Abderahmane Ouhbi
About: Abderahmane Ouhbi - Export Manager

Our products are in use in all branches of industry where warmth plays a role in production. Though special characteristic features our technical innovations are decisive in helping to improve the productivity and efficiency of our customers. The wide range of products variations and precision solutions ensure that we can offer a complete overall electrical heating technology package in many sectors.

1. How has the plastics industry evolved from the time in 1932, when the company was incepted?

Well I think to make a satisfied answer to this question I´ll need more than few hours! The changes and developments in this industrial sector have been unbelievable, beginning with the invention of “Bakelit” by Leo Hendrik Baekeland in 1909, until today. Nowadays, plastics is one of the most used material in all items. It is integrated in our daily lifestyle, which means every day you see, touch, sit on, wear, drive, .carry etc. something plastic made. From the beginning, the operating temperature has been going higher and higher. Nowadays, our customers are in need of high operating temperature, uniform heat­ transfer, low thickness and low power consumption as well. Due to several new materials and multitude of applications starting with engine parts up to medical and air space parts, we specialize in customer specific solutions.

2. What are some of the challenges in the plastics industry, today?

The main challenge is to have the right temperature at par with timing and place available at the lowest possible power consumption. Our customers work in growth markets where an on­going effort toward innovations and improvements in quality are on the agenda. Our task as a supplier is to offer the best possible back­up by recognizing trends in time and having a variegated product offer which quickly and effectively adapts to our customer’s specific needs.

3. What have been few of the most striking innovations in the electro-heating products category, till date? What innovation has your company brought into the field of electro-heating products?

We developed the “DG” brass made (up to 280°C) and the ”DGS” stainless steel made (up to 350°C) fully sealed nozzle band heaters which become industry standards in the area of application on injection molding machines. In 1974, the DGK Nozzle Band Heater with loads of 8­-10 W/cm² and operating temperatures of up to 450°C the DGK was ahead of the times. With the DAK Nozzle Band Heater we have now an alternative, with only 75% of compared capacity which reaches the same operating temperatures, quite easily. The outstanding conductivity of the heating element leads a conformity of heat distribution on the heated surface. The DGM High Performance Heater Band offers the required temperature and supplies with up to 600°C various application scopes. Beside this innovation for the injection molding sector, we have introduced our Aluminum Compact High Performance Heat Cool Systems type HAK. With the HAK Aluminum Compact High Performance Heat Cool System the heating panel is on the inside and can thus operate over the entire zone length and ensure a uniform distribution of heat. In addition, a released outside increases the size of the heat radiating surface and thus approximately doubles the cooling capacity. These benefits allow constant operating temperatures in areas with high friction heat, as well as for even heat distribution. Rapid cooling also saves time when changing products. The HAK Aluminum Compact High Performance Heat Cool System is characterized by its endurance, optimum heat distribution through custom ­fit attachments, its temperature and performance flexibility, its melt­proof closed construction, operating temperatures of up to 450°C and its extremely robust design. They have also been refined, meaning that smaller heights are possible now Therefore, an exchange by using the current standard cooling jackets is possible.

4. What has been the most crucial branding exercise for your line of products? How have you build your brand’s goodwill that has managed to amass so much demand in the plastics industry?

The all-­decisive key to the outstanding quality of our products is the skill of our specialists.Most of them have been with the company for many years – I am with the company since 1991. Their knowledge and experience is of inestimable value for the on­going further development of our products. This makes a significant difference through giving advice, problem solving, quality of the service provided and in the quality of our products. Standards and trends, such as, for example, the products in our aluminum compact series or aluminum and brass cast heaters which our group of companies have been manufacturing for decades, is clear proof of this.

5. How have you successfully positioned your electro-heating products amongst those of your competitors?

A very important advantage here is our great depth of in-­house manufacturing whereby we are in position to offer a very wide range of products and thus a suitable solution to any task presented. In short: 100% quality made in Germany and superior customer service.

6. What have been some of the Research and Development initiatives of the company? How has this assisted in continually improving your company’s global face?

Besides our standard solution we specialized in the design and production of customized electrical – heating engineering solutions. Due to the demand in the global market we are able to turn ideas into products and solutions – from the heating element, thermocouple up to the controlling equipment

7. How would you forecast the Indian, Asia and the Global plastics industry?

In my opinion the forecast for both is highly promising and I think that recycling will become more and more popular due to the rising prices of the raw material. But we also are developing heating elements for processing renewable raw materials.

8. Tell us something about the most innovative product according to you that IHNE & TESCH has produced so far

"Aluminum Compact meets Brass Compact” The proven aluminum compact heater range from Ihne & Tesch / Keller was the main focus at the K´2013 Plastics Fair last year. This new generation of heating elements has emerged as a further enhancement to the already known conventional mica or ceramic­insulated heating elements for the injection molding, extrusion and hot runner sectors. At the K´2013, the Group presented the “DMK" brass compact version as a supplement for the nozzle and tooling areas. With these nozzle band heaters, which also have all the advantages of the aluminum compact version, operating temperatures of up to 550°C are possible. They have also been refined, meaning that now smaller heights are possible.

9. What is your feedback on Plastics Technology.com? Are you happy with the kind of custom solutions we provide? Do you have any suggestions?

Oh yes I am very satisfied with the service of Plastics Technology.com. I appreciate their service and assistance which is very professional.