Fraunhofer Representative Office Japan
Fraunhofer Representative Office Japan

Press Releases 2016

Fraunhofer ILT

Modular Prototype Production with Lasers Enables Faster Gas Turbine Development

© Fraunhofer ILT

The long lead time of turbine blades and vanes presents a big challenge to the validation of new part designs in engine tests. Conventional vane production through casting is unsuited for the fast iteration cycles required today in the development of hot path components. In a joint project, Siemens and the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT have now developed a faster production process based on selective laser melting (SLM). Components are manufactured in a modular way in the new process chain, resulting in additional benefits.

For more information, please visit the ILT Website
Modular Prototype Production with Lasers Enables Faster Gas Turbine Development

Fraunhofer ILT

Etching microstructures with lasers

© Fraunhofer ILT

Ultrafast lasers have introduced new possibilities in engraving ultrafine structures, and scientists are now also investigating how to use them to etch microstructures into thin glass. There are possible applications in analytics (lab on a chip) and especially in electronics and the consumer sector, where great interest has been shown.

For more information, please visit the ILT Website
Etching microstructures with lasers

Fraunhofer IWS

Doing more with less – Lightweight constructions by hybrid joints

© Fraunhofer IWS

Joining of completely novel material combinations, new construction principles, and production processes guaranteeing high quality – these are the challenges to which enterprises and the scientists at Fraunhofer IWS have been standing up for years. Parts and assemblies are expected to be possibly light, strong, durable and reliable. The application of hybrid joints between metals and reinforced composites in the automotive, aerospace and many other areas are a new trend, which is significantly swayed by Fraunhofer IWS Dresden, and is presented at EuroBLECH 2016.

For more information please visit the IWS website
Doing more with less – Lightweight constructions by hybrid joints

Fraunhofer IWS

Efficient railway vehicle bodies

© Fraunhofer IWS

Material savings, flexible production and high user comfort are increasingly gaining importance in the field of railway vehicles. Analyses and simulations of passenger flows in vehicle interiors allow for an improved vehicle body layout. Mass-reduced manufacturing of sidewalls with individualized door-cuts can be optimized by low-distortion laser welding and completely connected integral structures. At the trade fair InnoTrans 2016 the Dresden Fraunhofer institutes IWS and IVI are presenting jointly developed technical implementations for passenger flow simulations and manufacturing techniques for low heat input and highly efficient laser welding procedures.

For more information please visit the IWS website
Efficient railway vehicle bodies

Fraunhofer ILT

Using ultrashort pulsed laser radiation to structure fiber-reinforced components and remove their coatings

© Fraunhofer ILT

Composite materials made of glass or carbon fibers are characterized by their low specific weight and outstanding mechanical characteristics. Fiber-reinforced components are already being successfully processed today in industrial mass production. Although the material does have limitations regarding the manufacturing processes that can be used, these can be overcome through the clever use of laser processes.

For more Information,please visit the ILT Website
Using ultrashort pulsed laser radiation to structure fiber-reinforced components and remove their coatings

Fraunhofer IWS

Highly-dynamic scanner mirrors easier to control

© Fraunhofer IWS

For a flexible and a rapid material laser processing highly-dynamic galvanometer mirrors are used similarly as in laser shows. These are supposed to reach prefera-bly high velocities and accelerations and to be rapidly controllable. With a special electronic system developed by the Fraunhofer Institute IWS Dresden, the so called module ESL2-100, it is possible to control the galvanometer directly by the machine control system. This allows a holistic interlinking to the main control system, which simplifies considerably the control procedure. In addition, for the implementation of a laser process a plurality of scanner mirrors can be applied simultaneously.

For more information, please visit the IWS website
Highly-dynamic scanner mirrors easier to control

Fraunhofer IWS

“Green” laser with 1 kW power in cw operation utilized for processing highly reflective metals

© Fraunhofer IWS

Metals with excellent electric conductivity such as copper, aluminum and gold are of special interest in the fields of electric mobility and power electronics. Due to their strong reflectance in the infrared wavelength range, the laser processing of these materials presents a huge challenge. Most of the available continuously radiating high power lasers (cw) operate exactly in this wavelength range. The Fraunhofer IWS can now apply a novel “green” laser for processing tasks of these materials. With a power of 1 kW at 515 nm and a beam quality of 2.5 mm mrad, this novel laser opens up completely new application possibilities for joining and cutting tasks. Furthermore it enables new fields of applications in the area of electric mobility and power electronics.

For more information please visit the IWS website
“Green” laser with 1 kW power in cw operation utilized for processing highly reflective metals

Fraunhofer ILT

SLM with optimized processing technique and new materials: magnesium alloys pave the way for new application areas

© Fraunhofer ILT

A special processing technique now allows Selective Laser Melting (SLM) to be used with more difficult materials such as magnesium alloys, copper alloys, and other crack-prone, difficult-to-weld metals. The use of these materials makes it possible to employ the SLM process in new application areas. Several examples will be presented in a lecture session at the International Laser Technology Congress AKL’16 and the accompanying “Laser Technology Live” event at the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT.

For more information, please visit the ILT Website
SLM with optimized processing technique and new materials: magnesium alloys pave the way for new application areas

Fraunhofer ICT

Full carbon wheel manufactured with HP-RTM process

© Fraunhofer ICT

An EU-funded consortium, coordinated by RI-BA Composites S.r.l. (a company of the Bucci-Industries Group based in Faenza (I)) and Fraunhofer ICT, will develop and commercialize a lightweight carbon automotive wheel, using an automated, high-volume production process.

For more information, please visit the ICT website
Full carbon wheel manufactured with HP-RTM process

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