Ideas for engineers and solutions in lightweight construction

Research Project "Engineering Apps for Advanced Manufacturing Engineering (Apps4aME)" (Note: This project has received funding from the European Union’s Seventh Framework Programme for research, technological development, and demonstration under grant agreement no 314156.)

Precision tool for the machining of composite materials (Source: Fraunhofer IPA).

The Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology and Automation IPA is also focusing this year on topics aligned with the
main themes of the AMB, the International Exhibition for Metalworking: The Stuttgart-based scientists will provide insights into the
development and application status of Industry 4.0 in manufacturing in Germany and address the challenges faced by tool manufacturers
and machine builders in processing composite materials such as carbon.

Michael Lickefett, Head of Business Unit for Machinery and Plant Engineering at Fraunhofer IPA, states: "If we want to make Industry 4.0 visible, we need concrete and comprehensible examples from practice. Only then does the trendy term remain distinct and measurable, and does not become diluted." Therefore, Fraunhofer IPA considers it its task to provide companies with application and solution examples that they can identify with.

In addition to the Readiness Check, the potential analysis, and the seven-stage implementation process offered by Fraunhofer IPA as services, Lickefett will discuss current research projects such as "Engineering Apps for advanced Manufacturing Engineering (Apps4aME)" during his presentation. This project aims to develop eApps for route planning optimizations and temperature planning and analysis in the food industry. The universal approach can be quickly adapted to other industrial application fields and is therefore interesting and relevant for the entire engineering community.

Presentation by Michael Lickefett, Fraunhofer IPA
Forum Industry 4.0 at AMB I, September 16, 2014, Start: 2:20 PM
Stuttgart Region Lounge I, Entrance East, Messe Stuttgart

Precision tools for the processing of composite materials

"Lightweight construction is a trend, and the automotive, aerospace, and mechanical engineering industries can no longer be imagined without composite materials," summarizes Dr. Marco Schneider, Head of Lightweight Technologies at Fraunhofer IPA, in one sentence. In his talk during a business breakfast, Schneider will examine the current requirements for "Precision tools for machining composite materials."

Schneider sees enormous opportunities for lightweight materials — beyond the well-known sectors of aerospace and automotive — in many other industries. "However, companies need to develop the necessary knowledge and machine equipment, which requires appropriate investments." According to Schneider, this money is a worthwhile investment: "When used correctly, composite materials could be the seed for new manufacturing methods of other products and thus drive product and process innovation."

Presentation by Marco Schneider, Fraunhofer IPA
Business breakfast at AMB I, September 18, 2014, Start: 9:30 AM
Stuttgart Region Lounge I, Entrance East, Messe Stuttgart