Digitalization in the Plastics Industry: Definition and Difference from Industry 4.0
How Digital Transformation Is Driving Innovation and Sustainability in the Plastics Sector
Experience the digital revolution in the plastics industry – live at K!
The digitalization of the plastics and rubber industry is fundamentally reshaping production processes, enabling real-time data analysis, predictive maintenance, and smart manufacturing. At the heart of this transformation lies the potential to reduce resource consumption, increase efficiency, and develop sustainable solutions that meet global market demands.
K is the leading trade fair where digital transformation becomes tangible: from networked machinery and Industry 4.0 applications to innovative software solutions for the plastics sector. For exhibitors and visitors alike, K offers a first-hand look at how the digital revolution is redefining business models, supply chains, and customer interaction in the plastics industry.
Digitalisation starts at K – and with it, the future of plastics.
Digitalisation of the Plastics and Rubber Industry
What Is Digitalisation?
Digitalisation refers to the use of digital technologies to optimize, automate and connect processes across production and business workflows. In the plastics and rubber industry, this transformation affects everything from manufacturing and logistics to customer service and product development. Digitalisation enables real-time data usage, transparent process control, and efficient resource management – all key aspects for companies that aim to stay competitive in a dynamic market.
Digitalisation vs. Industry 4.0 – What’s the Difference?
While the terms are often used interchangeably, there is a key distinction between Digitalisation and
Industry 4.0.
Digitalisation is the overarching process of converting analog into digital and integrating IT systems into all business areas.
Industry 4.0, on the other hand, is a specific subset of Digitalisation, focused on smart, automated, and connected industrial production.
Key technologies of Industry 4.0 in the plastics industry include:
Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS): Machines and production systems that interact and exchange data autonomously.
Internet of Things (IoT): Intelligent networking of devices and machinery along the entire value chain.
Artificial Intelligence (AI): Algorithm-based optimization of processes, predictive maintenance, and improved decision-making.
Together, these technologies represent the digital revolution in the plastics industry, paving the way for flexible, data-driven, and sustainable production systems.
of German companies are "basic users" of digitalisation technologies. They are characterised by low to medium use.
Source: Fraunhofer ISI
Why Digitalisation Matters in the Plastics Industry
The digital transformation is more than a trend – it’s a critical factor for future-proof success. In the plastics and rubber sector, Digitalisation enables:
Greater process efficiency and automation
Sustainable production through better resource control
Faster innovation cycles and increased product quality
Resilience in global supply chains and fluctuating markets
By embracing digital technologies, companies gain a competitive advantage and actively contribute to more sustainable, transparent, and intelligent value creation.
Digitalisation starts at K – the world’s leading trade fair for plastics and rubber.
What Does Digitalisation Mean for the Plastics Industry?
Digitalisation of the plastics and rubber industry is transforming not just production workflows, but the very structure of companies. From automated manufacturing to digitally enhanced customer service, digital transformation is reshaping corporate culture, decision-making, and innovation capabilities.
For companies in the plastics sector, this shift opens new opportunities to streamline operations, reduce costs, and remain competitive in global markets. Embracing digital tools and data-driven systems is becoming a strategic necessity.
Use Cases and Applications of Digitalisation in the Plastics Industry
The digital revolution in the plastics industry enables a wide range of applications that boost efficiency, quality and flexibility. Key application areas include:
Smart Production: Real-time monitoring and adjustment of machinery using IoT sensors and AI.
Predictive Maintenance: Minimizing downtime with machine learning–based analysis of wear and usage data.
Digital Supply Chains: Transparent, automated logistics and inventory management.
Quality Control with AI: Automated defect detection and process optimization.
Custom Manufacturing: Flexible production systems that allow for individualized product designs and small batch sizes.
Energy Monitoring & Sustainability: Optimized resource consumption through intelligent systems.
These examples show how digital transformation can be practically applied to improve performance and sustainability in plastics manufacturing.
1. Process Optimization and Smart Automation
Digitalisation enables significant improvements in process efficiency and automation across the plastics and rubber industry.
Automated Production Lines: By using networked machines and industrial robots, manufacturers can monitor and optimize processes in real time. Example: A plastics processing company leverages IoT sensors to reduce machine downtime and ensure consistent product quality.
Predictive Maintenance: With data-driven maintenance strategies, unplanned downtime is minimized, increasing overall equipment efficiency (OEE). Example: A rubber producer uses intelligent sensors to detect wear early and schedule maintenance proactively.
