IFW - Institut für Fertigungstechnik und Werkzeugmaschinen

Federal Government Supports "HyLaunch" – Advancing Compact Lightweight Hydrogen Tank Systems for Aviation and Shipping We are excited to share that the German Federal Ministry of Digital and Transport (BMDV) is investing €154 million to accelerate #hydrogen innovation in Germany, both in the ITZ-H2 locations in Chemnitz and to the northern German #H2AM comprising Bremen, Bremerhaven, Hamburg, and Stade! The Institute of Production Engineering and Machine Tools as part of the research consortium HPCFK of the Leibniz Universität Hannover, the Technische Universität Braunschweig und the Technische Universität Clausthal, is among the recipients with its project "HyLaunch". At the CFK Nord, we will strategically expand our research and development infrastructure to create a unique platform for fiber-reinforced lightweight hydrogen tank systems, specifically tailored for aviation and maritime applications. What makes #HyLaunch special? ✅ Covers the entire development process: from material selection and design to manufacturing and final testing — ideally combining the core competencies of the three partner institutes. ✅ Enables SMEs to develop and test innovative hydrogen tanks in joint projects — reducing economic risks and barriers to market entry. ✅ Focus on Automated Fiber Placement technology for next-level lightweight designs and weight reduction. ✅ Includes expansion of static and cyclic testing capabilities under cryogenic conditions to meet the particularly high thermal and mechanical demands of hydrogen tanks, for both compressed gas and liquid gas applications. A heartfelt thank you to the #BMDV for supporting the "HyLaunch" project and placing their trust in us! Additionally, we would like to thank all the partners involved, whose dedication and collaboration are essential to the success of the entire project. We look forward to the upcoming project steps and the collaborations with the #aviation and #shipbuilding industries that will emerge from this initiative. Let's take this next step towards a climate-friendly future together! For any question, please reach out to Dr. Carsten Schmidt. #Decarbonization #Sustainability #HydrogenStorage Photo: ©Susanne Meinecke/BWI Hamburg

🔹 Industry Working Group Digital Manufacturing: Advancing the Future of Production 🔹 Yesterday, the Industry Working Group #DigitalManufacturing took place. The event focused on exciting new insights in the fields of energy efficiency in production, anomaly detection, automated modeling, and automated path planning. These topics sparked lively discussions, driving forward innovative solutions for industrial applications. A big thank you to our partners Schaeffler, FANUC Europe, MAPAL Dr. Kress KG, CERATIZIT, Brinkhaus and Deharde GmbH for their valuable contributions. 🙌 We were also fortunate to have Johannes Schnitzler from Ladon Energy with us. A special highlight was the guest lecture by Marko Tatomirovic from OPEN MIND Technologies AG on Virtual Machining, offering fascinating insights into the future of digital manufacturing. Do you also want to shape the future of digital manufacturing together with us? Write Fabian Schlenker a 💬 message directly!

Optimising Fatigue Strength in Additively Manufactured Aluminium Components 🚀 #AdditiveManufacturing with Direct Energy Deposition-Arc (DED-Arc) enables high build rates and great design flexibility. However, inhomogeneous microstructures and increased porosity often necessitate post-processing to enhance mechanical performance. Together with 🤝 the Institute of Joining and Assembly (IFMT) we are investigating how the process chain steps – DED-Arc, heat treatment, machining, and #DeepRolling – influence the fatigue strength of aluminium components. Our goal? To optimise mechanical properties through a tailored process chain and expand the applicability of #DEDArc for high-strength structural components. By combining experimental and 📊 numerical methods, we analyse microstructures, porosity, and surface properties using FEM simulations, CT scans, and indentation tests. This research, funded by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - German Research Foundation, provides valuable insights into improving the performance and certification readiness of additively manufactured parts. Sounds interesting? For 🔎 more information, please contact our colleague  Abdallah Abdelmonaem or Jonny Kaars from Technische Universität Chemnitz via message.

#ProductionPlanning faces major challenges: high demand volatility, limited resources, and complex processes make stable operations difficult. Traditional methods often focus solely on short-term productivity – #MultiPEP takes it to the next level. 🔹 Stable & efficient production: An optimisation method that integrates system stability and process reliability 🔹 Reduced waiting times & bottlenecks: Through intelligent resource utilisation 🔹 Flexibility despite fluctuations: Dynamic adaptation to changing conditions With mathematical models and constraint programming, MultiPEP makes production planning more robust and efficient. Are you interested in automated planning in production? Read more on our website and contact Max Eggers via mail. Link in comments.

