Press Releases

Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a groundbreaking imaging technique that generates high-resolution cross-sectional images of transparent and semitransparent media. It is used both in industrial metrology, for example in quality assurance, and in biomedical diagnostics, such as ophthalmology or tissue diagnostics. Companies and research institutes focusing on industrial metrology and medical technology also expect a wide range of other fields of application. They cooperate in the VDI/VDE - Society for Measurement and Automatic Control (GMA) in an expert committee on OCT. They have recently published the guideline VDI/VDE 5565 part 1 with standardized process descriptions.

While 5G mobile technology is beginning to make its way into the mainstream, research and development for industry continues apace: testing new technologies for 5G and now also for its successor 6G is the goal of the ambitious EU research project "TARGET-X" led by the Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology IPT based in Aachen, Germany. The project is aimed at the automotive, construction, energy and manufacturing sectors. Part of the funding, a total of six million euros, is available to up to 100 other research partners for participation in the project: To this end, sub-projects for specific technology developments and applications will be publicly called for proposals. Applications will be accepted shortly.

The SpaceX Cargo Dragon space shuttle departed from the Kennedy Space Center in Florida for the International Space Station (ISS) at 2:30 a.m. CET on March 15, 2023. Among others, the shuttle carried an experimental setup that a team of students in the small satellite group KSat e.V. of the University of Stuttgart will use to conduct three experiments. The students were supported by a team from the Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology IPT in Aachen, who designed and manufactured the super-light and extremely stable support structures for the experiments.

Processes for the cost-effective production of micro- and nanostructured surfaces from polymer material are in great demand for the industrial mass production of functional films and molded components. Existing injection molding and roll-to-roll processes often cannot yet achieve the required throughput and sufficiently high reproducibility for many promising product ideas. The ninth international conference "Polymer Replication on Nanoscale" (PRN), which will take place in Aachen on June 1 and 2, 2023, will therefore focus on processes for more efficient production of functional nanostructured surfaces and present possible solutions.

In early December members of the research community "International Center for Networked, Adaptive Production ICNAP" gathered in Aachen for the Annual Meeting. As a result of the two-day meeting, the participants chose five new research topics and participated in an intensive professional and personal exchange about the research work of the past year.

Speed or accuracy? As far as COVID-19 tests go, this was the choice you had to make. In the future, this dilemma could be a thing of the past. The Pathogen Analyzer combines the advantages of PCR testing and rapid antigen testing – it provides a reliable result after only 20 to 40 minutes. In not too long, this assay will be able to simultaneously detect up to 11 other pathogens. A demonstrator of the system will be exhibited at the MEDICA trade fair in Düsseldorf from November 14 to 17, 2022 (Hall 3, Booth E74/F74).

Part distortion is a major cost factor in the production of metallic parts, especially in the case of large and thin-walled workpieces that play an important role in lightweight design or in aerospace. The Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology IPT in Aachen, together with partners, has now successfully developed a system for reducing part distortion caused by residual stresses: With model-based process design and a new type of clamping system, companies will be able to significantly reduce part distortion during milling in the future.

Smart sensors that are wirelessly attached to the component, improve the understanding and control of production processes so that processes can be flexibly monitored and adaptively controlled. What sounds like a far-off vision of the future is already being implemented by the Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology IPT in Aachen, Germany: Together with seven industrial partners, the researchers have designed an intelligent and flexible process control system that can process large amounts of data and transmit it almost instantaneously using 5G and cloud technology.

How can existing production processes be redesigned and optimized by using digital methods? When is it worthwhile for companies to intervene in such processes and change them using digital technologies? The "International Center for Networked, Adaptive Production ICNAP", a consortium of three Fraunhofer Institutes from Aachen, presents current research results on digitalization in industry in a recently published study report. The report summarizes practical research on the use of artificial intelligence in production, machine-integrated real-time communication based on 5G networks and the monetization of industrial data; and is now available for free download.

In order to achieve the urgently needed climate neutrality in industry and the socienty as quickly as possible, energy requirements must be reduced and resources used more efficiently than before. Many industrial manufacturing processes will have to change significantly to achieve this. In the "R2R NET" network, 20 European partners from industry and research are further developing roll-to-roll systems and processes for their rapid use in production. On September 21, 2022, the partners will present current developments, success stories and the latest generation of production equipment at a workshop. Interested companies and research institutions can register now.