Exciting Week of Learning at the 3rd IPPT_TWINN Summer School on Compounding Technologies
From 25 to 28 August 2025, the IWK Institute for Materials Technology and Plastics Processing (OST) organized the 3rd IPPT_TWINN Summer School on Compounding at the Rapperswil-Jona campus in Switzerland.
More than 20 early-stage researchers as well as Master's and Ph.D. students from the Faculty of Polymer Technology (FTPO), Polymer Competence Center Leoben GmbH (PCCL), Budapest University of Technology and Economics (BME) , Luleå University of Technology, Bern University of Applied Sciences (BFH), and OST – Eastern Switzerland University of Applied Sciences took part in the program, which offered both theoretical and practical sessions dedicated to compounding technologies.
The first day began with lectures on plastics rheology, extruder types, and bulk material handling, followed by hands-on lab work where participants applied their knowledge. In the evening, the group enjoyed an aperitif by the lake and a guided tour of historic Rapperswil, offering a relaxed setting for networking.
On Tuesday, lectures by Prof. Daniel Schwendemann introduced twin-screw extruders, complemented by practical exercises with dosing units and screw configurations.
Wednesday focused on pelletizing and degassing, with participants designing a twin-screw setup in group work. Tobias Böhringer from Buss AG contributed a guest lecture on co-kneader technology.
The program concluded on Thursday with sessions on pelletization, scale-up, applications, and trends, including a live demonstration of compounding with fillers and continuous fiber feeding.