Mannheim – Precision, speed, and split-second timing: it’s what wins points at the table, and what gets parts made right in industrial manufacturing. Starting this season, Replique, the platform for industrial parts manufacturing, is sponsoring the table tennis department of TSV Neckarau. A new ball robot and 40 new surround boards raise the bar for training and match conditions across the entire department.
New training possibilities
The ball robot fires balls in custom patterns, speeds, and spins. Youth and adult teams can use it to drill specific stroke sequences with far more repetitions than a training partner could keep up with.
The 40 new surround boards round out the upgrade, giving home games and tournaments a noticeably more professional look and feel.
The robot is also being put to use by TSV Neckarau’s Parkinson’s training group. The club has run a PingPongParkinson site in Mannheim since 2024, together with DJK Wallstadt. Adjustable speed and precise ball placement make it a useful tool for building reaction time and coordination.
“An investment like this wouldn’t have been easy for our table tennis department to manage on its own. Knowing the robot is now used both in advanced systematic training and with beginners – including our Parkinson’s group – makes Replique’s support mean twice as much to us.” – Arthur Költzsch, Chairman of the table tennis department, TSV Neckarau
How the partnership came about
The connection to TSV Neckarau came through Nick Dinges, Replique’s CTO, who has close ties to the club and to table tennis going back many years. For Replique, a BASF spin-off headquartered in Mannheim, backing TSV Neckarau is more than standard sponsorship.
“In table tennis, it all comes down to the perfectly placed shot. For us, it’s about getting the right part made at the right time, through our worldwide network of production partners. Both take precision that holds up under pressure. It means a lot to be able to support a club I’ve been part of for years.” – Nick Dinges, CTO, Replique
About Replique
Replique is an all-in-one contract manufacturer for industrial parts, headquartered in Mannheim. Its central platform enables decentralized, on-demand manufacturing of prototypes, series, and spare parts, technology-independent and to industrial standards. More than 100 customers rely on Replique and its worldwide network of certified production partners. Replique is certified to ISO 27001 and ISO 9001.
