SKZ honors young researchers once again
The SKZ Plastics Center was once again a sponsor of the 42nd Lower Franconia regional competition “Jugend forscht” (Youth Researches) in Grafenrheinfeld this year, thereby continuing its support for young talent in the fields of science and technology. A particular highlight was the presentation of the SKZ Special Prize for Plastics and Sustainability 2026. With this prize, the SKZ honors outstanding projects that demonstrate innovative strength and high practical relevance in the context of plastics technology. The award ceremony took place on February 27.
Dr. Johann Erath presenting the SKZ Special Prize for Plastics and Sustainability at the 42nd Lower Franconia regional competition of “Jugend forscht” (Youth Researches) in Grafenrheinfeld to Johan Hofmann (center) and Yannick Arnold (right) from Hanns-Seidel-Gymnasium Hösbach. (Photo: Rudi Merkl)
Special prize for plastics and sustainability 2026 at “Jugend forscht” Lower Franconia
SKZ was once again a sponsor of the 42nd regional “Jugend forscht” competition in Grafenrheinfeld, Lower Franconia. This underlines the institute's commitment to promoting young talent in science and technology.
This year's special prize was awarded to Yannick Arnold and Johan Hofmann from Hanns-Seidel-Gymnasium Hösbach. In their project “Bubble and Foam Prevention in Resin,” they address a practical problem familiar to many users of resin-based additive manufacturing: bubble formation in photopolymer resin, prolonged degassing times, and the resulting loss of quality in the construction process.
Their work focused on the question of how to reduce the waiting time for resin printing without compromising component quality – or even improving it.
Arnold and Hofmann developed various innovative concepts for preventing foam formation, including acoustic degassing and the targeted use of emulsifiers, and systematically applied these in their investigations. The focus was on reducing bubble formation in photopolymer resin, the effects of the measures on degassing time, and their influence on the resulting print quality.
In their project, the two young researchers combine materials science issues with experimental analysis and a clear practical orientation. The results are relevant for maker communities and 3D printing enthusiasts as well as for school and academic laboratories and research environments in the field of photopolymer technology. Industrial users who employ resin systems in prototyping or small-batch production can also benefit from the findings.
Dr. Johann Erath, Innovation and Technology Transfer Manager at SKZ, presented the award in front of over 300 guests. “Before the award ceremony, I had the opportunity to view all the projects in the exhibition. I was very impressed by the creativity, diversity of ideas, and perseverance of the students. It is inspiring to see how much passion and commitment they put into their projects. Special congratulations go to Yannick and Johan,” said Erath.
