COLLIN celebrates 50th anniversary
- Milestones in a success story – from a sole proprietorship to a global player with a pioneering role in the field of extrusion
- Deep vertical integration in manufacturing and a unique range of products – high-tech lines for R & D, plastic processing industry, automotive, aviation, medical device technology, pharmaceutical industry and even battery production
- Strategic alliance with the NGA Group – going even stronger into the future

In 1972 the company was founded as sole proprietorship. Today, 50 years later, COLLIN Lab & Pilot Solutions is a worldwide premium supplier of lab and pilot lines for the plastic processing and converting industry, medical device technology, pharmaceutical industry as well as for research and development institutes. With more than 135 employees and over 35 representative agencies worldwide and an export rate of 85%, the Bavarian company is well known as pioneer of extrusion. As member of NGA Group and headquarters in Germany as well as local subsidiaries in Austria, U.S.A., India and Singapore, COLLIN is in an even stronger position today and for the next 50 years.

In 2022 COLLIN along with its team celebrates the 50th anniversary. In 1972, Dr. Heinrich Collin founded the company under the name of “Dr. Collin Systementwicklung” and filed its first patent for modular calendering systems that same year. “That was the starting signal for the successful history. The range of products was quickly extended with roll mills, (hot) platen presses, single-screw extruders and compounders“, explain DI Dr. Friedrich Kastner, CEO / Managing Partner COLLIN Lab & Pilot Solutions GmbH and Corné Verstraten, CSO / Joint Partner COLLIN Lab & Pilot Solutions GmbH.

New building in Ebersberg with assembly facilities, technical/test center and laboratory
The next milestones were set in 1982 with the relocation to Ebersberg into a new assembly hall, followed by the construction of a new administration building as well as a test hall including a laboratory in 1994. “This new building as well as the continuous growth of know-how and consequently the growth in range of products were essential in order to form the brand COLLIN in the first steps“, says Dr. Kastner.

Expansion of product portfolio & start of the medical device technology division
“The ongoing expansion of our portfolio comprises of coextrusion lines, blown film lines and since 1993, the first lines for the production of catheter tubes in the field of medical device technology, demonstrating our team’s divers capability and decades of experience in this field“, explains Corné Verstraten. In a next step our first pharmaceutical calender for pills production was built along with the first presentation of the TeachLine series – bench-top equipment, which is generally utilized for prototyping, tests and training/education. In 2004, the company presented a 9-layer feed block for flat films and then the first blown film line with turning bar system in 2007, as well as a rotating blown film die. In 2008, a larger scale pilot line for monoaxially stretched films was first engineered and built for a customer.

Acquisition of Dr. Collin by NGA Next Generation Analytics
A very important milestone for the future of Collin and its well-known products happened in 2014. At the time, the company NGA Next Generation Analytics GmbH with the shareholders Dr. Kastner GmbH, Corné Verstraten and NGH Next Generation Holding GmbH with headquarters in Feldirchen, Austria took over Dr. Collin GmbH. After a couple years, in early 2017, Dr. Friedrich Kastner, Corné Verstraten and Mag. Dr. Andreas Szigmund, CEO of Invest AG, then signed for majority takeover of NGA Next Generation Analytics GmbH. Dr. Kastner GmbH finally took over the shares of Invest AG a few years later in a buyout. NGA today holds 100% of the shares of COLLIN as well as in the affiliated company BritAS GmbH.

Since the takeover of COLLIN in 2014, DI Dr. Friedrich Kastner and Corné Verstraten have been managing the company comprehensively in order to develop its business and portfolio further: „It was one of our goals to push the company’s potentials and professional competences of the team together into the right path forward. As an example, our portfolio was focused into the five fields PilotLine, LabLine, MedicalLine as well as PolytestLine and TeachLine. Furthermore, we started to establish a worldwide sales network with more than 35 local representatives and agencies along with our own subsidiaries in the U.S.A., Singapore as well as a recent addition in the Republic of India. We also focused on strengthening the COLLIN brand internationally”

2018 – New building for the headquarters in Maitenbeth – and change of company name
The company hit another major goal in its development at the turn of the year 2019. For the COLLIN Team, it was time to move to the new headquarters in the rural Bavarian town of Maitenbeth – a building that reflects the COLLIN spirit. On 25,000 sqm (approx. 6 acres) property, the first phase included building a 15,000 sqm (approx. 3.5 acres) facility including 2,500 sqm (27,000 sqft) new offices and a manufacturing and assembly building with over 4,000 sqm (43,000 sqft). In the spring of 2019, a week of festivities and celebrations with ribbon-cutting ceremony opened the new location. At the same time, Dr. Collin GmbH was rebranded as COLLIN Lab & Pilot Solutions GmbH.

With innovative strength and deep vertical manufacturing depth – on the path to a unique range of products
As a worldwide premium supplier, COLLIN focuses mainly on technical advantage and unique quality standards – This has always been shown by many of our innovations over the last decades. With the product lines TeachLine, LabLine, PilotLine, MedicalLine as well as PolytestLine, COLLIN develops individual solutions for customers – including platen presses, roll mills, calenders, extruders, compounders, mono or coextrusion lines, pressure filter tests, rheometers or optical inspection systems.

“Today, our customers can be found in throughout the plastic processing industry, and across universities, laboratories, scientific institutes, in the automotive or aviation sector, in medical device technology and the pharmaceutical sector or even in today’s emerging industries such as battery production and energy storage. COLLIN equipment is used for the development and production of plastic products, for material tests, prototyping, test and trial series all the way to pilot tests for upscaling to production dimensions. No matter if we look at IV-bags, catheter tubes, infusion tubes, pills, 3D printing strands, food packaging or iron-on beads – COLLIN delivers suitable high-tech services and equipment/process solutions. This comprehensive range of product characterizes COLLIN and makes us unique”, explains Dr. Kastner.

Together – Foundation of a new company group with a vision for the future
Parallel to the development of COLLIN, DI Dr. Friedrich Kastner and Corné Verstraten have also worked hard on growing NGA Next Generation Analytics and besides that, the affiliated company BritAS Recycling-Anlagen GmbH all of which became members of the extended group.

“In order to be prepared for the future, NGA Group was founded – a decision which is mportant for being always on top of our game on the international markets. In the last two years, we were able to acquire shares in the Austrian company COMELT GmbH and at the same time opened a subsidiary in India and Singapore, respectively. The COLLIN location in the U.S.A. has recently adapted group structure from Europe and offers the same products and services of our brands BritAS and COMELT along with COLLIN and the portfolio from our Indian affiliates“, explain Dr. Kastner and Verstraten.

Our unique advantage – even stronger into the next 50 years
“The advantage for COLLIN and the group of companies is, that we are in a position cover each aspect and segment of the life cycle of modern plastic products from the beginning to the end, covering its research and development all the way to its use and recycling process. From development, simulation via design, engineering and manufacturing of extrusion lines and special process solutions to equipment for filtration of plastic waste and QA/test lines for plastics or recycled materials. That makes COLLIN and the NGA Group a unique solutions, equipment and services provider in the market!

Together with NGA Group and our network of partners around the world COLLIN Lab & Pilot Solutions GmbH celebrates its 50th anniversary and moves even stronger into the next 50 years.