🎉 SCALE opening at the mechanical engineering campus in Garbsen 🎉 Researching production technology independently of component sizes - this is made possible by the new SCALE research building. After more than three years of construction, the wait is over: Leibniz Universität Hannover has inaugurated the #SCALE research building - Scalable Production Systems of the Future - on the Mechanical Engineering Campus in Garbsen. LUH President Prof. Dr. Volker Epping welcomed the Lower Saxony Minister for Science and Culture Falko Mohrs, the Regional President Steffen Krach and the Mayor of Garbsen Claudio Provenzano, among others. This is what we showed at the opening: ▫️ the mobile factory of our Mittelstand-Digital Zentrum Hannover ▫️ an AFP laying cell from our #PräziLight project ▫️ a system demonstrator ▫️ a modular machine tool ▫️ a mobile manufacturing robot The SCALE research centre can accommodate up to 150 experts from various disciplines. In future, they will jointly research and develop new manufacturing methods and process chains that make it possible to produce independently of size and quantity.

⏳ It's been a month already: The 24th Machining Innovations Conference for Aerospace Industry brought together around 120 participants from 🌍 different continents at the Hannover Centre for Production Technology. The event offered inspiring 🎤 keynotes, industry presentations and live demonstrations of future-oriented technologies in the areas of digitalisation, 🌱 sustainable production and additive manufacturing. #MIC once again proved to be an important platform for innovation in the ✈️ aerospace industry. A big thank you 🙌 to all speakers, exhibitors, and participants, as well as our organising team. You all made the event a success! 📅 Save the date: The next MIC will take place on 4–5 February 2026!

Forces are a key source of information for monitoring machining processes and machine conditions. However, conventional approaches to structure-integrated force measurement have struggled to gain traction due to high costs and complex integration requirements. 💡 We are developing force-sensitive profiled rail guides that enable structure-integrated force measurement – without compromising machine properties such as stiffness or workspace. By applying directly deposited thin-film strain gauges to guide shoes, combined with integrated signal amplification, we achieve: ✅ Seamless process force measurement – real-time monitoring of machining processes ✅ Damage and wear detection – early identification of component condition changes ✅ Standardised integration – maintaining existing machine geometries while providing force signals in an industrial standard range 📢 Are you interested in cutting-edge solutions for integrated sensor technology? Contact Dennis Kowalke directly via message.

Ensuring stable and efficient machining is crucial for companies facing increasing product customization. However, existing process monitoring (PM) systems often lack adaptability, especially in single-part production. We are developing a simulation-based method to determine adaptive monitoring limits in our 🔍 research project #EmSim — automating quality control and reducing setup effort. Benefits: ✅ Fewer false alarms and improved process reliability ✅ Flexible monitoring for diverse machining operations ✅ Reduced setup times and lower costs ✅ Higher quality through tolerance-based adaptation 🚀 Interested in collaboration? Contact Martin Winkler via message. You can find more information on the project on our Website. Link in comments.

🎯 Precision in machining: In the 🎥 video, you can see how the process settings for ball nose end milling affect the resulting surfaces - especially depending on the surface curvature. A particular focus is on burr formation, a common problem in #manufacturing. Would you like to know how you can avoid burr formation? 📢 Register now for our free webinar on 10 September at 1 pm. 🔗 Link in the comments. We will go into detail with you and show you practical solutions for optimising your processes. 🔍 Among other things, you will learn how to: ✅ adapt your processes in a targeted manner ✅ Reduce burr formation and rejects ✅ manufacture more efficiently and economically Precise #milling saves costs and improves quality. Register now! 👇

Grinding technology is one of the most important processes in machining, as it enables high-precision machining and excellent surface qualities. The DFG basic research project is dedicated to the bond properties and thermomechanical influences on the grain-bond behaviour with the focus on elastic and plastic bond deformations during the use of sintered metal bonded grinding tools. The Challenge: Understanding bond deformations Sintered metal bonds in grinding tools stabilize abrasive grains and influence overall process quality. Under extreme thermo-mechanical stresses, bonds can plastically deform, affecting tool topography and processing quality. These mechanisms have barely been studied and are currently not accounted for in process predictions. The Goal: Comprehensive analysis and simulation To investigate grain movements, various bronze alloys are first characterized for their mechanical properties. Scratch tests with single grains in the bond reveal real abrasive behaviour under load. The findings feed into finite element simulations (Ansys), which link field data with simulation results to determine forces and grain displacements within the bond. These microscopic insights are then transferred to a macroscopic kinematics simulation (IFW CutS) for multiscale optimization of grinding processes. Practical relevance and outlook A deeper understanding of bond deformations will enable more efficient, precise, and longer-lasting grinding tools. This research also opens the door to virtual process optimization, reducing both production time and cost. For more information, please check the link in the comments or contact Michael Wulf directly.