INTERVIEW WITH TARACELL

Taracell is a Swiss engineering, planning and production company for technical moulded parts and foam packaging of security-sensitive transport goods with worldwide destinations.

Interview with Aline Schirm- Marzolf, Managing Director Taracell.

Easy Engineering: What are the company’s main areas of activity?

Aline Schirm- Marzolf:

  • Processing of particle foam;
  • Extrusion blow moulding;
  • Mould making (aluminium material);
  • Prototyping;
  • End of life management.

E.E: What are the new products for 2021?

A.S.M:

  • Automotive: Complete interior for an electric vehicle
  • Pharma: Small parcel shipper with sustainability concept
  • Building logistics: Carrier (tray) for high-bay warehouse
  • Monitoring: Monitoring the cold chain with our data logger “tara-logger”: The new data logger for temperature monitoring
  • Retail trade: New freezer box for retail trade -20 (+/-5)°C for max. 28 hours. New transport solution for fresh goods (2°C to 8°C) NOEX for max. 30 hours
  • Watch industry: New innovation to protect the movement in the production chain

E.E: What are the product ranges?

A.S.M:

  • Complete supply chain solutions for the industries: pharmaceutical, food, and e-commerce;
  • Technical moulded parts for the industries: Automotive, construction, heating/ventilation technology;
  • Temperature monitoring / data management with data logger;
  • General products made from sustainable raw materials.

E.E: What stage is the market you are currently in?

A.S.M: The issue with the worldwide price increase of raw materials is keeping us busy this year. We had to proceed and communicate a material surcharges to our customers temporary which will last until raw materials reach the original price index levels again.

Today’s customers demand new business models to which we have to react flexibly.

Reduction of energy consumption and improvement of the CO2 footprint are topics that are actively addressed in the market.

E.E: What can you tell us about market trends?

A.S.M: The topic of sustainability has been very present in the media for some time now. We are pleased about that because this topic is close to our hearts. Unfortunately, plastics still have a bad reputation. It is important to inform the customer better and to show

how good and sustainable plastic can be if it is used correctly. This is a very complex topic in which we are happy to support our customers, for example with our reverse logistics as a “carefree package” or by using raw material recycled which close the loop and support our circular economy.

E.E: What are the most innovative products that are marketed?

A.S.M: The most innovative solutions are developed by SMEs.

Most of our innovations come in the form of a customer requirement and the corresponding “innovative” solution from Taracell.

Practical solutions on the subject of material separation in the automotive industry, such as a laminated door trim, are a topic at Taracell. We will show a door panel with biodegradable substrate, adhesive and A-surface at the upcoming Automotive Interiors in Stuttgart.

Many of the future innovations are being tested internally today. One of them is the 100% biodegradable Bio-foam plastic. It remains to be seen whether this will prove itself in practice.

E.E: What do you think will happen in 2021?

A.S.M: I believe that interpersonal relationships in this challenging time of COVID are currently a very central topic. The companies that manage to work as a team through these difficult times will also be successful in the future. Industrial projects and innovative systems are created by interpersonal exchange near to the production environment and are inhibited in home office constellation.