Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials IFAM

Fraunhofer IFAM – Research shaping the future

Fraunhofer IFAM is one of Europe's leading independent research institutions in the fields of adhesive bonding technology, surfaces, shaping, and functional materials. Our mission: We develop innovative solutions for key future topics such as sustainable mobility, the energy transition, the digitalization of production, and resource efficiency – and bring them to industrial application.

With over 700 employees at locations in BremenDresdenStadeWolfsburg BraunschweigHelgoland and Cuxhaven

we offer a wide range of expertise:

  • Material development & functional materials: From metallic, polymer, and hybrid materials to battery materials and smart materials.
  • Shaping & additive manufacturing: Technologies such as powder metallurgy, 3D printing, and sintering processes enable innovative component designs and high-precision applications.
  • Adhesive bonding & surface technology: Solutions for secure, durable joining and the targeted functionalization of surfaces – essential in aviation, automotive engineering, and medical technology.
  • Automation & digitalization: Development of intelligent manufacturing processes, robot-assisted application systems, and automated quality assurance solutions.
  • Qualification & technology transfer: We impart expertise to specialists and decision-makers from industry and research through a wide range of training courses.

Discover our projects, technologies, and expertise – and find out how we can shape the industry of tomorrow together.

Fraunhofer IFAM on LinkedIn

🎉 Obada Prize: Congratulations, Prof. Abdolreza (Arash) Simchi!. 🎉

We are delighted to share that Arash Simchi of Fraunhofer IFAM has been honored with the Obada Prize – an international award recognizing outstanding interdisciplinary research.

Prof. Simchi is not only a distinguished professor at Sharif University of Technology (Iran), but also a scientist at Fraunhofer IFAM. An elected TWAS-UNESCO Fellow and recipient of several prestigious awards – including the George Foster Research Award and the Young Inventor Award from WIPO – he has consistently ranked among the top 1 % of scientists worldwide based on citations since 2012. The widely recognized Stanford/Elsevier ranking, an influential annual list identifying researchers in the world`s top 2% based on citations, also lists him among the top 200 scientists in emerging technologies.

The Obada Prize is an international award supported by Natural Sciences Publishing and the African Academy of Sciences (North African Branch). It was established to honor the excellence of Egyptian Mathematics Emeritus Professor Obada Abdel Shafy. The prize aims to identify creative interdisciplinary research that crosses traditional boundaries and to encourage values and excellence that promote humanistic scientific and technological breakthroughs to improve our world.

𝗪𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘀𝘂𝗰𝗵 𝗮 𝗱𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘃𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗴𝘂𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺!

Heute ist Back-Kekse-Tag!

Passend zum heutigen 𝗕𝗮𝗰𝗸-𝗞𝗲𝗸𝘀𝗲-𝗧𝗮𝗴 möchten wir das 𝗦𝗽𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘇𝗴𝗲𝗯ä𝗰𝗸 in den Fokus stellen. Natürlich gehört es zu den Klassikern in der Weihnachtsbäckerei. Aber wussten Sie, dass das Spritzgebäck mit seiner einzigartigen Formgebung und Vielfalt auch eine Art des 3D-Drucks darstellt? Denn der Teig wird mithilfe einer Spritztülle in verschiedenen Formen auf ein Backblech gespritzt.

Am Fraunhofer IFAM 𝗕𝗿𝗲𝗺𝗲𝗻 und Fraunhofer IFAM Dresden setzen wir neben bewährten weihnachtlichen Gebäck-Klassikern auch auf innovative Technologien, die die Zukunft der additiven Fertigung revolutionieren. Darunter zum Beispiel das 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗸𝘁 𝗙𝗔𝗦𝗧, in dem Nickellegierungen für Hochtemperaturanwendungen für das 𝗠𝗲𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗕𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗝𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 und 𝗠𝗼𝗹𝗱𝗝𝗲𝘁® entwickelt werden. Diese Verfahren können Produkte schneller herstellen als z. B. das Laserstrahlschmelzen. Die Vielfalt der Verfahren bei uns ermöglicht es, maßgeschneiderte Lösungen für unterschiedlichste Branchen zu entwickeln – von der Luft- und Raumfahrt bis hin zur Medizintechnik.

