Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials IFAMA comprehensive understanding of the interactions between microstructure and material properties and their particular optimization through modern manufacturing technologies lies at the heart of the Core Competence Metallic Materials.
Metallic Materials
Powder Metallurgy
Powdermetallurgical technologies offer unique opportunities for the development of sinter and composite materials with tailored properties and property combinations. The starting point for powder technological solutions is always the material. Through the mixing of powders, materials with the required property profiles can be created. In this way, properties such as hardness, toughness, e-modulus, wear, and thermal expansion can be adapted to the requirements.
Casting Technology
Fraunhofer IFAM possesses comprehensive technological equipment for high-pressure die casting, low-pressure die casting, lost foam casting, and investment casting. Here, aluminum, magnesium, zinc, copper, steel and customer-specific special alloys are processed and special materials like metal-matrix composites are developed and derived for casting technological applications.
Supporting Technologies
The core competence is complemented by the appropriate supporting technologies. This includes, among others, computer simulation and a comprehensive range of metallographic and analytical services with a main focus on powder characterization and rheology as well as radioscopy and computer tomography.
Research Objectives in the Field of Metallic Materials
- Sinter materials
- Magnetic materials
- Composite materials
- Metal foams and cellular metals
- Composite materials and multi-material composites
- Lightweight metals
- Materials for tribological applications
- Materials for energy conversion and storage (thermoelectric, magnetocaloric, latent heat storage)
- Electrode materials
- Functional coatings
- Metal hydrids for reversible H2 storage
- Metal foams, porous metals and hybrid foams