Fraunhofer Institute for Machine Tools and Forming Technology
Fraunhofer Institute for Machine Tools and Forming Technology

Adaptronic components

Activating passive structures

Adaptronic offers solutions for the challenges in production technology by implementing highly integrated intelligent systems. The focus of developing and using adaptronic components lies on high-precision and simultaneously highly dynamic manufacturing plants and technologies. Objectives include reducing non-productive times, increasing drive dynamics by systematic lightweight construction and intelligent auxiliary components or opening up completely new processing technologies.

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Adaptronic components for production plants

  • Ball screw drive with shape memory actuator
  • Adaptronic compound table with micro contouring and micro structuring
  • Adaptronic form honing tool
  • Adaptive absorber
  • Functional extension of a serial milling center
  • Switching amplifier: rapid piezo-control with energy recovery
  • Intelligent sheet metal

Adaptronic components for automotive engineering

  • Tank cap
  • Engine hood

Adaptronic components for medical engineering

  • Stents
  • Endoscopes
  • Exoprosthetics and endoprosthetics
  • Orthopedic technology
  • Pedicle screws
  • Link to medical engineering

  • Actively influencing vibration behavior, noise radiation, contour and geometrical properties as well as damage tolerances of production systems and production conditions
  • Increasing precision of highly dynamic manufacturing plants and technologies
  • Implementing functions in machine components in a more robust, flexible, dynamic and exact manner
  • Increase in performance in automotive engineering, power engineering, machine and plant construction, railway vehicle manufacturing, medical engineering, structural engineering and building services
  • Ideal adaptation of adaptronic components to variable external conditions and the particular manufacturing task

  • Development and implementation of actuator-sensor components, based on
    • thermal and magnetic shape memory alloys
    • Piezoceramics
    • electro-active polymers
    • magnetorheological and electrorheological fluids
  • Market analyses and feasibility studies for adaptronic solutions
  • Functional and economic evaluation of adaptronic solutions

Demonstration units and test plants

  • Parallel kinematic test plant 3POD
  • Test plant for feed axes
  • biPOD parallel kinematics
  • Adaptive spindle holder for 3POD and 3-axis milling center
  • Active absorber for wind energy plants
  • ERF valve and MRF absorber
  • 5-axis machining center

Calculation and simulation

  • FE structural analysis (ANSYS, Pro/Mechanica, FEMtools)
  • Multi-body simulation (ITI SimulationX, Alaska, Pro/Mechanica, ANSYS)

Development and design of components

  • Design and construction of complex systems (CATIA, Pro/Engineer, AutoCAD & Inventor)

Control technology

  • Controller synthesis (Matlab, Simulink)
  • Rapid control prototyping systems (dSpace)
  • Control electronics for piezoceramics, ER/ MR fluids, thermal and magnetic shape memory alloys (SMA)

Metrology

  • 150 channel measurement system by Brüel&Kjaer PULSE
  • 48 channel mobile measurement system by LMS
  • 3D laser scanning vibrometer, rotation vibrometer
  • LaserTRACER
  • Sensors for force, pressure, temperature, AE and acceleration
  • Tekscan system (analysis of pressure distribution)