Trade fair highlight 22. September 2026
lightweight innovation for high-performance sporting and industrial applications
Autenrieth Kunststofftechnik presents a lightweight innovation for high-performance sporting and industrial applications at Fakuma 2026: a plastic carabiner.
Until now, plastic carabiners have been unsuitable for safety-critical applications, which is why only metal versions have been used in such fields. This new plastic solution, however, incorporates continuous fiber reinforcements.
The prototype presented at Fakuma already achieves approximately two-thirds of the load-bearing capacity of aluminum. At the same time, it offers a weight reduction of around 50% compared to metal counterparts. Compared to unreinforced plastic, stiffness is increased by a factor of four, while the maximum load capacity is doubled.
The manufacturing process combines continuous fiber-reinforced thermoplastic profiles (rebars) with a hybrid overmolding technique. The rebars are formed and positioned precisely along the main load paths, reinforcing the plastic exactly where the forces are transferred.
In addition to lightweight construction, the technology provides several key advantages:
• Completely resistant to corrosion and chemicals.
• Electrically and thermally insulating, spark-free, and non-magnetic (ideal for ATEX zones and MRI environments).
• Waste-free production and, thanks to its thermoplastic properties, fully recyclable.
Until now, plastic carabiners have been unsuitable for safety-critical applications, which is why only metal versions have been used in such fields. This new plastic solution, however, incorporates continuous fiber reinforcements.
The prototype presented at Fakuma already achieves approximately two-thirds of the load-bearing capacity of aluminum. At the same time, it offers a weight reduction of around 50% compared to metal counterparts. Compared to unreinforced plastic, stiffness is increased by a factor of four, while the maximum load capacity is doubled.
The manufacturing process combines continuous fiber-reinforced thermoplastic profiles (rebars) with a hybrid overmolding technique. The rebars are formed and positioned precisely along the main load paths, reinforcing the plastic exactly where the forces are transferred.
In addition to lightweight construction, the technology provides several key advantages:
• Completely resistant to corrosion and chemicals.
• Electrically and thermally insulating, spark-free, and non-magnetic (ideal for ATEX zones and MRI environments).
• Waste-free production and, thanks to its thermoplastic properties, fully recyclable.
1 A Autenrieth Kunststofftechnik
GmbH & Co. KG
Contact
Mr. Ronald Müller