R & D

Ultrashort pulse lasers, abbreviated as USP lasers, have been a hot topic in precision material processing for years. The USP workshop in Aachen is the meeting point for the steadily growing community to exchange information about the latest developments.

To ensure its delivery capability at all times, sheet metal all-rounder KWM Weisshaar subjected its production warehouse KASTO UNIGRIP to a retrofit after 17 years.

With synchrotron radiation, welding processes can be observed in detail like never before – live and in real-time! Researchers from the Fraunhofer ILT and the RWTH Aachen – Chair of Laser Technology are working at DESY to make steam bubbles, melting movements, and defects visible. Their findings optimize battery and microelectronics production and pave the way for new materials.

New paths in battery manufacturing from raw material processing to recycling

Dr. Jochen Stollenwerk takes over as interim director.

German mechanical engineering often operates completely outdated painting systems or relies on external contract coaters. To increase flexibility, efficiency, and resilience, the industry should invest in future-proof systems.

In the VibroDraw process, Fraunhofer IWU, together with MARK Metallwarenfabrik GmbH and DEVAD GmbH, has succeeded in effectively coupling ultrasonic vibrations into industrially relevant deep drawing processes with cycle rates of up to 500 strokes per minute.

More efficient and brighter diode lasers thanks to fiber Bragg gratings

Milling Meeting, Eroding Meeting and Practical Forum 'Additive Manufacturing' in June 2025

In the research project HyCoFC, industry and research partners are collaborating to develop bipolar plates for durable, cost-effective, and high-performance fuel cells specifically for heavy-duty applications.