Fraunhofer Institute for Material and Beam Technology IWSPlasma source for the modification of large area surfaces in the aerospace industry
The Fraunhofer IWS research group “Plasma Technologies and Nanomaterials” develops atmospheric pressure plasma surface functionalization technologies for titanium alloys and fiberpolymer composites. One of their products is the LARGE (Long Arc Generator) plasma source, which was developed within collaborative projects funded by the European Union and is now ready for the market. Since April 2015 a 150 mm LARGE plasma source has been in use at the Airbus company to deposit adhesion promoters on titanium and to plasma activate CFRP materials. Both material classes are important in aerospace technology and can now be plasma-processed to pre-prepare them for subsequent adhesive bonding.