Fraunhofer Institute for Production Systems and Design Technology

News / June 12, 2024

LNDW 2024 at Fraunhofer IPK

From fries to forks and back again

June 12, 2024

Fraunhofer IPK is opening its doors to all science fans for the Lange Nacht der Wissenschaften on June 22 from 5:00 pm to midnight. Together with IWF of the TU Berlin, we will present an exciting program about our research and development in the "House of Modern Production Technology".

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At a total of 30 stations, guests can delve into the current work at the Production Technology Center (PTZ) Berlin: Our researchers will demonstrate how robots are taking on increasingly complex tasks, how sustainable forks are made with 3D printing, and how we assist archaeologists and restorers in preserving cultural heritage.

Naturally, various manufacturing and production techniques will also be on display – from water jet cutting and laser processing to measurement technology and modern machine tools for metalworking.

And there's something for the young ones too: In a competition, you can find out who is faster – humans or robots? Dive into the world of micro- and nanotechnologies, 3D print a keychain or build and test your own glider – you will find all these stations on June 22 at the Long Night of the Science in the PTZ.

Program Highlight

From fries to forks and back again - sustainable plastics from waste

Have you ever wondered what happens to the oil used to fry chips? In our biolab, we use it as a food source for microorganisms that use it to produce biodegradable plastics. With the help of 3D printing, a product such as a chip fork can be made from it – and simply composted again after use. Our scientists will show and explain exactly how this works during the Long Night.

Fraunhofer IPK's complete program

A toolbox for climate protection

How can companies implement climate protection measures more effectively? Together with the Bundesverband Der Mittelstand. BVMW, we support small and medium-sized companies in reducing their CO2 emissions and operating more sustainably.

Better planning of firefighting operations

Try out for yourself the potential that lies in efficient data management for emergency operations and experience how different players can be intelligently networked via a data room.

Build your own aircraft

Discover the fascinating world of aircraft construction and find out how components for engines and wings are manufactured using different production technologies. Build your own glider and test it in a competition with friends and family!

Take it easy, robot!

Stacking building blocks – easy for us humans, but can robots do it too? Yes, if they know where the blocks are and how to stack them .It becomes more difficult when a building block is in a different position. We show how robots deal with tolerances.

Industry 4.0 you can touch

In our "Industry 4.0" transfer center, we present specific solutions – from digital twins and gesture-based robot programming to AI-supported maintenance. A total of nine demonstrators are waiting for you to try out and touch.

Restoring cultural assets with smart assistance

If valuable documents and objects are damaged, they can usually only be restored at great expense. Our assistance system supports archaeologists and restorers in reconstructing flat cultural and artistic objects such as glass mosaics or tiles.

Learning from nature

How can principles from nature be transferred to technical applications? We are working on this together with partners from science and industry in the "BioFusion 4.0" research project. We will show you which solutions we are implementing.

Machines with a heart

Empathy plays a major role not only for us humans, but also in production. Together with six other Fraunhofer Institutes, we are developing human-technology solutions that help machines, systems and robots to become more responsive, adaptive and adaptable.

Plan, do, check, act

In order to be successful, companies must continuously improve the quality of their processes. To do this, they often use the PDCA method: Plan, Do, Check, Act. We will show how this can be applied in practice to digitally identify and implement improvement opportunities on the basis of data.

Use raw materials wisely, reduce waste

In Germany alone, 412 million tons of waste are produced every year – that's almost five tons of waste per person. Join us on a "scavenger hunt" through our test field and find out how raw materials can be used efficiently and kept in a cycle.

Scangineering – real becomes virtual

Our new process makes real objects quickly and easily usable as virtual models. Whether buildings, machines, parts or tools – we digitize them using 3D scanning processes and then create a virtual 3D model from the data.

Virtual testing – real savings

Put on our VR glasses and immerse yourself in the virtual world of product design, explore current aerospace projects of the Fraunhofer Space and Aviation Alliance and get an impression of how experts work on a product in virtual space.

Less is more

Does artificial intelligence require large amounts of data? Not necessarily. We develop AI methods that require very little training data and significantly reduce the manual effort. Talk to our researchers and find out more about the potential and limitations of these technologies.

Contact

Contact Press / Media

Claudia Engel

Head of Communications

Phone +49 30 39006-238

Fax +49 30 39006-392

Send email
claudia.engel@ipk.fraunhofer.de

Contact Press / Media

Alexander Graskamp

Online Communication and Event Management

Phone +49 30 39006-388

Send email
alexander.graskamp@ipk.fraunhofer.de