Press Releases

With the "Offshore Drone Campus Cuxhaven – ODCC for short", Fraunhofer IFAM is creating a test and development infrastructure for unmanned aircraft systems for offshore use. The new location thus offers unique local and technical opportunities to further develop offshore drones together with scientific partners and industry and to participate at regulatory levels. Research focuses on the safe and efficient use of drones for offshore work such as maintenance, inspection, repair or surveying, as well as the development of new propulsion and material protection concepts for the demanding use of the aircraft under offshore conditions.

The aging of battery cells cannot be easily determined under real conditions. However, an accurate statement about the aging state of the cells in operation forms the basis for a better understanding of the aging mechanisms of a battery and for extending its lifetime. In order to be able to determine the condition of the battery cells more precisely and without laboratory effort, the determination of the AC resistance within the battery using dynamic impedance spectroscopy has been further developed at Fraunhofer IFAM in Bremen. This allows measurements to be made during operation, enabling statements to be made about performance in real time.

Large quantities of hydrogen will be needed to ensure a successful energy transition. As part of the HighHy project, an international team of researchers from Germany and New Zealand is working on improving the efficiency of the emerging AEM electrolysis technology to produce green hydrogen. To make this possible, scientists from the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials IFAM in Dresden have turned to the readily available and resource-saving metals manganese and nickel in a bid to introduce this promising electrolysis process to large-scale industry. The new tech-nology offers a number of other advantages in addition to reduced costs when compared to the existing processes.

As part of the awarding of the "Digital Future Farms and Future Regions for Sustainable Agriculture" funding notification at the International Green Week (IGW) in Berlin, Germany, the Federal Minister of Food and Agriculture Cem Özdemir handed over the grant approval for the farm of the future "SAMSON" to the project partners Fraunhofer IFAM, HAW Hamburg, hochschule 21, and TU Hamburg on January 24, 2023.

The book ‘Adhesive Bonding Technology in the 21st Century - Synergy of Technological and Ecological Potentials’ by Prof. Dr Bernd Mayer and Prof. Dr Andreas Groß of Fraunhofer IFAM in Bremen, Germany, was commissioned by FEICA on the occasion of FEICA’s 50th anniversary. The publication is intended for a broad audience and its objective is to provide a comprehensive view of the adhesive and sealant industry in terms of its applications, technologies, innovations and trends.

Motek 2022 l Hall 7 l Booth 7115 l The Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials IFAM in Stade, Germany, will present automation solutions on a 1:1 scale for the first time at the International Trade Fair for Automation in Production and Assembly from October 4 to 7 in Stuttgart, Germany.

Applied research at InnoTrans 2022 in Berlin, Germany: As part of the “Fraunhofer vs. Corona” program, the automation and production technology experts at Fraunhofer IFAM in Stade, together with project partners, developed a prototype mobile robot platform which uses a lightweight robot and steam cleaner to clean and disinfect surfaces of objects in public transport (PT) vehicles with constant quality in an environmentally friendly manner.

InnoTrans 2022 l Hall 23 l Booth 240 l The Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials IFAM in Stade will be presenting automation solutions on a 1:1 scale for sustainable rail vehicle construction for the first time as part of the leading International Trade Fair for Transport Technology from September 20 to 23, 2022 in Berlin, Germany.

Powder-based laser beam melting (LPPF) is probably the best-known AM process and has great potential for industrial applications. But how can the limited range of materials for this process be circumvented and the market potential further expanded? This question was addressed by the IWM of RWTH Aachen University and the Fraunhofer IFAM in the "LPBF powder kit" project funded by the AiF. The result was the development of a sustainable solution for the individual and robust processing of metal powder blends, so that the user can cover the desired material properties with a small selection of metal powders and flexibly adjust the alloys.