plastics | – | – | – | – | Post-Industrial Recyclate (PIR), Post-Consumer Recyclate (PCR) |
| Pre-simulation of production processes in the pilot plantEngineering | – | – | – | – | – |
1 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Injection molding machine / compounding pilot plant machine (ARBURG Allrounder) | ARBURG Allrounder | 3 | – | – | Blankenhain (Color Design Center pilot plant) |
Additional services
Quality
GRAFE places great emphasis on quality and is certified to DIN EN ISO 9001:2015 as well as IATF 16949:2016. The extensive pilot plant enables pre-simulation of virtually any production process before series production.
| Evidence | Blankenhain |
|---|---|
| ISO 9001 | |
| IATF 16949 |
History
- 1990er
Start of business operations; nearly 30 years, respectively over 30 years, of experience in the refinement of thermoplastics (exact year of founding not specified)
- Heute
Family-owned company with 405 employees, over 3,000 customers in more than 60 countries; points of contact in eleven countries