Technologies

Building blocks from nature that have already been perfected through evolution are ideally suited for developing new materials and surfaces with different functionalities. These can be antimicrobial, biocompatible or biodegradable, for example, depending on the requirements. As an institute focusing on adhesion and surface technology, our goal is to generate properties that are required for specific applications with respect to adhesion. In doing so, we work primarily with classical building blocks from nature such as sugars, fats and proteins and biobased polymers derived from them.

The development and evaluation of customized materials and adhesives is a central focus of our institute's work. Adhesives as composite materials play a major role in this. The outstanding properties of these adhesives are due to the fact that the composite has different properties than the individual components. This is also where the great potential lies, because there is a wide range of raw materials that - cleverly formulated - can optimize the final properties of an adhesive. This gives the adhesive certain properties, such as electrical or thermal conductivity, toughness, flame retardancy and also recyclability, which is increasingly in focus.

Increasing demands on productivity, resource efficiency and health protection require very special adhesives for many applications. This requires special formulations that are often not yet available on the market. This is where we are the right development partner. The focus of our R&D work is on harnessing novel raw materials for adhesives with previously unattainable properties, such as debonding on demand or extreme fast curing. The issue of sustainability is also becoming increasingly important for companies. Here we focus on the use of renewable and toxicologically safe raw materials in reactive polymer systems.

PLAQUE AND PROLIFERATION ASSAYS FOR EFFICACY TESTING OF ANTIBACTERIAL AND ANTIVIRAL SURFACES AND COATINGS | Multi-resistant germs have been a serious problem in healthcare for years. Covid-19, an infectious disease caused by SARS-CoV2, made the concepts of hygiene and disinfection an everyday topic around the world. Consequently, the need for antimicrobial technologies (antimicrobial coatings, UV disinfection) increased in many entrepreneurial sectors, including healthcare, automotive, construction, and public transportation. This wide range of applications presents different technological challenges. Fraunhofer IFAM therefore tests antimicrobial efficacy against model viruses, bacteria, and fungi according to customer-specific requirements.

Corrosion is one of the greatest challenges for industry, infrastructure, and the environment. According to DIN EN ISO 8044:2025, corrosion is defined as the “chemical or electrochemical interaction between a material, usually a metal, and its environment.” This interaction can lead to material damage, functional failure, and enormous economic costs. In industrialized nations, 3-4% of gross domestic product is lost annually due to corrosion damage. The fact is that most of this corrosion damage could be avoided if existing knowledge were applied properly. Fraunhofer IFAM offers comprehensive solutions for corrosion protection, testing methods, and damage analysis – scientifically sound and accredited.

Functional coatings for exterior applications face a variety of requirements to ensure the functionality and safety of equipment. External influences such as ice formation and erosion pose a major challenge, as they can compromise safety and lead to high repair and maintenance costs. To reduce these effects, Fraunhofer IFAM develops innovative coating technologies. The focus is particularly on ice-repellent coatings, heating layers for de-icing and erosion protection layers.

The machining of large components by huge machining centers is often a bottleneck in production. In this case, process control is spatially limited to the size of the plant and restricted in flexibility by the design principle. This is avoided by using mobile industrial robots (IR). Moreover, when using CNC-controlled robots, existing programs can continue to be used. The disadvantage of conventional IRs, however, is their lower accuracy compared to a processing machine, which has so far not allowed the required processing tolerances to be maintained.

Fraunhofer IFAM has now developed a novel solution for the dynamic improvement of the kinematics: the hybrid drive for industrial robots.

The combination of serial kinematics with external linear axes results in versatile and adaptable machine concepts for manufacturing, even for the production of large components.

INNOVATIVE SOLUTIONS FOR SUSTAINABLE COOLING TECHNOLOGIES | Magnetocaloric cooling systems offer industry a pioneering alternative to conventional compression refrigeration machines – technologically innovative, economically attractive, and ecologically sound. Instead of conventional refrigerants, these systems use the magnetocaloric effect: By making targeted changes to the magnetic field in specially developed materials, cold can be generated efficiently and in a controlled manner – without the use of fluorinated greenhouse gases.