Plastics technology includes the production, processing and application of plastics. This covers not only the development of processes for raw materials but also the design and manufacture of plastic products for technical applications and consumer goods.

No two plastic are the same

The term "plastic" describes a group of materials with an outstanding range of properties that are used in a wide variety of industries. A plastic film for food packaging, for example, must have a completely different spectrum of properties than a carbon fibre-reinforced plastic used to manufacture tail units in aircraft construction. Accordingly, fundamentally different production processes are used for the two materials.

Almost unlimited applications

Due to the virtually unlimited number possibilities of application for plastics, the work of the plastics engineer is exceptionally versatile and interesting. He or she also comes into contact with many different industries. Typical professions for plastics engineers might be in raw material production, plastics conversion, or machine and mould building, but they could also be employed by a service provider such as a design company or a corporate consultant.

There is no such thing as a typical profession in the field of plastics technology because the industry and the plastics engineers live from the diversity of plastics.