These smart technologies form the backbone of Industry 4.0 in the plastics industry, enabling scalable, resilient, and future-ready production environments.
Production processes can be significantly improved and automated through the use of digital technologies:
Automated production lines: Use of robots and networked machines that continuously monitor and adjust production data. Example: A plastics processing plant uses IoT sensors for real-time monitoring to reduce machine downtime and ensure product quality.
Predictive maintenance: Predictive maintenance based on data analysis to minimize unplanned downtime. Example: A rubber manufacturer uses sensors to monitor the condition of its machines and carry out maintenance work in good time.
2. Product Development and Quality Assurance
The digital transformation supports faster, cost-effective product development and reliable quality assurance.
Digital Twins: Virtual replicas of machines or production lines allow for detailed simulation and optimization before real-world implementation. Example: A plastics manufacturer uses digital twins to test new plant configurations and reduce ramp-up times.
Additive Manufacturing (3D Printing): Flexible prototyping and small-batch production reduce development cycles and improve customization. Example: A rubber processor creates tailor-made prototypes using 3D printing to fulfill specific customer needs.
These technologies enhance innovation cycles and make production more adaptive and customer-oriented.
Digital technologies enable faster and more cost-efficient development and product quality assurance:
Digital twins: Creation of virtual images of production facilities for simulation and optimization. Example: A plastics manufacturer uses digital twins to test the efficiency of new production lines before they are physically implemented.
Additive manufacturing (3D printing): Use of 3D printers for prototyping and small batch production. Example: A company produces individual prototypes from rubber in order to meet customer requirements quickly and flexibly.
3. Transparent Supply Chains and Digital Logistics
Digitalisation in supply chain management leads to more transparency, traceability, and efficiency in logistics operations.
Real-Time Tracking and Traceability: RFID tags and IoT technologies enable seamless tracking of materials and finished goods. Example: A plastic packaging supplier uses RFID to monitor inventory, improving logistics and reducing waste.
Smart Warehouse Management: Automated systems manage inventory levels, predict demand, and streamline order fulfillment. Example: A rubber manufacturer integrates a warehouse management system to optimize stock control and delivery speed.
By connecting the entire value chain, companies increase agility and responsiveness in volatile markets.
Digitalisation improves transparency and efficiency in the supply chain and logistics:
Tracking and traceability: Use of RFID tags and IoT technologies to monitor materials and products. Example: A manufacturer of plastic packaging uses RFID tags to track the location and condition of raw materials and finished products in real time.
Optimized warehouse management: Automated systems for managing stock levels and material flows. Example: A rubber producer implements a warehouse management system to optimize stock levels and shorten delivery times.
4. Digital Customer Interaction and Smart Sales Solutions
The digital revolution in the plastics industry is also transforming customer relationships and sales strategies.
E-Commerce and Digital Marketplaces: Companies reach new customer segments through personalized online sales channels. Example: A plastics manufacturer sells customized components via a digital platform, improving customer experience and market reach.
Virtual & Augmented Reality (VR/AR): Immersive technologies support product presentations, training, and service. Example: A company offers virtual showrooms and AR-guided product training to enhance customer engagement and reduce time-to-market.
These tools support customer-centric innovation and open up new business models in a digitalized market environment.
Digital technologies are also revolutionizing the way companies interact with their customers and market their products:
Digital sales platforms: Use of e-commerce and digital marketplaces to market and sell products. Example: A plastics manufacturer uses an online platform to sell customized products directly to end customers and tap into new market segments.
Virtual and augmented reality (VR/AR): Use of VR and AR to present products and train customers and employees. Example: A company offers virtual showrooms in which customers can experience products in an interactive 3D environment.
Advantages of Digitalisation for the Plastics and Rubber Industry
For companies in the plastics and rubber industry, Digitalisation is far more than just a technological upgrade – it marks a strategic transformation that affects every level of the organization. By implementing digital technologies such as IoT, AI, and data analytics, businesses can significantly improve their efficiency, enhance product quality, and increase their ability to respond flexibly to changing market demands.
At the same time, Digitalisation opens the door to innovative, data-driven business models that help companies remain competitive in an increasingly globalized industry. The ability to act with greater speed, precision, and customer focus becomes a decisive advantage. In this way, digital transformation evolves from a technical initiative into a critical success factor for future-oriented companies in the plastics sector.
Increasing Efficiency and Reducing Costs
Improving Product Quality
Flexibility
Sustainability and Resource Efficiency
News and Updates on the Digitalisation of the Plastics Industry
With the new AI chatbot plastics.ai, Hanser Verlag offers a digital solution for experts in the plastics industry: whether it's material selection, process optimisation or recycling – plastics.ai provides well-founded answers in a matter of seconds, based on quality-checked specialist literature.
