A material so precious

On the first day of the trade fair, the PSI TV studio started with Mahlwerck and Managing Director Tobias Köckert after only a short delay. Today, the company is a professional with a material that used to be literally worth its weight in gold: Porcelain. As part of our research for the MoPA Museum of Promotional Articles, we have already taken a close look at where the high-quality material comes from. Tobias Köckert knows a lot more about this and explains how the first porcelain manufactory in Europe was established at the end of the 18th century in an attempt to produce gold. An early case of industrial espionage brought the precious material to Meissen shortly afterwards.

The fine material is used in a very unusual way in one of the latest collaborations. Mahlwerck and Cybergroup joined forces with Rubik’s® to develop the porcelain Rubik’s Cube, a masterpiece in the fusion of art and intellect. Handmade with precision and dedication in Europe, each cube is unique. Its surface made of fine porcelain can be customized, be it with a company logo, a special pattern or even a message.

The implementation was not without its pitfalls, and so today, the most refined example of the Rubik’s cube is no longer a children’s toy. Both the production and finishing of the special porcelain tiles on the cube and the bonding to the mechanism are much more complex than the production of an ordinary cube. Digital printing, however, makes it possible to commercialize even such a special item and create a handmade, super exclusive collector’s item that perfectly represents the manufactory DNA of the Mahlwerck company.

The Mediterranean-inspired costa verde series is more commercial by nature, which was branded exclusively and for the first time for the MoPA. A clean-cut series that is sure to surprise all with a ceramic matt surface and a particularly high-quality, hard-wearing look. As a wide range of conference tableware, the porcelain items can be discreetly engraved and refined. The range can be produced in small quantities, so that even smaller companies can be offered an attractive “off-the-peg” solution.

After a short break last year, Mahlwerck will be presenting these and other attractive new products at PSI. For Tobias Köckert, too, the new financial year traditionally begins with PSI, which he is delighted to see return to its original form. Despite smaller budgets on the part of customers, Mahlwerck’s Managing Director is hugely optimistic about 2024, thanks in part to spectacular technical developments in the range.