Innovative processes for plastics processing
The “Fraunhofer Plastics Technology Center Oberlausitz” at our site in Zittau manufactures plastic components based on rapid prototyping (RP) and rapid manufacturing (RM), starting with first drafts to functional prototypes up to employable products.
Additive manufacturing of plastic components takes place by laser sintering and processes of molten layers, with research focusing on material development, increase in efficiency and saving resources. Moreover, in addition to functionalization of RP components, it is possible to redesign products for optimal use of the RP resources, to determine characteristic values depending on the construction process, to use rapid tooling, to implement functional integration and lightweight construction by applying 3D digitalization.
A particular focus lies on the development of defined material and component properties depending on the process parameters.