Fraunhofer Institute for Production Systems and Design Technology
Fraunhofer Institute for Production Systems and Design Technology

Manufacturing and Production in the Automotive Industry

Your challenges and our solutions

100 Percent Burr-free Machining

© Adobe Stock

Burrs during chip removal / cutting

Avoid burrs by optimizing processes or remove them afterwards using individual process solutions. 

Our Solution

  • Analysis and evaluation of influencing and disturbance variables in burr formation in sub-processes and process chains
  • Optimized manufacturing technologies for mechanical processing
  • Machine-specific implementation without cycle time increase
  • Geometry- and component-specific design of additional process steps such as free abrasive cutting, abrasive flow machining, abrasive brushing, etc.

Your Benefits

  • Efficient machining processes without burr formation – 100 percent burr-free
  • High edge quality with and without edge breakage
  • Reduced costs for component inspection and finishing
 

Your contact

Dr.-Ing. Christian Schmiedel

Research Assistant Manufacturing Technologies department

 

Phone +49 30 39006-353

Send e-mail

100 Percent Reliable Chip Removal

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Contamination and chips on the component

We develop individual cleaning strategies for each customer to remove production residues on surfaces and internal structures.

Our Solution

  • Reproduction of the original geometry by means of additive manufacturing, considering the use of measuring equipment and inspection windows
  • Use of experimental investigations with high-speed recordings as well as simulative solution approaches
  • Development of customer-specific washing regimes and nozzle geometries

 

Your Benefits

  • 100 percent chip removal without chemicals
  • Removal of coarse burrs and adhesions in individual and series production
  • Process time reduction of 60 percent possible
 

Your contact

Yves Kuche

Research Assistant Manufacturing Technologies department

 

Phone +49 30 39006-288

Send e-mail

Additive Manufacturing

© IWF TU Berlin

Process strategies for new alloys

Solutions for processing difficult-to-weld alloys (e.g. titanium aluminide or Inconel) are being developed along the entire additive process chain.

Our Solution

  • Evaluate production limits of the machine
  • Recommend actions for AM-compatible design
  • Produce test specimens for evaluating manufacturing parameters during laser beam melting

 

Your Benefits

  • Qualify suitable measuring systems for additive components
  • Fabrication of cooling and lubrication channels according to requirements
  • Process reliability for high temperature resistant and wear resistant components
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Your contact

Tobias Neuwald

Research Assistant Manufacturing Technologies department

 

Phone +49 30 39006-308

Send e-mail

Additive Manufactured Spare Parts

© Fraunhofer IPK

Spare parts in hard-to-reach markets

Potential analyses help to produce demonstrators for AM spare parts.

Our Solution

  • Analysis of potential AM components
  • Demonstrators for evaluation of manufacturing costs/processes
  • Qualification of AM equipment for setting up local micro-production facilities

 

Your Benefits

  • Inventory is minimized.
  • Transportation costs and delivery times are reduced.
  • Subsequent design adaptations of spare parts
  • New business models possible through licensing
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Your contact

Janek Fasselt 

Research Assistant Manufacturing Technologies department

 

Phone +49 30 39006-215

Send e-mail

Efficient Cleaning Solutions

© Fraunhofer-Geschäftsbereich Reinigung

Residues in cleaning processes

CO2-based process for fast, dry and residue-free cleaning replaces time-consuming and cost-intensive wet-chemical cleaning solutions.

Our Solution

  • CO2-blasting process for efficient cleaning of sensitive electronic and optical components as well as surfaces prior to bonding, joining or painting
  • Residue-free removal of interfering layers, burrs, coolants and lubricants with CO2

 

Your Benefits

  • Efficient, low-cost and environmentally friendly cleaning
  • Reduced cleaning time, since dry and residue-free
  • Manual to fully automated process solutions can be implemented
 

Your contact

Dr.-Ing. Christian Schmiedel

Research Assistant Manufacturing Technologies department

 

Phone +49 30 39006-353

Send e-mail

Efficient and Residue-free Machining through Cryogenic Chipping

© Fraunhofer IPK / Andreas Lutz

Workpiece quality and tool wear

Tool cooling with CO2 and oil-air aerosol increases productivity in machining many times over.

