Archive

The use of combined heat and power (CHP) units has been promoted for decades because they generate both electricity and heat on site as required and can therefore make optimum use of the energy content of fuels. As with all combustion processes, however, this produces CO2, which contributes to global warming.

Better batteries for a greater range of electric vehicles – this is the goal of the “EMBATT-goes-FAB” project sponsored by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy. For that reason, the four project partners thyssenkrupp System Engineering GmbH, IAV GmbH, Daimler AG and the Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems IKTS are developing bipolar batteries and processes for their fabrication. Thanks to their unique stacked layout, a higher storage capacity and, ultimately, a greater range of the vehicle are achieved using the same surface area. The innovative battery technology will now be taken to the next level of maturity and thus one step closer to industrialization.

On November 14, 2018, the kick-off meeting for a German-Korean ZIM project took place in Hanover. Under the name "ImplantHoloCut", a test method for the immunobiological assessment of implant materials is to be developed over the next three years.

After a successful assessment center at the Federal Research Ministry the innovative regional growth center “smood” will now take up its work. In the next years, new products and services will be developed to energetically remodel an existing neighborhood. IKTS will conduct research into a decentralized storage system, which will store energy from renewable sources.

Bodo Ramelow, Thuringia’s Minister President was briefed on current research projects.

Extremely hard tools are required in forming technology, metal-cutting and process engineering. They are conventionally made by powder pressing. Although this achieves a high degree of hardness, it is often necessary to carry out a complex and therefore expensive post-processing. Additive manufacturing enables complex geometries, but has been limited in terms of hardness and component size so far. Researchers at the Fraunhofer IKTS in Dresden have now adapted the 3D printing process Fused Filament Fabrication for hardmetals. The development meets all requirements for the first time.

The increasing global demand for fish cannot be met in the long term without aquaculture. In order to maintain high quality standards, enormous quantities of fresh water have to be provided. In a joint project with partners from research and industry, Fraunhofer IKTS scientists have developed ceramic filtration systems that not only clean the water in aquacultures, but also adsorb disturbing odors and flavors.

On his summer tour through „digital Thuringia“ Wolfgang Tiefensee, Thuringian minister for economy, science, and digital society, visited the Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems IKTS.

In the future, closed carbon loops play an important role to drastically reduce carbon dioxide emissions and ensure safe and cost-effective access to carbon sources as the basis for products of the chemical industry. In order to increase the efficiency and thus profitability of the synthesis processes required for this, Fraunhofer IKTS has developed a new membrane reactor in cooperation with the Thuringian company MUW-SCREENTEC GmbH.

Pharmaceutical residues in waste water pose new challenges for municipal water treatment. Established methods are frequently found lacking when it comes to removing such substances. A treatment module developed at Fraunhofer IKTS provides a remedy and completely eliminates these harmful substances.

Fraunhofer signed a joint letter of intent in Lisbon yesterday with FCT (Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia), the Portuguese research funding agency. The letter lays out plans to advance the digitalization of agriculture and forestry, including using digital technologies to manage agricultural and forest areas more precisely and sustainably. A joint task force will be set up to develop potential application areas and scenarios.

The Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems IKTS, the Institute for Lightweight Engineering and Polymer Technology ILK of the Technische Universität Dresden, and the Korea Institute of Materials Science KIMS open a joint materials research center in Changwon, South Korea.

With thermally sprayed particle suspensions, previously unattained layer qualities can be achieved. The complete solution for surface finishing of heavily stressed components is now being put into practice by Fraunhofer researchers from Dresden. Industrial applications benefit from increased process stability and reliability.

Water is vital – therefore, waste water has to be cleaned as efficiently as possible. Ceramic membranes make this possible. Researchers from the Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems IKTS in Hermsdorf, Germany were able to significantly reduce the separation limits of these membranes and to reliably filter off dissolved organic molecules with a molar mass of only 200 Dalton. Even industrial sewage water can thus be cleaned efficiently.

From March 7–9, 2017, RSHM experts from Thailand, ASEAN and European countries exchanged knowledge on recent developments in RSHM technologies in a training workshop, organized by Thailand Institute of Scientific and Technological Research.

