Increasing demands on productivity, manufacturing precision, flexibility and energy efficiency are only a few of the aspects that need to be taken into consideration when developing new production facilities. Fraunhofer IWU is concerned with the development of innovations for machine tools and their peripheral equipment.

Reducing processing times and increasing manufacturing precision are of precisely the equal importance in the cost-efficient manufacture of tools for sheet metal and bulk metal forming as they are for the highly productive mass manufacture of components in the motor vehicle powertrain. The identification and implementation of the ensuing requirements as far as the machine tool and its main sub-assemblies are concerned, such as increased acceleration and higher feed axis speeds, increasing the speed for HSC (machining) operations together with self-optimizing precision control and re-configurability represent a central focus of work at Fraunhofer IWU.

When it comes to achieving high dynamics, the most important factor is maintaining small loads. This objective can be realized both by applying new structural principles to the machines and through the consistent use of lightweight design techniques – for example, by using metal foams for sub-assemblies. Focal points for research work include, in addition to the pre-emptive determination of characteristics by means of experimental investigations and FE analysis, the simulation of movement and collision behavior in relation to machines, including with the help of virtual reality.

Components that have a bearing on accuracy can be integrated in the control. Fraunhofer IWU develops methods and tools for the systematic design and optimization of parallel kinematics. Electro-mechanical drives for generating the principal and feed movements are the sub-assemblies of machine tools that determine know-how. The design of drives and structures to take account of a specific requirement is gradually acquiring increasing importance from the point of view of resource efficiency.

Increasing manufacturing precision and eliminating cooling lubricant in dry machining are development trends that are of considerable importance as far as thermal research is concerned. A thermally robust machine design and compensation for misalignments on machine tools resulting from thermal influences represent the most important challenges in this area.