Press Releases

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.

For resource-efficient, flexible and automated production – Newly developed milling kinematics enable versatile, efficient and high-precision machining of fiber composites to aluminum up to tempered steel with a manufacturing tolerance of up to 0.1 millimeters

The Paris Air Show takes place every two years and is the largest event in the aerospace industry in Europe. This year, the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft will be represented with 10 Fraunhofer institutes, whose 21 exhibits will showcase space and aviation research. The exhibits will highlight pioneering technologies with a focus on environmental protection and sustainability.

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 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.

Every year, some 5.6 million metric tons of plastic packaging winds up in household waste in Germany after being used just once. So far, less than a third of it can be recycled. Working in partnership with Hochschule Bremen — City University of Applied Sciences, the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials IFAM aims to transform this waste into high-quality 3D-printed products.

The project "Sodium-Ion-Battery Deutschland-Forschung - SIB:DE FORSCHUNG", funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), aims to evaluate the suitability of sodium-ion battery technology (SIB) for the European energy and mobility transition to speed up industrial implementation. To this end, 21 national partners from science and industry are pooling their expertise from battery material development to the production of large-format cells to enable the fast transfer of research results into practical applications.

To promote the sustainability of electromobility and enhance resource efficiency, upcycling of lithium-ion batteries is gaining increasing importance. Efforts are focused on slowing down material cycles by repurposing used batteries from electric vehicles for new applications instead of transferring them directly to recycling processes. Despite its real significant potential to conserve resources, upcycling has yet caught on due to technical and economic challenges. However, a team of researchers has developed a practical method that combines a high-speed measurement method and artificial intelligence (AI) to overcome these barriers.

Demonstration of an automation-compatible thermoplastic construction method for aircraft fuselages receives award in Paris

The development of a continuous process chain for the sinter-based additive manufacturing of nickel-based alloys is at the center of the "Simsalabim" project. The Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials IFAM in Dresden together with the Dresden University of Applied Sciences (HTW) and the Fraunhofer Institute for Material and Beam Technology IWS are addressing all steps from design and sintering simulation through to verification on real parts. The requirements of the industrial manufacturers and endusers are incorporated through close exchange of feedback.

Hardly any other chemical substance can compete with PFAS, due to their unique properties. That explains why it is so hard to find a replacement for these toxic “forever chemicals”, which accumulate in the environment and do not break down over time. A team at the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials IFAM has succeeded in developing solutions that hold great promise of targeted substitution for PFAS in fields including medical engineering.

Resource-efficient, flexible automated production – Newly developed milling kinematics on a linear axis enables versatile and efficient machining of lightweight materials to metals up to steel with a production tolerance of up to 0.1 millimeter

After a year of construction, the new development and test environment for offshore drones was officially opened with numerous guests from business, politics, and science. The Offshore Drone Campus Cuxhaven (ODCC) is operated by Fraunhofer IFAM and serves as a platform for interdisciplinary cooperation between industry and research to advance the development of future-oriented technologies within drone research and application. The focus lies on inspection and maintenance work, monitoring of maritime structures as well as monitoring and transportation tasks using drones. The realistic application scenarios on and above the water offer unique testing opportunities.

Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Ad-vanced Materials IFAM have developed a new polymer patch that can signifi-cantly accelerate and simplify previously laborious, expensive, and time-con-suming repair processes on damaged lightweight aircraft components. The thermoformable, recyclable repair patch is pressed onto the damaged area and fully sets in just 30 minutes. The innovative fiber-reinforced plastic is so versa-tile that it can be used in a wide range of different industries, from aviation to orthopedics.

The new UltraPLAS coating developed by Fraunhofer researchers has proven to be a ground-breaking solution to the challenges of primary forming processes. This advanced release and easy-to-clean coating is applied as a gradient layer using a cold plasma process and is suitable for materials such as tool steel, stainless steel and aluminum. The unique physical properties of UltraPLAS enable perfect molding of even nano-scaled and reflective surfaces. By reducing the number of post-processing steps and renouncing external release agents, the application is classified as highly economical.

The year 2024 is characterised by a substantial reduction in federal funding for project research. Energy research is particularly affected by this. A 30% reduction in available funding for new projects is looming, compared to the previous year. Against this backdrop, the Fraunhofer-Group »Energy Technol-ogies and Climate Protection« is warning of a massive decline in German in-dustry's ability to innovate in technologies for the energy transition. Nine institutes of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft are organised in the group, which play a key role in driving forward application-oriented energy research.

Milestones for the clean and sustainable aviation of tomorrow: Clean Sky 2/Clean Aviation project "MFFD" shows potential of around 10 percent weight reduction and 10 percent cost savings in high-rate production

Whether it is pans, cutlery or packaging, per- and polyfluorinated chemicals (PFAS) have been used for coating in a wide variety of everyday products and processes for many years. Due to known risks of these substances to humans and the environment, at least a partial ban on the production and use of PFAS is expected to be implemented soon. The use of comparable alternatives is therefore essential for numerous companies. Fraunhofer IFAM specializes in fluorine-free coatings and has developed the PLASLON® technology, a PFAS-free non-stick coating that meets the required property profile and can replace the existing technology with immediate effect.

Alkaline electrolysis is a crucial process in the field of clean hydrogen production. But economic factors like cost and efficiency have been standing in the way of the sustainable energy solutions this method promises. The innovative project EXSOTHyC, short for "Exsolution-based Nanoparticles for the Lowest Cost of Green Hydrogen via Electrolysis", is about to change that.

Several Fraunhofer Institutes and the Brandenburg Technical University Cottbus-Senftenberg, under the leadership of Rolls-Royce Germany and other partners such as the research institution ACCESS, are collaborating on the future of hybrid electric flying. Supported by the state of Brandenburg and the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Protection, the partners are researching an entirely new propulsion system for medium-range aircraft with up to 35 passengers.