Press releases 2015

Within the joint project “EUV-projection optics for 14 nanometer resolution (ETIK)“, funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research, Fraunhofer IWS scientists achieved substantial progress in the research of reflection layers for extreme ultraviolet radiation. The extraordinary result is the new world record for the reflectance value and directly implies the increased productivity of EUV lithography systems. In addition, further layer properties could be significantly improved, so that they now enable the application of EUV mirrors for higher numerical aperture at simultaneously lower scattered radiation.

The Fraunhofer-Institut für Werkstoff- und Strahltechnik IWS Dresden along with ten further industrial and scientific research partners receive a € 7.2 million funding grant from the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi). The Ministry supports the research project, which focusses on energy reduction in dry and minimal-lubricated tribological systems. The alliance is developing material solutions for friction-reducing effects within the next three years.

Diamonds are rapidly emerging as one of the most exciting materials on earth, with technical applications that can take electrical, mechanical, thermal, and other properties to industry extremes. Likewise, new coatings technologies can deposit thin film materials that improve wear and corrosion resistance, and create new functionalities. Research advances in both fields are about to shine with the establishment of the Michigan State University-Fraunhofer Center for Coatings and Diamond Technologies.

The intensive research work of the Fraunhofer-Institut für Werkstoff- und Strahltechnik IWS Dresden with respect to the reduction of the manufacturing costs in the field of battery cells fabrication has again provided impressive results. Within the framework of the research project DryLIZ , funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (project number 02PJ2302) our scientists once again succeeded in reducing the processing time and costs for the electrode packaging process.

The Fraunhofer-Institut für Werkstoff- und Strahltechnik IWS is receiving an EU grant for a Marie Sklodowska-Curie project titled 'Laser4Fun' involving the machining of surfaces with lasers. Researchers of the Fraunhofer IWS are becoming increasingly successful in adding a particular function to an existing surface using direct laser interference patterning (DLIP). This results, for example, in bacteria-free medical equipment in hospitals, or water and oil repellent products in the packaging industry.

Als eines der führenden Laseranwendungsinstitute der Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft verstärkt das Fraunhofer IWS seine Aktivitäten auf dem Gebiet des Faserverbund-Leichtbaus. Ein Grund mehr, sich auf der diesjährigen „Composites Europe“ - Messe zu präsentieren. Besonderer Anziehungspunkt für die Besucher wird dabei das Hochgeschwindigkeitsfügen von thermoplastischen Polymeren durch den Einsatz von Reaktiv-Folien sein.

Material fatigue, a gradually progressing damage process, occurs under particular environmental influences, such as mechanical load, altering temperatures, UV-radiation or the influence of a corrosive medium. A static load which does not cause damage in an individual case may cause a component’s total failure under repeated strain. The following question occurs often: How many repetitions can a component bear? Or: How must the component be designed so that it can bear limitless cycles, that is, to be of everlasting fatigue strength. In cooperation with the company Russenberger Prüfmaschinen Fraunhofer IWS scientists have implemented the latest generation of a resonance pulsator the “RUMUL-GIGAFORTE”. The electro-magnetically driven resonance pulse test unit enables a test frequency of about 1000 Hz and thus decisively reduces the measuring time for the detection of fatigue strength.

Wear-reducing PVD-coatings have been successfully applied in the machining, forming and plastics engineering sector for decades. Many applications do not require thicknesses of more than 3 - 5 µm. Thick hard wear protective coatings, however, offer a better protection than thin coatings do. On the other hand, their fabrication of thick hard coatings is considerably difficult. Experts of the Fraunhofer IWS Dresden are going to present a novel approach which enables a fabrication of hard coatings in a thickness range of more than 100 µm. The IWS approach offers very promising perspectives for, in particular the tool making industry.

Fraunhofer IWS scientists have developed an n-type conductive polymer, which shows an electrical conductivity of more than one order of magnitude higher than conventional n-type conductive polymers. These novel polymers open up completely new perspectives for applications in the field of flexible, organic electronics.

Coating engine components with hard carbon reduces friction to almost zero – a development that could save billions of liters of fuel worldwide every year. Now researchers have developed a new laser method to apply the coating on the production line.

