Particle foams are at the heart of what the ThiM network factory does. The lightweight components produced have a range of advantages, according to the website of the new network, as they absorb energy in an accident, dampen vibrations and noise, and save fuel. The five companies involved in the network are T. Michel Formenbau GmbH , KraussMaffei Technology GmbH , Kurtz Ersa-Gruppe , Kaneka Belgium NV and Werkzeugbau Siegfried Hofmann GmbH . They come from the areas of toolmaking, system construction, automation technology, and material production and development. They have the scientific support of Neue Materialien Bayreuth GmbH and the Institute of Lightweight Engineering and Polymer Technology (ILK) at the Technical University of Dresden. The platform intends to offer its customers a complete package, from the idea through to the industrial product.

The network is designed as an open platform so that it can take on suggestions from outside. The declared aim of the network according to the managing director and network coordinator Matthias Lindemann is to create a bridge between the particle foams, reaction technology, injection molding and other plastic processing procedures.