Our Solution

  • Tool cooling with CO2 and oil-air aerosol for minimum quantity lubrication
  • For 3- and 5-axis milling as an alternative to minimum quantity lubrication or as a substitute for cooling lubricant emulsions 

 

Your Benefits

  • 30 – 50 percent higher productivity compared to MQL/TB due to CO2 cooling directly on the tool cutting edge compared to dry machining
  • Longer tool life due to reduced tool wear
  • Increased workpiece quality due to lack of influence on the edge of the component
  • Environmentally friendly cooling compared to the use of cooling lubricants 
 

Your contact

Yves Kuche

Research Assistant Manufacturing Technologies department

 

Phone +49 30 39006-288

Send e-mail

Development of High-precision Jointed-arm Kinematics

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Lack of special machines reduces efficiency

Achieve manufacturing tolerances of ± 0.1 mm maximum when machining lightweight materials from batch size 1.

Our Solution

  • New hybrid drive concept consisting of gear motor and torque motor
  • New adaptive controller model for active vibration compensation
  • Stiffness-optimized structure and linear unit
  • Control via Siemens 840d SL
  • Measurement systems on the output side 

 

Your Benefits

  • Quality improvement through high-precision path control in assembly and milling processes
  • Highly flexible machining of large components possible without reclamping
 

Your contact

Philipp Burgdorf

Research Assistent Manufacturing Technologies department

 

Phone +49 30 39006-354

Send e-mail

High-performance Machining of Demanding Components

© Fraunhofer IPK

Efficiency with very tight tolerances

Tuning and combining tools, parameters and path strategies enables new processes that allow fast and reliable production down to the "µ".

Our Solution

  • Evaluation of different tool concepts and strategies
  • Parameter optimization

 

Your Benefits

  • Significant savings in tooling costs
  • Stable processes without spontaneous tool failure
  • Output quantity is increased
 

Your contact

Yves Kuche

Research Assistant Manufacturing Technologies department

 

Phone +49 30 39006-288

Send e-mail

Implementation of AI Models for Joining Technology

Joining processes with optimization potential

Digitization potential in joining technology is identified and  establishment of a data-driven, networked workflow is supported.

Our Solution

  • Process monitoring with artificial intelligence
  • Monitor joining quality
  • Establish workflow for data preparation

 

Your Benefits

  • Increase productivity by up to 30 percent
  • Maintain and expand competitiveness
  • Reduce inspection effort and produce high-quality welded joints
 

Your contact

Bassel El-Sari

Research Assistant Joining and Coating Technology department

 

Phone +49 30 39006-295

Send e-mail

Automated Finishing of Internal Areas

© Fraunhofer IPK / Christian Schmiedel

Machining of hard-to-reach areas

A combination of flow grinding with magnetorheological fluids enables deburring, polishing and edge rounding in channels with cross-sectional extensions and hard-to-reach cavities.

Our Solution

  • Use magnetorheological fluids to adjust the properties of abrasive media in a spatially and temporally resolved manner
  • Monitor abrasive media properties and process parameters online

 

Your Benefits

  • Economical, reproducible and automated finishing of internal areas that cannot be reached with conventional methods
  • Flow optimization of cooling channels and adjustment of a defined mass flow rate
  • Post-processing of additively manufactured components is simplified.
 

Your contact

Dr.-Ing. Christian Schmiedel

Research Assistant Manufacturing Technologies department

 

Phone +49 30 39006-353

Send e-mail

Automated Tool Change Based on Process Data

© Fraunhofer IPK / Francois Schmidt

Reduce high non-productive times

Integrated monitoring of machines ensures automated change of worn tools. In this way, machine utilization can be optimized.

Our Solution

  • Monitor and measure wear
  • Autonomous changing of cutting inserts when the wear limit is exceeded
  • Create individual change criteria

 

Your Benefits

  • Increase machine utilization by reducing non-productive time
  • Robust, economical processes through high component quality
  • Optimization mode for autonomous parameter optimization
 

Your contact

Philipp Burgdorf

Research Assistent Manufacturing Technologies department

 

Phone +49 30 39006-354

Send e-mail

Process-reliable CFRP Finishing

© Fraunhofer IPK

Industrial robot as an alternative

Optimize cutting tools and strategies and quantify component damage for maximum productivity. 

Our Solution

  • Customized optimization of machining processes
  • Automated and quantifiable quality assurance
  • Develop chip concepts to meet requirements 

 

Your Benefits

  • Increased productivity through optimized tool concepts
  • Quantifiable criteria for quality assurance in the series production process
  • Reduce investment costs and increase flexibility with industrial robots
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Your contact

Tobias Neuwald

Research Assistant Manufacturing Technologies department

 

Phone +49 30 39006-308

Send e-mail

Workpiece Mount for Stable Processes

© Fraunhofer IPK / Mario Epping

Minimizing vibrations

Specific investigations of the dynamic characteristics of components subject to vibration help to reduce costs and increase component quality.

