The bat is the godfather of digital transformation

Saving resources with the virtual paint lab

20-Oct-2022 - Digital simulations instead of trial and error: In the PaintVisco project, researchers at the IPA are modeling the development and processing of paints. The data for this is provided by a newly designed rheometer, which for the first time can be used to precisely measure the viscoelastic ...

Powered-up plastics

Sensors and orthoses are possible fields of application

23-Sep-2022 - Until now, it has not been possible to additively manufacture sensors and other electronic devices in a single operation. However, a research team from the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation IPA has now succeeded in doing just that. The key to this achievement? ...

Go-anywhere cleanroom

Portable system for contamination-free manufacturing

05-Mar-2019 - CAPE® is a transportable, tent-like cleanroom facility developed by researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation IPA. It can be installed both indoors and in unexposed outdoor locations, and takes less than an hour to set up. The inspiration for this ...

Paints and varnishes based on potato starch

Metal coating based on renewable raw materials

03-Jan-2018 - If a surface has to be protected against corrosion, in 80 percent of all cases this takes place through coating it with paints or varnishes. When doing so, the proportion of bio-based, environmentally-friendly solutions is extremely small. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied ...

Automation to ensure quality in 3D printing

30-Oct-2017 - The genuine hope for Industry 4.0 is pinned on 3D-printed parts, but there are still no quality standards in place for additive manufacturing. Fraunhofer IPA has developed an automated system that enables quality to be automatically checked during printing. Industry partners can test and further ...

Cleanroom on demand

31-Aug-2016 - “Clean Multipurpose Cover” is the world’s first flexible cleanroom system The smallest degree of contamination can lead to major quality issues across many industries. Should, for example, any impurities occur on microchips, space probes and lenses, this can lead to defects or faulty end ...

zwicki-Line materials testing machines receive clean-room capability certification

09-Dec-2009 - The Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology and Automation (IPA) in Stuttgart has carried out cleanliness tests and clean-room suitability tests on zwicki-Line universal testing machines. As a result of these tests, zwicki-Line materials testing machines may be used in clean rooms with ...