🍪 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹𝘃𝗶𝗲𝗹𝗳𝗮𝗹𝘁: Wir erforschen viele neue Rezepte für verschiedenste Materialien, darunter flüssige Binder und Pasten, die wie das Ei in den Keksen, den Verbund von Mehl bzw. Metallpulvern herstellen.
🍪 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘇𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗼𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗶𝗲𝗿𝘂𝗻𝗴: Anschließend müssen Kekse in den Ofen, auch das untersuchen wir. Bei unseren speziellen Metall-Keksen sind häufig ein paar Stunden bei oft mehr als 1200 °C völlig ausreichend.
🍪 𝗔𝗻𝘄𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘂𝗻𝗴𝘀𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗲𝗿𝘁𝗲 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗰𝗵𝘂𝗻𝗴: Anschließend wollen wir diese Rezepte auch an andere verteilen, damit auch sie so viel Spaß damit haben können. Dadurch entstehen Kooperationen mit Industriepartnern zur Umsetzung realer Projekte.

Nutzen Sie den 𝗕𝗮𝗰𝗸-𝗞𝗲𝗸𝘀𝗲-𝗧𝗮𝗴, um mit Familie und Freunden gemeinsam zu backen, Spaß zu haben und die Vorfreude auf das Weihnachtsfest zu genießen! 🎄

💡 Innovative implant technology for a better future! 🌟

The “CAIPIRENHA” project is revolutionizing the production of implants with an environmentally friendly plasma technology that replaces chemical cleaning processes and efficiently cleans and functionalizes implant surfaces – completely without toxic substances. Half-Time for this future-leading project in surface treatment with great partners. First promising results with high cleaning levels and comparable adhesion levels are the best motivation for the second half of the project for the whole team.

Background of the project:
The demand for biocompatible, durable and sustainable implants is constantly growing – especially with an ageing population and increasing demand in orthopedics and dental medicine. This is exactly where “CAIPIRENHA” comes in, with new standards to pave the way for greener and more efficient medical technology.

By simultaneously improving the adhesion of hydroxyapatite, this technology ensures faster healing and better osseointegration. The innovative cleaning approach by atmospheric low-temperature plasma process also conserves resources and significantly reduces CO₂ emissions and waste products. Thanks to robotized production, the highest quality standards will be ensured – flexible for metal, ceramics and polymers.

Involved in the project together with Fraunhofer IFAM:
RISE Research Institutes of Sweden
Promimic
Agaria AB
TIGRES GmbH

Further questions about the project? Dr. Christoph Regula will be happy to answer your questions.

Funding information:
The “CAIPIRENHA” project was funded by Vinnova
and Bundesministerium für Forschung, Technologie und Raumfahrt, based on a decision by the Deutscher Bundestag via Eureka and the SMART cluster program.

Dr. Kai Borcherding | Hashtag#MedicalTechnology Hashtag#PlasmaTechnology Hashtag#PlasmaTech Hashtag#Implants Hashtag#IFAMdrivesInnovation

🕯️ Advent, Advent, ein Lichtlein brennt. Erst eins, dann zwei, dann drei, dann vier ⭐

Nun ist 𝗪𝗶𝗰𝗵𝘁𝗲𝗹 𝗝𝗼𝘀𝗘𝗟𝗙 in Dresden angekommen. Am Fraunhofer IFAM Dresden trifft er Magdalena Saager, die im Bereich Wasserstoffspeichertechnologie und -systeme promoviert.

Sie erzählt JosELF von ihrer ganz persönlichen Weihnachtstradition: Zur Adventszeit spielt die Musik für sie eine besondere Rolle. Eine Tradition, die Ruhe schenkt und neue Energie für Forschung und Alltag gibt. 🎶

Fröhlich beschwingt macht sich JosELF wieder auf den Weg zurück nach Bremen, wo ihn die Institutsleiter des Fraunhofer IFAM bereits erwarten, um die Reise durch die Adventszeit gemeinsam ausklingen zu lassen.

