Technologies

We cover the complete value chain for the additive processes we have available at Fraunhofer IFAM – from the creation of 3D data models, through manufacturing, to final processing and inspection of the components.

Atmospheric pressure (AP) plasma can be used to clean, activate and coat surfaces efficiently and in an environmentally friendly manner. In industry, the process has now become established for pretreating surfaces prior to bonding, printing and painting processes in order to reduce the use of solvents (VOCs). In addition, the plasma-polymer nanolayers are used in production as corrosion protection, for environmentally friendly adhesion, for electrical insulation, or as a permanent hydrophobic release layer. Fraunhofer IFAM develops customized solutions using adapted processes and coatings with AP plasma for a wide range of applications.

Non-stick coatings have been among the most popular coatings for cookware such as pans, casseroles or cutlery for decades due to their ease of use and cleaning. Common nonstick coatings are made with a PTFE or sol-gel base. However, PTFE-type coatings face a ban in the near future due to possible PFAS restrictions by the EU. In addition, these coatings have only limited durability and lose their non-stick effect over time. In addition, they are not very stable mechanically and have to be baked in an oven, which involves high energy consumption. New, sustainable solutions with good non-stick properties are therefore needed. Researchers at Fraunhofer IFAM have developed PLASLON® coating, a PFAS-free alternative, which is characterized by its excellent non-stick properties in combination with its high durability.

INLINE-BLASTING PROCESSES FOR CLEANING, ACTIVATION AND REPAIR OF SURFACES | Classical compressed air blasting requires the use of blasting booths or complex temporary protective measures to clean surfaces or remove coatings. Much simpler is to use compact and mobile vacuum suction blasting prior to, for example, adhesive bonding, painting/lacquering, coating, or repair work. In this method an industrial vacuum system generates a reduced pressure in a closed head through which the abrasive is accelerated onto the surface and after the blasting process is immediately extracted again. This means that dust-free blasting processes can even be performed in-line under sensitive production conditions.

Laser Powder Bed Fusion is a powder bed based additive manufacturing process that is most widely used in the industry. The Fraunhofer IFAM deals with material and process development along the entire process chain of laser beam melting. Our powder analytics can be used to characterize the flow behavior and packing behavior of the raw material powder, which significantly influence the construction parameters. The complete parameter development for various materials (titanium, aluminum or steel alloys) is carried out at Fraunhofer IFAM.

The production of complex components by means of metal binder jetting is becoming relevant for more and more areas of application, such as automotive engineering or toolmaking. The process stands out from other 3D printing methods due to high process speeds, low material costs and an enormously wide range of materials.

NON-STICK COATINGS KEEP SURFACES CLEAN | Clean surfaces are essential in the processing industry. Plasma polymer easy-to-clean coatings offer ideal conditions for significantly reducing contamination on surfaces and facilitating their cleaning. In addition to their outstanding non-stick properties, the coatings are characterized by their low thickness, transparency and excellent adhesion to a wide range of substrate materials. Due to their chemical resistance, they also protect against corrosion and wear. The high temperature and hot steam resistance also allows their use in the field of hot steam sterilization. At Fraunhofer IFAM, various easy-to-clean coatings are being developed and brought to industrial application, e.g. for easy paint stripping or for food processing.

MODIFYING AND COATING SURFACES COST-EFFECTIVELY WITH LOW-PRESSURE PLASMA | Low-pressure plasma offers a wide variety of surface modification options. They range from activation and fine cleaning to customized functional coatings. Low-pressure plasma processes are characterized by low costs, minimal material consumption and high process reliability. Another advantage of this process technology is its adaptability to product changes. For example, material or geometry changes can be implemented quickly and easily. The use of large-volume systems also makes it possible to treat a large number of components simultaneously, so that the total cost of ownership (TCO) is low.

TARGETED PRODUCT IMPROVEMENTS BASED ON IN-DEPTH KNOWLEDGE OF FRICTION AND WEAR | Whether motors and pumps as a whole or their seals - almost every application product is affected by friction and wear. The consequences are high energy losses and a shortened service life of the products. To counteract this, Fraunhofer IFAM is working intensively on tribology, i.e. the question of how friction and wear can be reduced or how lubrication between components can be improved. This is because these factors are directly influenced by various things such as material selection, surface coating, or contact geometry. With its broad spectrum of competencies in the fields of materials research, coating technology and analytics, the institute offers ideal conditions for developing holistic tribological solutions.

CLEANING AND FUNCTIONALIZING SURFACES WITH LIGHT - FOR THE BENEFIT OF THE ENVIRONMENT | Clean, modified surfaces form the basis for long-term stable bonding and painting. Surface treatment by laser offers many advantages over other processes: Not only are the surfaces cleaned, but in a one-step process, the topography and chemistry are adjusted in parallel according to individual requirements. And the technology is environmentally friendly, resource-efficient and in a compact design that can be easily integrated into existing process chains.