Fraunhofer IFAM

In the Sustainable Powder-based Technologies department of the Fraunhofer-Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials IFAM in Bremen, we are mainly concerned with the development and adaptation of technologies for processing metallic powders. This includes quality assurance during and after processing using digital processes, among other things.

Powder metallurgical technologies offer unique opportunities for the development of sinter and composite materials with customized properties and property combinations. Sustainability is a very important point due to the tailored use of materials. The starting point for powder technological solutions is always the material. Since powders are used, sustainable and recycled materials can be selected and materials with the desired property profiles can be created by mixing powders. In this way, properties such as hardness, toughness, e-modulus, wear, and thermal expansion can be adapted to the requirements. The work of the institute varies from fundamental research to introduction of new products to the market. Cross-organizational IFAM is active in ensuring gender equality and equal treatment of all employees. To achieve and support these objectives it has already participated in various national and international projects and actions.

Important processes that we use and further develop at our department include injection molding, extrusion, additive manufacturing and other printing technologies. Powder technology is resource-efficient, in particular due to very little material waste and a correspondingly high utilization or transfer of the materials from the powder form into the component. Recycled materials can be used as raw materials for powders, a trend that absolutely must be strengthened in the course of the shortage of raw materials and in part appalling conditions in the extraction of raw materials. In this way, dependencies on local raw material sources can also be reduced.

However, particularly in the case of geometrically complex components, conventional manufacturing and joining processes can only be implemented at significant effort and expense. Fraunhofer IFAM is working on increasing the functional density in components. Assembly injection molding, melt-out cores for defined cavities, and porous combined with dense component segments increase the functionality and thus the market position of powder metallurgically produced components.

In terms of sustainability, we want to develop the powder metallurgical processes so that recycled materials and waste materials (such as metal dust produced in other processing operations) serve as the basis for the materials to be prepared. Digital process monitoring has a supporting and controlling function. The development of new and improved simulation tools makes it possible to optimize processes before the start of the process, but also during the process itself, e.g. with regard to certain quality windows or other target parameters such as economic efficiency.