New research building for lightweight construction technologies opens

First new building of the Stuttgart Technology and Innovation Campus S-TEC. © Fraunhofer IPA / Photo: Rainer Bez

Architect Georg Gewers, Minister of Economic Affairs Dr. Nicole Hoffmeister-Kraut, IPA Institute Director Prof. Thomas Bauernhansl, and Center Director for Lightweight Technologies Dr. Marco Schneider at the opening. © Fraunhofer IPA / Photo: Rainer Bez

The goal of the open Center for Lightweight Technologies is to support German and especially regional companies in developing and implementing lightweight solutions in their products, production, and manufacturing systems. © Fraunhofer IPA / Photos: Rainer Bez

The goal of the open Center for Lightweight Technologies is to support German and especially regional companies in the development and implementation of lightweight solutions in their products, production, and manufacturing systems. © Fraunhofer IPA / Photos: Rainer Bez

On July 14, 2022, the Baden-Württemberg Minister of Economics, Dr. Nicole Hoffmeister-Kraut, together with the director of the Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology and Automation IPA, Prof. Thomas Bauernhansl, as well as Georg Gewers from Gewers & Pudewill Architects, inaugurated the new research building for lightweight construction technologies. With the research new building funded by the EU, federal government, and the state of Baden-Württemberg, the first building of the Stuttgart Technology and Innovation Campus S-TEC in Stuttgart-Vaihingen has been completed after three years of construction.

The glass-ceramic facade of the approximately 37 meters wide and 55 meters long Center for Lightweight Technologies weighs 96.5 tons. Large windows provide passersby with a view into the four-story building, and from each floor, one can see into the large workshop hall. The glass-ceramic facade is sustainably made from 100 percent recycled glass, and the compact construction guarantees flexible use. The generously dimensioned facilities allow industry-related research on 1,410 m² for technical labs and workshops for real machine operation. Meeting rooms and a seminar room for 72 participants in the bright, transparent building are intended to ensure that research results are transferred into practical application.

Lightweight Construction Technologies for Industry

"Lightweight construction technologies are the key to reducing energy and material consumption in production. Lightweight machine components require less material and are lighter, thus saving energy during operation. Newly developed processes for the efficient processing of lightweight materials such as CFRP, aluminum, or multi-material mixes also make the use of these lightweight materials cost-effective and economical," said institute director Prof. Thomas Bauernhansl at the grand opening.

The goal of the newly opened Center for Lightweight Technologies is to support German and especially regional companies in developing and implementing lightweight solutions in their products, production, and manufacturing systems. To this end, so-called application scenarios for various lightweight technologies are being developed: "Lightweight applications are installed and digitally integrated with and for companies in industrial scale to demonstrate the technologies and at the same time create a platform for integrating new technologies," explained Dr. Marco Schneider, who leads the Center for Lightweight Technologies.

The three research focus areas of the Center for Lightweight Technologies are processing technologies, joining, cutting, and recycling methods for lightweight materials, as well as the application of lightweight materials and principles in machinery and plant engineering and production technology. In cooperation with a company, the entire manufacturing facilities will be digitally integrated and further developed into a digitalized lightweight development and production system.

In the laboratories of processing technologies, scientists research topics such as machining, extraction, lightweight materials, or material processing. An intelligent lathe is available for demonstration purposes. It is designed to regulate itself using high-quality measurement data and data analysis through AI.

First New Building on the Stuttgart Technology and Innovation Campus S-TEC

Since 2018, interdisciplinary teams have been successfully researching in several centers of the Stuttgart Technology and Innovation Campus S-TEC on future-relevant topics, developing innovations for industrial application. "With S-TEC, we have created a lighthouse for industry-related research and technology transfer around the personalized, digital, and sustainable transformation of industry here in Stuttgart," emphasized Baden-Württemberg Minister of Economics, Dr. Nicole Hoffmeister-Kraut. "Lightweight construction technologies offer the opportunity to secure and expand value creation and jobs in the industrial state of Baden-Württemberg without compromising climate protection. The new building for the Center for Lightweight Technologies has created outstanding infrastructure to demonstrate these potentials and, in particular, to open them up together with small and medium-sized enterprises in Baden-Württemberg."

Light as a Feather

The lightweight material ceramic is not only found in the facade design but also distributed throughout the entire building. The ceramic tiles are fired from white clay and feature black silhouettes of feathers on their surfaces. The installation is by American artist Brad Downey and is "art in architecture" as well as the large-format photographs. They depict owls – not in nature, but in the research building – in offices, corridors, and laboratories: a symbol of science, lightweight construction technologies, and all researchers.

Profile of the Center for Lightweight Technologies (ZLB)

Component U: "Processing Technologies in Lightweight Construction" of the Fraunhofer IPA, Fraunhofer Society for the Promotion of Applied Research e. V.

– First new building on the Stuttgart Technology and Innovation Campus S-TEC
– Floor area: 5,915 m²
– Technical, mechanical/physical laboratories, and large workshop for real machine operation: 1,410 m²
– Office work (113 workstations): 1,154 m²
– Meeting and seminar rooms (72 participants): 100 m²