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The scarcity of raw materials poses severe challenges to global industries. Recycling and the increased use of secondary raw materials have become essential for many companies. At the same time, rising raw material prices and uncertainties in supply chains are driving further research into materials. The Fraunhofer Institute for Material and Beam Technology IWS in Dresden is now involved in a new Fraunhofer flagship project, which aims to ensure the supply of structurally and functionally secure materials, particularly for the energy transition.

The development of a continuous process chain for the sinter-based additive manufacturing of nickel-based alloys is at the center of the “Simsalabim” project. The Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials IFAM in Dresden together with the Dresden University of Applied Sciences (HTW) and the Fraunhofer Institute for Material and Beam Technology IWS are addressing all steps from design and sintering simulation through to verification on real parts. The requirements of the industrial manufacturers and endusers are incorporated through close exchange of feedback.

Making harvesting robots, submarine grippers, and autonomous rovers on distant planets more universally applicable and autonomous in the future – researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Material and Beam Technology IWS in Dresden work on enabling them to “feel”: In various projects, they are working with academic and industrial partners on biomimetic artificial grippers. Combining 3D and dispensing printing with other technologies shall achieve this – fish also have a major influence.

Prof. Dr. Andrés Fabián Lasagni has been elected as a member of Wissenschaftliche Gesellschaft für Lasertechnik e. V. (WLT). The election occurred during the society's recent general meeting, recognizing his pioneering work in laser-based manufacturing and his role in advancing sustainable technologies. Prof. Lasagni is the Chair of Laser-Based Manufacturing at the Institute for Manufacturing Science and Engineering at Dresden University of Technology and the Director of the Center for Advanced Micro-Photonics (CAMP) at Fraunhofer IWS.