As global investments in AI data centers surge, so does the demand for high-performance data cables. SIKORA provides highly precise measuring technology to ensure flawless extrusion processes, helping manufacturers meet new quality standards in real time.
Waste management is undergoing a transformation like never before, thanks to cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning. Companies like PolyPerception are at the forefront of this revolution, redefining how waste is sorted and managed to meet the growing challenges of the industry.
AI is revolutionizing the way we handle plastic sorting and plastic recycling. By integrating AI software into recycling plastic waste processes, companies like STEINERT and RE Plano are setting new standards in plastic recycling technology. In this interview, Michael Köster discusses how AI-powered sorting systems improve the efficiency and quality of plastic waste recycling.
With innovative extrusion systems, digital services, and smart training solutions, the Reifenhäuser Group is tackling current challenges such as skills shortages and sustainability requirements. At K 2025, the company will be presenting technologies relating to automated extrusion, AI-based process optimization, and recyclable monomaterial packaging.
According to a study by Nexery, 20 million humanoid robots will be in use by 2030. More and more companies in the plastics industry are turning to humanoid robots to make processes more flexible and efficient.
Covestro is set to open a state-of-the-art automated lab in 2025 to optimize coating and adhesive formulations. With a focus on digitalization, circular materials, and customer-specific testing, the lab aims to run tens of thousands of tests annually—24/7, driven by AI and smart robotics.
Industry interview on OPC UA with Glenn Anderson, Chief Operating Officer at the Plastics Industry Association (PLASTICS) and Thorsten Kühmann, Managing Director of the VDMA Plastics and Rubber Machinery Association
Semoulin Packaging, a Belgian family business specializing in paper bags and printed reels, is embracing cutting-edge automation to improve quality and consistency. The integration of W&H's advanced inspection software is setting new standards in production reliability and efficiency.
Plastics industry strives to recycle plastics as comprehensively as possible. However, this is not always so easy – especially when different types of plastic are difficult to distinguish visually. This is when near-infrared spectrometers (NIR) come to the rescue, identifying the types of plastic and thus facilitating further processing.
An innovative tool called CYCLOPS – Circularity Optimisation for Plastics has set itself the task of closing the gap between the need for information and the supply of recycled materials. By providing comprehensive data and assessments, it helps companies to make more sustainable decisions and organise their production processes in a more environmentally friendly way.
BASF SE's Ultrasim® simulation portfolio for plastics applications is now also available for manufacturing processes of components made of particle foam components. The application starts with the expanded thermoplastic polyurethane (E-TPU) Infinergy® and expands BASF's proven simulation portfolio for plastics innovations
Profitability and sustainability are not opposites – on the contrary! KraussMaffei's lifecycleValueCalculator proves it: the digital tool calculates the current status of plastics processors' products and shows them their individual potential for improvement. This enables them to increase their production efficiency and achieve their ecological goals at the same time.
ENGEL is gradually expanding its customer portal e-connect into a production portal. In addition, a solution from the inject 4.0 family for bidirectional data exchange between simulation and injection molding machine has been expanded and now also works with MOLDEX3D.
The Reifenhäuser Group uses R-Cycle, a digital product passport for plastics based on GS1 standards, to enable its customers to trace products. This facilitates data management in the manufacturing process and promotes the recycling of plastic packaging.
Efficient work only works when everything runs smoothly – also on the shop floor. But how do I know how busy and productive my machines are at the moment? This requires data that reflect reality, but which is often still lacking today. ENLYZE has developed an analysis platform that can close this gap and make production more efficient.
The share of recycled material in plastic products is growing. The exception: food packaging. The requirements for the quality of the material for food contact are high, but in the case of recyclates there is still often a lack of corresponding information today. The project COPPA wants to create transparency in this area – with an open digital platform.
With the "Product Carbon Footprint Engine" developed by LANXESS, the CO2 footprint can be calculated automatically for the Group's products. With this innovation, the speciality chemicals company aims to help its customers achieve their sustainability goals.
"Materials informatics (MI), a new branch of materials research that combines materials data with data science, is gaining traction," said co-corresponding author Yoshihiro Hayashi, assistant professor, Institute of Statistical Mathematics in the Research Organization of Information and Science (ROIS).
