Welcome to Fraunhofer IFAM Dresden

Fraunhofer IFAM Dresden, one of the leading institutes in powder metallurgy, conducts fundamental and applied research for solution-oriented material and technology development for innovative sintered and composite materials, functional materials as well as cellular metallic materials for energy technology, mobility and medical technology. Hydrogen technology plays a key role in the field of energy technology.

The range of services comprises the industrial implementation of the research results through to the manufacture of prototypical components and their transfer to industrial application. The developments are carried out along the entire process chain. One technological focus lies on powder-based additive manufacturing (e.g. Selective Electron Beam Melting, 3D screen printing, Fused Filament Fabrication, gel casting, MoldJet and LMM) as well as further special technologies like melt spinning, melt extraction, spark plasma sintering and moulding processes which support the material and component development.

In the accredited testing laboratory, powder characterisations and tests of sintered materials are carried out according to DIN/ISO standards.

The institute is distinguished by its strong interdisciplinary team in the fields of materials and production engineering, process engineering, mechatronics, chemistry and physics, which develops the right solution for your problems.

 

Focus of Development

• Cellular metallic materials, like metal hollow sphere and lightweight structures, highly porous fibre structures, open-cell metal foams, 3D screen-printed structures and porous metal paper for versatile applications
• Materials and manufacturing techniques for functional materials in hydrogen technology and electrochemistry
• Materials for thermal storage and thermal management systems as well as high-temperature materials
• Light metal alloys, esp. aluminium and titanium
• Metal-Matrix-Composite Materials, esp. for passive cooling of electronic components as well as friction and sliding materials
• Development of powder-metallurgical technologies and processes
• Additive Manufacturing, esp. Selective Electron Beam Melting, Additive Screen Printing, Fused Filament Fabrication, GelCasting, MoldJet and LMM
  

 

Fields of Expertise

• Automotive industry ­
  e.g. thermoelectric and crash-absorbent materials, lightweight construction and sound absorber materials, diesel particulate filters, super capacitors
• Electronics ­
  e.g. thermal management, thermoelectric materials, conductor materials, heat exchangers made of cellular metals
• Power engineering
  e.g. materials for hydrogen generation and storage, electrode materials, heat exchangers made of cellular metals, thermoelectric materials, composite materials or latent and sorptive high-performance storage units, high-temperature alloys, super capacitors, heat sinks
• Mechanical engineering ­
  e.g. lightweight materials with high damping capacity, friction and sliding materials
• Medical engineering ­
  e.g. implant materials made of cellular titanium, biodegradable materials made of magnesium and iron
• Aerospace industry
  e.g. aluminium alloys, high-temperature materials, multi-functional lightweight materials made of cellular metals, titanium materials and titanium aluminides