Press releases

Since 2002, the Fraunhofer Institute for Structural Durability and System Reliability LBF has been granting the Ernst Gaßner Award for outstanding achievements in structural durability. The award honors experts for exceptional contributions in the development of safety-relevant, reliable lightweight components. This year, the seventh award ceremony saw the Darmstadt-based institute honor two winners: Dr. Yung-Li Lee, Fiat Chrysler Automobiles N.V. (FCA) in Auburn Hills, MI-USA, and Bruno Seufert, Daimler AG in Sindelfingen, Germany.

Ultra-high-strength aluminium alloys are the future of lightweight construction in conventional and e-mobility. The Fraunhofer Institute for Structural Durability and System Reliability (LBF) and its research partners are developing resource-optimized process technologies within the framework of ALLEGRO, the central project of LOEWE – Landes-Offensive zur Entwicklung Wissenschaftlich-ökonomischer Exzellenz (State Offensive for the Development of Scientifically Economic Excellence), with which local component properties can be adjusted to meet future requirements. The scientists evaluate the entire process chain in order to optimize it economically and ecologically and to enable a more sustainable product design.

Many modern plastic materials do not come without added flame protection. When developing new plastic compositions of this kind, the aim is to achieve an optimum combination of flame retardancy, processability and mechanical properties. Scientists from the Fraunhofer Institute for Structural Durability and System Reliability LBF and the Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und – prüfung (BAM) have demonstrated how this objective can be achieved more quickly. The researchers are proposing both accelerated procedures in processing and in the characterisation of fire behaviour. The numerous investigations within the scope of the research project entitled ‘Rapid Development of Flame Retarded Thermoplastic Polyurethane’ have generated valuable data. A particular application of these data is for medium-sized businesses to optimise their already existing or the development of new flameretardant formulations in the future. The results of the project thus contribute to safe products on the market. Fraunhofer LBF will be presenting more about flame retardants at the "K" trade fair from October 16 to 23, 2019 at Plastics Europe in Hall 7 SC 09.

Numerical simulations have massively accelerated product development over the past few decades. A variety of scenarios can be tested in a short time and the number of necessary prototypes has been steadily reduced. Nevertheless, physical tests are widespread and will not lose significance over the next few decades. Numerical models must be validated and approval testing must be carried out. Depending on the modeling complexity, the physical test can also be more cost-efficient. In the recently completed project “Digitization in Testing Technology”, scientists from the Fraunhofer Institute for Structural Durability and System Reliability LBF addressed the question of how physical testing can benefit from methods from the numerical world. What is the optimal combination of real and virtual world? Tunable test rig components and a mechanical hardware-in-the-loop approach have been developed. They make it possible for mechanical parameters such as stiffness rubber mount properties and structural dynamic effects to be set quickly and without modifications to the test rig. This facilitates rapid parameter variations to the test rig and further provides a new, energy-efficient interface between numerical real-time simulation and testing bench. The Fraunhofer LBF will present the results at the Automotive Testing Expo in Stuttgart from May 21-23, 2019 in hall 8, booth 8052.

In times of impending bans for diesel and generally internal combustion engine (ICE) vehicles, battery electric vehicles (BEVs) are becoming increasingly interesting for buyers, especially in urban environments. Boosting battery capacities enable longer travels, however driving range of EVs varies especially at low ambient temperatures. Within the EU project “OPTEMUS” (Optimized Energy Management and Use), a large number of efficiency-enhancing technologies were therefore developed and holistically linked, in particular to reduce the range variation of a Fiat 500e EV. This includes a traction battery with thermal storage capacity, which the Fraunhofer Institute for Structural Durability and System Reliability LBF has developed with partners. The focus is on a novel sandwich battery housing made of continuous fibre reinforced thermoplastics (CFRTP), which helps to insulate stored heat in the traction battery for preconditioning. Fraunhofer LBF will present its research results from 12 to 14 March 2019 at the JEC trade fair in Paris at the Hessen joint exhibition in Hall 5, booth G71. More information is available at www.lbf.fraunhofer.de/jec2019

Biomimetic hull coatings, radar detection of shipwreck victims, innovative robots with intelligent sensor guidance for shipbuilding – just a few of the many developments that Fraunhofer scientists will be presenting at the Fraunhofer joint booth in Hall B6, Booth 319.

The use of composite materials for ground transportation will be in the spotlight at an upcoming JEC event, “The Future of Composites in Transportation”, on June 27 and 28, 2018 in Chicago. For the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT in Aachen, a highlight at the event will be receiving the “Future of Composites in Transportation 2018 Innovation Award” in the category “Passenger Cars”. This accolade honors the development of a hybrid roof bow in collaboration with Weber Fibertech GmbH, Werkzeugbau Siegfried Hofmann GmbH, Fraunhofer Institute for Structural Durability and System Reliability LBF, SCANLAB GmbH and the BMW Group. In short, this component demonstrates successful implementation of laser processes in lightweight production.

Already today modern production systems can communicate with their surroundings and manage themselves. Industry 4.0 is on the rise and cyber-physical systems (CPS) are the essential components of this development. Intelligent sensors for monitoring and controlling production processes ensure that connected work processes can run reliably. Scientists at Fraunhofer LBF have used these technologies as part of the "ImProcess4.0" project and developed an intelligent sensor node-based monitoring and optimization system for production lines using twin-screw extruders. With this sensor system unfavorable operating conditions or fluctuations in material properties can be detected, thus minimizing the occurrence of faulty batches or machine failures. It opens chances for predicted maintenance in production processes and thus stand still times will be reduced.

The new research project, UpcyclePET, is developing an innovative process for high quality cycle utilization of polyethylene terephthalate (PET). This research project enables the recovery of PET waste from plastic bottles to be used in high-grade industrial applications, and it targets to reduce the use of new polyamide-based plastic parts. The project team consists of the company EASICOMP GmbH, the Fraunhofer Institute for Structural Durability and System Reliability LBF, and the Institute for Applied Ecology (Öko-Institut e.V.).

Plastics are conquering the earth - unfortunately not always to the earth’s advantage, as indicated by the increasing reports on plastic waste. Two studies by the Fraunhofer Institute for Structural Durability and System Reliability LBF, on the other hand, demonstrate that upcycling of PET bottles and the recycling of flame-retardant plastics are worthwhile both for economic reasons and for protecting the environment. Further details on these studies will be presented at the Compounding World Expo 2018 in Essen, from June 27 to June 28, at booth 707. Another main focus will be on new procedures in process technology, under the keyword Industry 4.0. A monitoring system that is based on intelligent sensor nodes, for example for a twin-screw extruder, ensures that networked work processes run reliably. With another patented procedure, the corrosiveness of plastic melts can be determined quickly, which also helps to prevent downtime in the future.