Aimplas celebrates its 20th anniversary

Aimplas technological Institute He was founded in 1990, and since then has continued operating uninterruptedly. During these two decades of activity "the goal the Institute has been increasing the competitiveness of the companies in the sector and respond to their needs", according to its makers. Its activity is focused, and so still today, in the supply of advanced technological services through applied research to the development, innovation, r & d projects, training activities, personalized technical advice and services of surveillance technology and market.

The latter activity was initiated by setting up, makes since six years, the technological plastic Observatory, whose activity was completed with the subsequent creation of the Observatory of market. Both provide business statistical information of interest to the companies in the plastic sector, so that they can develop new marketing strategies.

In short, all a bunch of services aimed at companies in the sector of plastics, of which, today, the Institute has served more than 2,000, of which 425 are associated. Currently its staff includes 110 professionals of high qualification, operating in facilities of high-tech of nearly 5,000 square meters.

In 2009 the entity was an increase in its turnover of almost 12 per cent, with an income that amounted to 7.2 billion euros. In fact, the increase of the turnover has steadily been ascendant during these two decades. This business is divided into five strategic lines: container and packaging, automotive, construction, recycling and environment. In the past five years, the Institute has doubled its size increasing capabilities and equipment.

One of the pillars of Aimplas is its r & d activity. His already long life he has led projects of high scientific-technological level in order to create new materials with competitive advantages for the sector, with the traditional. It should be noted of these projects focused on renewable resources, for new applications for recycled materials, or those based on materials with higher performance to replace traditional materials such as metal, wood or glass and the Nanocompositesthat can give plastics for properties such as electrical conductivity or resistance to fire.

Currently the Institute is concentrating efforts on the research of materials 'nano', to improve their properties to incorporate them into conventional polypropylene, polyamides and ABS, among other plastic materials. The ultimate goal of these investigations is to achieve the incorporation of nanotechnology to the various industrial sectors. In particular, are covered in the automotive industry, the medical sector, the aeronautical and appliances.

The Institute is also immersed in the development of new plastic products, such as active or intelligent packaging with antimicrobial and antioxidant, created effect from natural additives derived from agro-industrial waste, intended to increase the useful life of variety of foods such as fishcheeses, cold meats, red meat, fruit or vegetables.

In order to continue growing to improve the competitiveness of the companies in the sector, Aimplas has defined five strategic action lines on which will develop concrete actions in the coming years: greater market orientationimprove organizational efficiency, promote the scientific and technical excellence of the staff, enhance relations and external collaborations and develop lines of research relevant for the plastic sector. An expansion of the facilities of the Institute, which will allow the capacity for the generation, promotion and dissemination of the r & d, mainly in the areas of nanomaterials, materials from renewable sources, is scheduled for carrying out the latter, composites, its processes of transformation and intelligent materials.