Studies show that we are up to nine times more likely to remember something we have experienced in virtual reality. This knowledge can also be interesting for the plastics industry. With the iguversum, igus has created a digital space in which the manufacturer's products can be discovered. In the future, engineering projects will also be carried out there.
Artificial Intelligence in the Plastics and Rubber Industry
Artificial Intelligence (AI) is playing an increasingly important role in the digital transformation of the plastics and rubber industry. By using machine learning algorithms, production processes can be continuously monitored, analyzed and optimized in real time to ensure maximum efficiency and product quality.
AI systems are capable of detecting anomalies, predicting errors before they occur, and automatically adjusting machine parameters. This reduces unplanned downtime, improves resource utilization and significantly increases overall productivity. In combination with IoT technologies and smart data analysis, AI forms a central pillar of Industry 4.0 in plastics manufacturing.
Companies that are already using AI-based solutions in manufacturing processes:
Source: MHP
How Digitalisation is driving the Circular Economy in the Plastics Industry
Digitalisation plays a central role in implementing the circular economy within the plastics and rubber industry. Smart technologies and connected systems enable companies to manage resources more efficiently and design sustainable production cycles.
By using digital solutions, companies can:
Monitor and optimize raw material and product flows in real time, reducing inefficiencies across the entire value chain.
Reduce waste and conserve resources through data-driven process control and automated adjustments.
Improve traceability and facilitate the reuse of materials, enabling closed-loop systems and higher recycling rates.
Promote sustainable production cycles by integrating digital planning, monitoring, and feedback mechanisms into all phases of manufacturing.
The synergy between digital transformation and the circular economy strengthens both environmental responsibility and economic performance. Companies that embrace this connection position themselves as innovation leaders in a resource-efficient plastics industry.
An innovative tool called CYCLOPS – Circularity Optimisation for Plastics has set itself the task of closing the gap between the need for information and the supply of recycled materials. By providing comprehensive data and assessments, it helps companies to make more sustainable decisions and organise their production processes in a more environmentally friendly way.
Vytal and PepsiCo are taking reusable tableware to a new level in their cooperation. With individual IDs for each cup, which can be read using a QR code or RFID tag, efficiency at large events is increased enormously. The technology not only optimises the return of the cups, but also the entire recycling process, thus making an important contribution to the Circular Economy.
TotalEnergies Corbion and Sulapac have joined forces to advance sustainable practices in the cosmetics sector, emphasizing the integration of recycled and biodegradable materials into product packaging, fostering a more eco-responsible industry.
Aquaculture takes a sustainable leap forward with the unveiling of a groundbreaking workboat hull constructed from renewable plastic. Borealis and AKVA group will introduce this innovation in Mo i Rana, Norway, in Spring 2024, marking a significant milestone for circularity in marine technology.
AI is revolutionising modern industry. Thanks to it, complex processes can be automated or efficiency increased. In the plastics industry, AI not only plays a decisive role in the optimisation of production processes and the development of new materials. It also enables more precise waste sorting and therefore better recycling – a benefit for the environment!
The forthcoming EU packaging regulation is casting its shadow: minimum quotas for recyclates are putting the plastics industry under pressure. Cirplus presents a digital platform that not only makes the recyclate market transparent, but also enables real-time coordination between the players.
Repsol has formed a new alliance with Pontegadea, incorporating them as a partner with a 49% stake in a portfolio of renewable assets valued at €740 million. This partnership strengthens Repsol's strategy of bringing in investors to accelerate their renewable energy goals, which include reaching 6,000 MW of installed generation by 2025 and 20,000 MW by 2030.
Experts from Ascend, a leader in recycling post-consumer carpet, and ReDefyne highlight new opportunities for recycled nylon, PET and PP. Their proprietary process allows them to convert end-of-life carpet into feedstocks for materials used in various finished goods, including automobiles and household appliances.
Profitability and sustainability are not opposites – on the contrary! KraussMaffei's lifecycleValueCalculator proves it: the digital tool calculates the current status of plastics processors' products and shows them their individual potential for improvement. This enables them to increase their production efficiency and achieve their ecological goals at the same time.
The Reifenhäuser Group uses R-Cycle, a digital product passport for plastics based on GS1 standards, to enable its customers to trace products. This facilitates data management in the manufacturing process and promotes the recycling of plastic packaging.
How Digitalisation and Industry 4.0 Are Shaping the Future of Work in the Plastics Industry
Digitalisation and Industry 4.0 are fundamentally transforming the world of work – especially in the plastics and rubber industry. Intelligent machines, data-driven systems and connected production environments are redefining how, where and by whom work is done.By using digital solutions, companies can: