Develops and manufactures IML-decorated plastic packaging using injection moulding for the food industry – including in-house toolmaking.
SPIES Kunststoffe GmbH
Melle-Gesmold (Headquarters, Production, Toolmaking) · Melle (Technology Park, Production, Logistics)New on Amplifa
Development partner for packaging from a single source
SPIES Kunststoffe GmbH is a medium-sized family company based in Melle-Gesmold (Lower Saxony) that has been developing and producing plastic packaging for the food industry and non-food sectors for over 60 years. The core process is injection moulding: on around 130 production systems in the 18,000 sqm technology park, up to 2 billion packaging units are produced annually, predominantly IML-decorated cups and containers for dairy, spreads, delicatessen and ice cream. Materials processed include monomaterials such as polypropylene (PP) and PET as well as recyclates (rPET, rPP/PIR, PCR) and biobased plastics certified to ISCC PLUS. The complete value chain is handled in-house at the German site: from consulting, design and prototyping (3D printing, SLS, STL, vacuum casting, FEM simulation) and in-house mould and toolmaking (approx. 2,200 m², precision in the thousandth-of-a-millimetre range) to series production, validation, warehousing (40,000 pallets) and logistics. With more than 450 employees, SPIES supplies customers such as Emmi and ASSMANN and, as a certified manufacturer (ISO 9001, ISO 50001, FSSC 22000), meets the standards of the food industry.
- Site
- Melle
- Processes
- Injection moulding (plastic injection moulding), IML decoration (in-mould labelling), Toolmaking (injection moulding tools from trial mould to multi-cavity mould), 3D printing / additive manufacturing (prototypes), Laser sintering (SLS), Stereolithography (STL), Vacuum casting, FEM simulation / structural analyses
- Materials
- Polypropylene (PP), PET, rPET (recycled PET), rPP (recycled polypropylene, PIR), PCR material (post-consumer recycled, PP), PP-coated cardboard (SPIES PC), Thick-gauge film (SPIES FC), Biobased plastics (ISCC PLUS)
- Certificates
- ISO 9001:2015, ISO 50001:2018, FSSC 22000 (V6, ISO 22000:2018, ISO/TS 22002-4), ISCC PLUS, SEDEX Ethical Standards, EcoVadis Silver, VdS 10000 (IT security), FSSC 22000
- Employees
- 450+
- Industries
- Dairy, Spreads, Delicatessen, Ice cream, Food industry, Non-food (e.g. feed for ornamental and pond fish,
- 01
Consulting & development partnership
- 02
Design & prototyping (3D printing, SLS, STL, vacuum casting, FEM simulation)
- 03
Toolmaking (in-house mould and tool manufacture)
- 04
Injection moulding series production
- 05
IML decoration
- 06
Validation & testing
- 07
Warehousing & logistics
Materials and processes
Polypropylene (PP)
Monomaterial for mono-material recyclable cups and containers, including the reclosable lid SPIES SL.
PET and rPET
Used in contact-sensitive food applications, e.g. freezer-safe ice cream packaging.
rPP – post-industrial recycled polypropylene
From a closed recycling process using production waste, for products without direct food contact.
PCR material (post-consumer recycled, PP)
Used in products made from recovered consumer packaging outside direct food contact.
PP-coated cardboard (SPIES PC)
Composite solution for material savings in packaging.
Biobased plastics (ISCC PLUS)
Processing of biobased pre-materials, certified to ISCC PLUS.
Injection moulding
Series production of packaging on 130 automated systems, up to 2 billion units per year.
IML decoration (in-mould labelling)
Seamless decoration during the injection moulding process for brand impact and hygiene.
Toolmaking
In-house mould and toolmaking (approx. 2,200 m²) from trial moulds to multi-cavity moulds with precision in the thousandth-of-a-millimetre range.
Prototyping (3D printing, SLS, STL, vacuum casting)
Production-close prototypes and sample series to minimise risk before series production.
FEM simulation / structural analyses
Simulation of stability and product properties to reduce correction loops.
Ultrasonic and thermal sealing
Sealing of the SPIES SL lid as a replacement for aluminium lidding and seal films.
Sites
Melle (Technology Park)
DEInjection moulding series production, manufacturing and logistics; since 2018 Plant 3 with high-bay warehouse
- Lot size
- Series production of up to 2 billion packaging units per year
- Materials
- PP, PET, rPET, rPP, PCR, biobased plastics
- 130 injection moulding systems
- High-bay warehouse (40,000 pallets, since 2018)
- Laser measurement / inline measuring systems
- 3D printers
- 3D scanners
Melle-Gesmold (Im Gewerbepark 12)
DEAdministration, design and in-house mould and toolmaking (SPIES Formen- und Werkzeugbau GmbH)
- Lot size
- Sample series of several thousand units through to multi-cavity series tooling
- Materials
- Tool steel
- Machining centres
- Climate-controlled production
- Zero-point clamping systems
- Laser measurement / inline measurement
Packaging products
Inside the production
Industries
Processes & technical limits
| Processes | Tolerance | Max. part | Weight | Lot size | Materials |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Injection moulding (plastic injection moulding)Plastics | – | – | – | 2 billion packaging units per year | Polypropylene (PP), rPET, PET, Monomaterial, rPP (PIR/PCR recyclate), biobased plastics (ISCC PLUS) |
| IML decoration (in-mould labelling)Surface | – | – | – | – | PP, PET, rPET |
| Toolmaking (injection moulding tools from trial mould to multi-cavity mould)Engineering | Precision in the thousandth-of-a-millimetre range | – | – | – | Tool steel |
| 3D printing / additive manufacturing (prototypes)Additive | – | – | – | – | – |
| Laser sintering (SLS)Additive | – | – | – | – | – |
| Stereolithography (STL)Additive | – | – | – | – | – |
| Vacuum castingPlastics | – | – | – | – | – |
| FEM simulation / structural analysesEngineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| 3D scanningTesting | – | – | – | – | – |
| Testing/validation (fracture, functional, migration and transport tests, dimensional accuracy,Testing | – | – | – | – | – |
| Warehousing and logistics (40,000 pallets storage capacity)Assembly | – | – | – | – | – |
| Product development and design of packagingEngineering | – | – | – | – | – |
| Ultrasonic and thermal sealing (SPIES SL lid sealing)Joining | – | – | – | – | Polypropylene (PP) |
6 Anlagen & Maschinen
| Machine | Manufacturer / model | Quantity | Working area | Year built | Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Injection moulding systems (production systems) | – | 130 | – | – | Melle |
| Machining centres (toolmaking) | – | – | – | – | Melle |
| 3D printers (in-house) | – | – | – | – | Melle |
| 3D scanners | – | – | – | – | – |
| Laser measurement / inline measuring systems | – | – | – | – | Melle |
| High-bay warehouse | – | 1 | 40,000 pallets | 2018 | Melle |
Additional services
Reference customers
Quality and certifications
SPIES ensures quality through certified management systems (ISO 9001, ISO 50001, FSSC 22000) as well as multi-stage validation processes: fracture, functional, migration and transport tests, dimensional accuracy and tolerance checks, microbiological testing, plus laser measurement and inline measuring systems in production.
| Evidence | Melle (Technology Park) | Melle-Gesmold (Im Gewerbepark 12) |
|---|---|---|
| ISO 9001:2015 | ||
| ISO 50001:2018 | ||
| FSSC 22000 | ||
| ISCC PLUS | ||
| SEDEX Ethical Standards | ||
| EcoVadis Silver | ||
| VdS 10000 (IT security) |
Company history
- 1964
Foundation of the company as a specialist for mould and toolmaking by Klaus and Theresia Spies.
- 1967
Start of plastic article production.
- 1969
First packaging for the food industry.
- 1985
Opening of production plant 1.
- 1988
Production of the first IML-decorated ice cream packaging.
- 1995
Specialisation in packaging; start of the business relationship with a market leader in feed for ornamental and pond fish.
- 2000
Generational change: transfer of company management to Christof and Michael Spies.
- 2003
Opening of production plant 2; internationalisation.
- 2009
Production volume rises to approx. 1.1 billion IML-decorated packaging parts per year.
- 2012
Operation of an energy management system certified to ISO 50001.
- 2015
Opening of the competence centre with new construction of toolmaking and headquarters.
- 2018
Occupancy and production start of Plant 3 and the high-bay warehouse in the technology park.
- 2021
First FSSC 22000 certification.
- 2022
Winner of the German Packaging Prize in the sustainability category with the SPIES honeycomb structure.
- 2024
First issuance of ISO 9001 and ISO 50001 certificates; construction of the 10-megawatt Gesmold solar park.
- 2026
Alexander and Sebastian Spies (3rd generation) join the executive board on 01.07.2026.