Scientists of the Fraunhofer IWS Dresden in cooperation with an industrial partner have developed a new technique for the welding of die-cast aluminum components and have managed to transfer it into series production. For the very first time, a weld joint, which is characterized by extremely low porosity and strongly reduced distortion, is generated with the help of brilliant laser radiation and high-frequency oscillation. Furthermore the component’s distortion is extremely low because of the concentrated, locally limited heat input. Traditional laser beam welding procedures cannot assure this high quality.

At this year’s LASER World of PHOTONICS in Munich the Fraunhofer IWS Dresden and Laserline GmbH, Mülheim-Kärlich will, for the very first time, present the wire processing optics, which has been qualified for the applica-tion with a high power diode laser for three-dimensional build-up welding and additive manufacturing tasks. With up to 5 kW laser power and a wire diameter of between 0.6 mm und 1.6 mm components can be large-area coated and generated in a three-dimensional manner. Build-up rates of up to 250 cm³/h are possible due to the modified optics.

Silicon micromirrors can guide laser beams at extremely high speeds, allowing operators to dose heat input to workpieces with absolute precision. But to date they have not been robust enough to be used for laser cutting and welding. Now a Fraunhofer team has managed to develop fast, durable mirrors that are capable of performing challenging cutting and welding tasks. During the LASER World of Photonics trade show from June 22 to 25, 2015 in Munich, the researchers will be presenting several of these MEMS mirrors (Hall B3, Booth 341 and Hall A3, Booth 121).

By creating artificial patterns on component surfaces on a micrometer and submicrometer scale, it is possible to improve the mechanical, biological and/or optical properties of components in a way that benefits specific applications. In recent years, we have seen a major boost in efforts to find the best ways of applying these kinds of patterns. The Fraunhofer IWS Dresden, which develops modular laser systems for high-speed laser patterning, has now set a new world record in this field. For the first time, scientists succeeded in achieving an effective patterning speed of 0.7 m²/min while micropatterning a polymer surface.

Prof. Christoph Leyens, manager of the business units "Thermal Surface Technology" and "Additive Manufacturing and Printing" at the Fraunhofer IWS Dresden and Director of the Institute for Material Science at the TU Dresden has been elected the new spokesman of the thematic network MatWerk of the National Academy of Science and Engineering (acatech). He still has to be formally appointed by the acatech committee. Prof. Leyens succeeds Prof. Christina Berger, TU Darmstadt , who will remain active as Deputy Speaker.

The Association of Laser Users (AILU) honored Prof. Dr.-Ing. Eckhard Beyer for his extraordinary achievements in the field of industrial laser materials processing with the AILU International Award 2015. The Executive Director of the Fraunhofer-Institut für Werkstoff- und Strahltechnik IWS Dresden and Director of the Institute of Manufacturing Technology at the Technische Universität Dresden has supported the AILU as an active member for many years.

Für Anwendungen im Hochtemperaturbereich, beispielsweise bei stationären Gasturbinen oder Strahltriebwerken, sind Hochleistungswerkstoffe unabdingbar. Diese gewährleisten bei Einsatztemperaturen oberhalb 700 °C eine ausreichende Warmfestigkeit, Oxidations- und Korrosionsbeständigkeit sowie optimale Kriech- und Relaxationseigenschaften. Das Fraunhofer IWS in Dresden hat eine Technologie entwickelt, um Bauteile aus solchen hochwarmfesten Legierungen schnell und kostengünstig durch additiv-generative Fertigung herzustellen oder verschlissene Bauteile durch partiellen Schweißauftrag wieder zu ertüchtigen.

Mit der LARGE-Plasmatechnologie vom Fraunhofer IWS ist eine Plasmabehandlung nicht mehr nur in Spotgrößen von wenigen Zentimetern möglich. Das IWS bietet die flächige Oberflächenbehandlung mit einem Plasmafächer von bis zu 350 mm Breite. Mit dem "Mobilen LARGE" steht dem Anwender erstmalig eine LARGE-Plasmaquelle für den Einsatz dieser Technologie vor Ort zur Verfügung.

In January 2015 the EU funded project ALABO has started in collaboration with Fraunhofer IWS and Heliatek GmbH, the leading manufacturer of organic solar foils. Goal of the EU project is the cost-efficient production of large-scale, light-weight and flexible photovoltaic foils which are meant to have a clear improved long-term stability.

In medical research, animal-based experiments have thus far been a necessary evil. Fraunhofer researchers have developed a highly promising alternative, however: They are developing a mini-organism inside a chip. This way, complex metabolic processes within the human body can be analyzed realistically.