Congratulations to the winners! The award in the category “Innovation in Business” goes to iBULe Photonics from Korea for applications in ultrasonic testing.

For the very first time, Fraunhofer IKTS shows additively manufactured hardmetal tools at WorldPM 2016 in Hamburg. High mechanical and chemical as well as a high temperature resistance and extreme hardness are required for tools that are used in mechanical and automotive engineering or in the construction and forming industry. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems IKTS in Dresden managed the development of complex hardmetal tools via 3D printing in a quality that is in no way inferior to conventionally produced high-performance tools.

During the 6th International Congress on Ceramics (ICC6) in Dresden, international ceramic experts discussed the possibilities of high-performance ceramics for industrial applications.

Congratulations to the Fraunhofer Cluster 3D Integration! The Cluster has won the 2016 3D InCities Award as “Research Institute of the Year“.

The Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems IKTS develops application-specific solutions for ultrasonic testing. The systems of PCUS® pro family range from simple manual testing to fully automated ultrasonic testing. At the World Conference on Non-Destructive Testing (WCNDT) researchers of Fraunhofer IKTS present the new development PCUS® pro Array II, which is optimized for fast automated testing in metal processing as well as in the fields of railway and automotive, power plant or wind power technology.

The Laser Speckle Photometry (LSP) is a novel method for in-line monitoring of industrial processes and was developed at Fraunhofer IKTS. The robust and cost-effective system analyzes surface properties and draws conclusions on geometry, porosity, or surface defects of a variety of materials. From June 13 to 17, 2016, the system will be presented at the World Conference on Non-Destructive Testing (WCNDT).

The established methods for non-destructive testing of carbon fiber reinforced plastics (CFRP) separately provide only limited information about the material. Whether macroscopic properties, texture parameters or the state of the matrix material, none previously available test method alone can answer all questions. For a comprehensive examination of complex CFRP structures, the use of several different test methods is required. Together with the Bundeswehr Research Institute for Materials, Fuels and Lubricants (WIWeB) Fraunhofer IKTS is therefore working on the combination of different sensors and their measurement data to improve the informational value of non-destructive testing. Through this combination of ultrasonic, eddy current and infrared spectroscopy methods, a more meaningful test result is generated. Current examples of this “fusion” are demonstrated at the ILA Berlin 2016.

In the presence of the Saxon Prime Minister Stanislaw Tillich, the institute directors of both research institutions signed a memorandum of understanding on April 30, 2016. This cooperation declares the joint research and development work in the area of additive manufacturing of ceramics as well as the transfer of scientists, PhD candidates and students between Saxony and Singapore.

In future, tapes made of Low Temperature Co-fired Ceramics (LTCC) for the Heraeus series Heratape®CT 700 and CT 800 are cast for customer projects at the extended tape casting pilot plant at Fraunhofer IKTS in Hermsdorf, Germany. As a result, these tapes are available again for users in the usual quality.

Fraunhofer researchers have developed a particulary flexible additive manufacturing method that allows them to produce bone implants, dentures, surgical tools, or microreactors in almost any conceivable design. At the Medtec medical technology tradeshow in Stuttgart, the scientists from Dresden will show their research results.

Gear wheel, valve, seal – the performance of a plant depends on the resistance of the used components. Ceramic materials are known for their exceptional wear resistance. At Fraunhofer IKTS, users find the key to the competitive advantage in mechanical and plant engineering.

Researchers at the Fraunhofer IKTS developed a robust solution for the individual identification of components and products. It is resistant against extreme environmental influences, can be applied within seconds and read-out reliably.

Where conventional materials reach their limits, ceramics can display their excellent properties. Functional ceramics – so-called thermoelectric materials – can convert waste heat directly into electricity, for example, in high-temperature processes.

Offshore wind turbines have to take a lot of punishment, and this is particularly true for their foundations, which are anchored in the seabed. In the future, periodically inspections will be faster and easier to carry out thanks to a new sensor ring.

Development of a new Li-ion battery generation for the direct embedding into the chassis of electric vehicles – joint project “EMBATT” of thyssenkrupp System Engineering GmbH, IAV GmbH and Fraunhofer IKTS starts