𝗪𝗶𝗿 𝘄ü𝗻𝘀𝗰𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗲𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝘀𝗰𝗵ö𝗻𝗲 𝗱𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘁𝗲 𝗔𝗱𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀𝘄𝗼𝗰𝗵𝗲!🎄✨

Fraunhofer IFAM

Take a Virtual Tour of our Laboratories for Adhesive Bonding Processes, Plasma and Laser Technology and our Coating Technology Centre

Magazine

 

Expansion of offshore wind energy in Europe

The Interreg North Sea project DIOL (Develop Innovative Offshore Logistic) deals with the implementation of the Esbjerg Declaration, which was signed by the Prime Ministers of Denmark, Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands at the North Sea Summit in Esbjerg on 18.05.2022. Its aim is to turn the North Sea into Europe's "green power plant".

 

Extension of the durability of rotor blades

Offshore wind turbines are exposed to extreme weather conditions. These lead to damage, e.g. erosion of the coatings on the leading edges of the rotor blades. The MARiLEP joint project aims to achieve a significant improvement in the service life of the leading edge coatings of wind turbines.

 

Hybrid casting for joining CFRP and aluminum

In the "HyFKAl" project, experts from Fraunhofer IFAM and the Faserinstitut Bremen e.V. are developing an economical hybrid casting process for joining CFRP and aluminum. This involves joining thermoplastic and thermoset CFRP structures with the aluminum partner using the primary forming aluminum die casting process.

 

Printed batteries

Manufacturing technology for batteries of the future: Fraunhofer IFAM offers alternatives for battery production using the screen printing process. New manufacturing concepts enable higher active material loads and greater freedom in electrode design. On the one hand, completely printed batteries help to overcome the limitations of current production technology and, on the other hand, reduce the use of solvents and subsequent drying processes.

Press Releases

3.11.2025

Innovative Surfaces to Rapidly Load Bone Implants with Antibiotics

Infectious complications are not uncommon after implant placement. The risk is higher in heavily contaminated wounds, which are particularly common in war zones such as Ukraine, where many bone injuries require treatment. Research-ers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials IFAM in Bremen have developed a new functionalized surface that can be loaded with antibiotics.
more info

25.6.2025

Wayland Calibur3 Installed at Fraunhofer IFAM Dresden

Scaling up Next-Generation Additive Manufacturing: Fraunhofer IFAM Dresden has successfully installed a Wayland Calibur3 system, marking the institute’s third facility dedicated to Electron Beam Powder Bed Fusion (PBF-EB) and reinforcing its leadership in advanced additive manufacturing technologies.
more info

10.4.2025

High-performance elastomers and plasma polymer coatings to replace fluoropolymers in technical applications: new Fraunhofer project

Users of poly- and perfluorinated alkyl compounds (PFAS), also known as "forever chemicals", are under pressure due to regulatory proposals from the European Chemicals Agency (ECHA). This also affects the use of fluoroelastomers, whose economic significance is enormous. Fraunhofer experts initiated the "HATE-FLUOR" project at the beginning of February. Together, they want to develop high-performance elastomer compounds to replace fluoropolymers in certain technical applications. Various industries can benefit from this, including manufacturers of semi-finished and finished parts as well as companies in mechanical engineering industry, medical engineering, clean room and semiconductor technology, chemical process technology and electrical applications.
more info

3.4.2025

Shipping of the future: biodegradable antifouling coatings for clean seas

More sustainable antifouling coatings for ships are in demand. These innovative solutions should largely dispense with biocides and still withstand the challenges of maritime use. As part of the "BioSHIP" project funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) under the "Maritime Research Program", industry and science are working together to develop such environmentally friendly coatings. The biodegradable, self-polishing coatings should not only offer the same functionality as conventional products, but also minimize the release of toxic heavy metals and microplastics into the sea - a major step towards green shipping.
more info

Events

20.4.2026

Hannover Messe 2026

As part of the Fraunhofer Verbund Materials, we are looking foward to meeting you in hall 11, booth D33.
more info

25.3.2026

Coiltech 2026

At Coiltech, Fraunhofer IFAM will present its portfolio on the development, manufacture, and testing of electric drives.
more info

25.2.2026

LOPEC 2026

Fraunhofer IFAM presents smart bearings with integrated temperature sensor technology at LOPEC.
more info

22.9.2025

EMO 2025

The experts for Automation and Production Technology at Fraunhofer IFAM in Stade, Germany, together with their research partners Siemens AG and autonox Robotics GmbH, will be presenting their latest R&D results on the “Machine Tool Robot” (MTR) at EMO 2025 in Hanover from September 22 to 26
more info