Our Solution

  • Measure tools, machines and fixtures in the process
  • Optimize tools, manufacturing parameters and machining strategy for minimum machining time
  • Optimization of the fixture (FEM)

 

Your Benefits

  • Reduce wear by up to 35 percent
  • Significantly increase surface quality and position tolerances
  • Reduce machining time by 30 percent
 

Your contact

Philipp Burgdorf

Research Assistent Manufacturing Technologies department

 

Phone +49 30 39006-354

Send e-mail

Reproducible Efficient Manufacturing

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Fluctuating quality of subcontracted parts

Fluctuating manufacturing quality for single and series components. Processes, product quality and material handling are improved based on data.

Our Solution

  • Reproducibility of manufacturing processes is increased.
  • Influence of environmental influences on product quality is reduced.
  • Intuitive data management through connection and development of IoT systems
  • Integration of alternative technologies to ensure required quality standards 

 

Your Benefits

  • Significantly reduce measurement effort and inspection scope
  • Robust economic production
  • Avoid rejects
 

Your contact

Yves Kuche

Research Assistant Manufacturing Technologies department

 

Phone +49 30 39006-288

Send e-mail

Robot-based Repair Solution for Components

© Fraunhofer IPK

Manual repair processes are inefficient

Automated process steps for the repair of machine components are combined in a holistic process chain and thus made more efficient.

Our Solution

  • Camera- and AI-based damage analysis
  • Fully automated process steps for cleaning, cutting and grinding
  • Integrate component data sets for quality control

 

Your Benefits

  • Fully automated repair processes increase productivity.
  • Flexibility when combined with other tasks, e.g. quality control in new part production or for failure analysis
  • Reduce investment costs and space requirements
Robotergeführte Bearbeitung
 

Your contact

Philipp Burgdorf

Research Assistent Manufacturing Technologies department

 

Phone +49 30 39006-354

Send e-mail

Welding Simulation

Incorrect settings during welding cost time and money

Welding simulation can reproduce individual welding processes and the behavior of a welding assembly during welding. 

Our Solution

  • Virtual validation and calculation of real welding processes
  • Evaluate simulation results and derive optimization strategies for distortion
  • Design process windows and clamping tools on the computer

 

Your Benefits

  • Replaces cost-intensive pre-series tests
  • Savings (personnel and material) of up to 70 percent possible
  • Insights enable optimization of temperature, residual stress and warpage.
Click here!
 

Your contact

Dr.-Ing. Max Biegler

Head of the Joining and Coating Technology department

 

Phone +49 30 39006-404

Send e-mail

Ultrasonic-assisted Machining to Extend Tool Life

© IWF TU Berlin

Avoid manual finishing

Ultrasonic superimposed milling, drilling or grinding operations reduce process forces. Specific machining technologies extend equipment service life.

Our Solution

  • Low-damage machining with higher metal removal rates of ceramic materials and fiber composites with thin-walled complex geometry
  • Machining of carbon or glass fiber reinforced plastics, glass, metals, CMC, and ceramics is made possible with process reliability.
  • Technology development to extend the service life of milling tools and avoid machining defects (e.g. fiber pull-out)

Your Benefits

  • Process-reliable machining with innovative materials
  • Reduction of process forces and temperatures
  • Improvement of chip evacuation
 

Your contact

Tobias Neuwald

Research Assistant Manufacturing Technologies department

 

Phone +49 30 39006-308

Send e-mail

Non-destructive Component Testing

© Adobe Stock

Avoid time- and cost-intensive component testing

Eddy current measurements based on AI algorithms enable process-safe non-destructive crack and hardness testing.

Our Solution

  • Analysis of suitable components
  • Evaluate and adapt eddy current measurement technology
  • Development of component-specific algorithms for testing surface hardness and hardening depth
  • Support for integration into ongoing production processes

 

Your Benefits

  • 100 percent testing possible
  • Fast release processes due to testing times < 1 second
  • No destruction of expensive components necessary
 

Your contact

Janek Fasselt 

Research Assistant Manufacturing Technologies department

 

Phone +49 30 39006-215

Send e-mail