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YQuality control in hot forming can often only begin when the workpiece has cooled down. Conventional optical quality assurance methods are limited when dealing with hot parts; as the temperature of the workpiece rises, the blurriness in determining its geometry increases. This finding leads to high scrap rates and unnecessary costs due to process-related quality defects. The GreenHiTemp project offers a promising solution with thermal imaging, enabling reliable predictions during the process instead of relying on post-production checks.

You can find them in many household appliances, building technology, and countless pipe and hydraulic lines: small, cylindrical parts manufactured through deep drawing processes. The material is under strain during shaping: Potential consequences are unwanted thinning, surface damage, or cracks. The solution is ultrasonic vibrations - these reduce friction significantly within the material and in contact with the tools. In the VibroDraw process, Fraunhofer IWU, in collaboration with MARK Metallwarenfabrik GmbH and DEVAD GmbH, has successfully integrated ultrasonic vibrations into industrially relevant deep drawing processes with cycle rates of up to 500 strokes per minute.

The facade defines the first impression of a building. Is it worth taking a closer look? Are there elements that set it apart from its (built) surroundings? Even small design accents can make the difference between 'attractive' and 'does not appeal to me.' The Fraunhofer IWU now offers a solution for architects and builders who seek equally appealing and cost-effective options: striking facade elements with reliefs that have nearly limitless shape and color possibilities and do not require expensive forming tools.

Fraunhofer Institutes for Machine Tools and Forming Technology IWU and for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials Research IFAM have made a breakthrough in materials research. The composite material HoverLIGHT sets new standards for the construction of machine tools: by combining aluminum foam and particle-filled hollow spheres, HoverLIGHT achieves an unprecedented combination of lightness, stiffness, and vibration damping. In a joint project with an industrial partner, the two Fraunhofer Institutes have demonstrated for the first time that HoverLIGHT can dampen vibrations in series machines by a factor of 3. All this comes with a weight saving of 20% compared to the original assembly.

Present-day medical procedures burden patients as little as possible. Surgeons should avoid damaging tissue on the precisely defined path to the site of surgical intervention, which is especially true for operations on sensitive organs such as the brain. For certain brain tumors, surgeons choose the gentlest access to the brain – through the nose. Here, state-of-the-art technology comes into play: it visualizes what the doctor cannot see from the outside. Precise, high-resolution image data of the patient, as provided by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), serves as a "map" for navigation; the operating surgeon sees this image data as a projection in data glasses. A central component, the handpiece for attaching the surgical instruments, is being developed and 3D-printed at the Fraunhofer IWU.

For 15 years now, researchers at the Dresden branch of the Fraunhofer IWU have been working on the additive technology LPBF (Laser Powder Bed Fusion), in which a laser beam melts metallic powder layer by layer locally at the points where the component grows. In this process, the entire physical and digital process chain must be mastered, to create a functioning component from powder. Adapted scanning strategies that define the sequence, length, alignment, and spacing of the laser paths are a promising approach for LPBF. They help to produce components that are more delicate, homogeneous, dimensionally accurate, and with improved surfaces.

Wire or Fiber Encapsulating Additive Manufacturing (WEAM/FEAM) could significantly simplify the industrial production of components that require the integration of complex yet compact wiring, sensors, actuators, or lighting systems – by directly printing these components into the parts. The FEAM process uses glass fibers instead of wires, which are coated with a polymer and applied to any substrate without affecting its optical properties. This technology enables the creation of customizable lighting elements, sensors, or data conductors on 2D or 3D surfaces. A new development at Fraunhofer IWU: the Automated Cable Assembly (AuCA). Conventional robotics fails to produce and automatically lay flexible cable bundles in vehicles; AuCA, however, manufactures the wiring using a robot-guided way on a component and fixes it with a polymer.

At the new SEAM Research Center, researchers aim to unlock the potential of Screw Extrusion Additive Manufacturing (SEAM) even further. Its centerpiece is Epic3D, a newly developed portal printer that enables the production of large-format plastic components. The continuous deposition process and stiffening structures ensure durable parts, making the technology ideal for producing custom-designed facade elements and other weather-resistant products for the construction industry.

The drive system of a rail vehicle is the largest energy consumer in operation, followed by the systems for temperature management of the passenger compartment and the drive system—regardless of the type of train propulsion. Batteries or fuel cells must be maintained at an optimal operating temperature in electrically powered trains without energy supply via overhead lines or third rails. Many rail operators are considering such trains for the nearly 40 percent of non-electrified tracks in Germany. The overall energy consumption in these trains significantly impacts range and potential operating times.

A book of success stories that inspires young women to take up mathematics, computer science, natural sciences and technology (STEM) with examples from science? That alone would not be enough for the Fraunhofer researchers Manja Mai-Ly Pfaff-Kastner, Esther Packullat, Dr. Isabel Michel, Lisa Martha Kunkel and Prof. Dr. Tanja Manuela Kneiske. »Forscherinnen im Fokus – Wir schaffen Veränderung« (Female Researchers in Focus – We Are Creating Change) wants more: to look at the world of artificial intelligence and simulation through the eyes of extraordinary female scientists and tell exciting, very personal stories in the process. ›Frau N. Hofer‹, as it is known for short, traces a variety of (life) paths in science and, in doing so, »incidentally« draws attention to fascinating opportunities for shaping the future, particularly in applied research.