Adhesive bonding has enormous technological benefits when bonding processes are performed effectively. The key to the latter is quality workforce training – something the Training Center for Adhesive Bonding Technology at Fraunhofer IFAM has provided for more than two decades. The Workforce Training and Technology Transfer department at Fraunhofer IFAM has been led by Prof. Dr. Andreas Groß since 1994 and incorporates the Training Center for Adhesive Bonding Technology as an accredited training organization. Worldwide more than a thousand people are now being trained every year. During the recent 17th Bremen Bonding Days the ten thousandth course participant was honored by Andreas Groß and Dr. Erik Meiß, Head of the Training Center for Adhesive Bonding Technology.

Adhesive bonding know-how for manufacturing bonded joints that meet the highest safety requirements

European Adhesive Engineer to be, Marco Molisse, has double reason to be pleased – not only due to the comprehensive knowledge of adhesive bonding he is acquiring but also due to being the ten thousandth course participant in Bremen. At the end of his course the employee of BSH Hausgeräte GmbH will receive a DVS^©/EWF certificate. According to Molisse "the aim of the company is to have two employees trained in accordance with DVS^©/EWF guidelines at each global location of the BSH Product Group Kochen in order to meet the requirements for DIN 2304 certification.“ After completing his course he will act as a deputy supervisor in charge of adhesive bonding work for manufacturing bonded joints that meet the highest safety requirements. Molisse stresses that both employers and employees benefit equally from the training course.

Training in adhesive bonding technology promotes innovation in many sectors of industry

Companies in many other industries are also benefiting from the range of courses offered by Fraunhofer IFAM. For Lars Engel, Managing Director of GL Yachtverglasung GmbH, the decision to send his staff to Fraunhofer IFAM in Bremen for training was absolutely right: "Our company was the first anywhere in the world to achieve certification in accordance with the adhesive bonding quality standard DIN 2304. A decisive factor was that we were able to verify the quality of the training qualifications. Without this we would not have been able to start the procedure for DIN 2304 certification". DIN 2304 certification - and hence proof of having staff with training qualifications in adhesive bonding technology, is now often demanded by him and his company to finalize a contract.

For Florian Roncossek, Group Leader for Adhesive Bonding Technology and the supervisor in charge of adhesive bonding work at ALSTOM Transport Deutschland GmbH in Salzgitter, adhesives are now absolutely vital for the manufacture of modern rail vehicles. He points out that the training qualifications of the ALSTOM employees are the key for meeting the high safety and quality standards for passenger transport vehicles. "For this reason, comprehensive training and follow-up training in the area of adhesive bonding is a central aspect of our company philosophy. In Salzgitter we currently have about 300 personnel with qualifications in adhesive bonding and in the future they will continuously undergo follow-up training", says Florian Roncossek.

Training in adhesive bonding technology is also beneficial for adhesive manufacturers. For example, WEICON GmbH & Co. KG, a medium-sized adhesive manufacturer in Münster, has had more than half of the company's employees trained at Fraunhofer IFAM – including from subsidiaries in other countries. Ralph Weidling, WEICON Managing Director, explains: "Due to this training and hence our expertise in adhesive bonding we have built up a very good reputation in all sectors and this has had an extremely positive influence on the success of our company. Moreover, the training of our workforce has allowed us to preempt the looming general shortage of technical employees in industry and so safeguard the future of our company".