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Whether granulate for the cable industry, light protection for sun cream or 3D printer powder made of plastic, ceramic and metal: process technology specialist A. Ebbecke in Bruchköbel develops customised machines and systems in which bulk materials are ground, mixed and also packaged. The company is even increasingly producing for customers as a subcontractor. Magazine aktiv spoke to owner Axel Ebbecke about unusual powders and pastilles and his desire for more unity in Europe.

What is your view of Europe as an entrepreneur?

We need more Europe, not less. I therefore hope that voters will make a clear commitment to Europe when they cast their votes. Only as a unit do we have a chance of asserting ourselves in the world in the future. So I say yes to Europe and ask politicians to work towards a unified European community in which the many nation states pull together. I would like to see more efficient structures and less bureaucracy, uniform standards in areas such as energy costs, corporate and income taxes and the implementation of laws and regulations. We also need a harmonised foreign and security policy. We can simply achieve more together.

What is your credo?

”Together we can achieve more”. You can develop great ideas and visions on your own. But realising them is easier with a good team and good partners. I experienced this at school and university, in the various jobs that accompanied my studies, as an assistant to the board and, last but not least, as a project manager at a large property company. When Ebbecke Verfahrenstechnik was founded over 20 years ago, I had my father at my side. He contributed his extensive experience in the powder sector. Without him, we would certainly not have got this far.

How far have you come today?

With a good 100 employees, we are now a sought-after specialist in the processing of all kinds of bulk materials with machine and plant technology that is unique in some respects. We even have a clean room production facility at our Schöneck site that meets the requirements of the pharmaceutical industry. In Schöneck, we have built a cryogenic grinding centre in cooperation with the gas specialist Air Liquide, which operates at temperatures of minus 200 degrees Celsius and is therefore unique in the world. Among other things, we produce 3D printer material here, as well as speciality plastics and ceramic materials that are needed in the aerospace industry, for example.

Do you offer more than just process engineering systems?

Yes, originally we only wanted to develop process engineering systems. But then customers asked if we could also offer contract manufacturing. Since then, we have been doing this when it comes to new or very special products that are initially only produced in small quantities or that require special expertise in operating the systems. This is how we became a strategic partner for many companies, including the who’s who of large-scale industry.

What exactly do you produce for your customers?

We are the specialists when it comes to powdered materials that are required for further production processes. These include chemical additives, which are used in many different manufacturing processes, or special granulate, which is required for the production of extremely robust cables for offshore facilities. And we grind and prepare light protection material for sun cream production. These are just a few of many examples. We grind and pulverise, sieve and mix, liquefy, dry or solidify a wide variety of materials in more than 300 systems, most of which we have designed ourselves, and also form them into tablets or pastilles, for example. And packaged in silos, big bags or even smaller containers, depending on the further processing route.

Why do customers outsource this production?

Our systems are all approved and certified, and our employees have the necessary expertise. For many products, it would not be worth the effort for our customers to set up their own plants in Germany. The authorisation procedures are usually very complicated and take too long, new suitable personnel are often difficult to find and production is often more expensive than abroad for many reasons. We have already noticed that some customers are relocating production because things are much less complicated in other countries. We are also experiencing this. At our site in the USA, we have a contact person at the authorisation authorities who advises us and helps us to clear obstacles out of the way. I would also like to see that in Germany.

What does the future hold?

We will continue to work on new processes for new products and will rely even more on strategic partners. In our technology-orientated world, there are always new products for which the necessary manufacturing processes have to be adapted or even developed from scratch. And that is exactly what we are ready to do as a partner. At the former Buderus plant in Hirzenhain, we are currently building a new site for spray drying and special processes, including a technical centre, quality laboratory and training rooms, in cooperation with universities. Spray drying is a process used, for example, to produce pharmaceutical products in the form of capsules, powders or tablets. Soluble beverage powders or granulates are also produced in this way. Innovative foods as well as natural food supplements and wellness products such as bath salts are a trend for the future and can only be realised through innovative process technology.

Why are you a member of HESSENMETALL?

Good contacts, good advice and a good network - that alone speaks in favour of membership. But for me, the credo I mentioned at the beginning is even more decisive: together we can achieve more than as individuals. The challenges are currently enormous, especially for SMEs. That is why it is simply important that we as entrepreneurs organise ourselves, exchange ideas and - as I would also like to see in the EU - pull together.

About the person

Axel Ebbecke, born in Hanau in 1972. 1990 A-levels, followed by dual studies in mechanical engineering and working student at the mechanical and plant engineering company J. Engelmann in Ludwigshafen and business studies at the Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz.
During his studies, he worked in project development and founded his own companies - a car wash and a trading company for export to Japan.
2002 Foundation of A. Ebbecke Verfahrenstechnik in Bruchköbel.
Since 2009 Chairman of the Management Board of A. Ebbecke Verfahrenstechnik AG.