Business unit Manufacturing technology

Fraunhofer Institute for Mechanics of Materials IWM

© Fraunhofer IWM

Profile of business unit

We offer investigations and technological developments concerning the manufacture of components with functional properties, as well as analyses and optimizations through computer-aided material modeling.

The business unit focusses on materials processing, precision forming, casting, embossing and molding processes as well as on coatings and material systems like hard materials, glasses, optically functional materials, semi-conductor materials and ferroelectrics.

Range of services

  • Development of low-damage separating processes for glasses, particularly for architecture and medical applications.
  • Coatings for precision tools to enable new manufacturing technologies: molding, casting and embossing techniques, high precision reaming.
  • Functionalization of surfaces with via coatings and structurizations.
  • Process developments for the generation of high quality glass and plastic products using rapid hot embossing and injection moulding techniques.
  • Evaluation of material's strength, fracture toughness and prediction of lifetime of brittle materials.
  • Simulation of powder technology processes and process chains with microstructure-based models.
  • Application of atomistic methods - from molecular dynamics to density functional theory - to bulk interfaces and functional materials.