“Measuring and evaluating noise directly on the machine!” Following that goal Fraunhofer IDMT in Oldenburg, Germany, will demonstrate the prototype of a new cognitive system for the predictive maintenance of production facilities at the Hannover Messe from April 23 – 27, 2018, Hall 2, Booth C22. Intelligent battery-powered acoustic sensors process audio signals from machines and systems on the spot. From the information that is forwarded wirelessly to an evaluation unit, it is possible to draw conclusions about the condition of the production facilities and to avoid possible damage. Industrial customers benefit from a cost-effective "Industrie 4.0" solution that minimizes downtime.

The ComCarbon® technology from the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Polymer Research IAP will make it possible in the future to produce carbon fibers at low cost for the mass market. The institute will present this new technology at the leading aerospace trade fair, the ILA Berlin 2018, from April 25 – 29. Examples of applications for polymer-based lightweight construction and function-integrated plastics will also be presented.

On April 23-27, Fraunhofer Institute for Digital Media Technology IDMT will be demonstrating a method for acoustic condition monitoring and quality assurance (Fraunhofer Booth C22, Hall 2). The method allows continuous monitoring of industrial production lines as well as product quality control. It thereby helps reduce machine downtime and scrap.

Mobile phones and smart phones still have not been adapted to the carrying habits of their users. That much is clear to anyone who has tried sitting down with a mobile phone in the back pocket: the displays of such devices are rigid and do not yield to the anatomical forms adopted by the people carrying them. To allow typing and swiping even on curved smartphones, touchscreens and electric conductor paths have also to be curved. Therefore INM has developed a technique which allows fabrication of such conductor lines on flexible foils and even on stretchable silicone.
INM will be presenting the so called photochemical metallization on this year’s Hannover Messe at stand B46 in hall 2.

Carbon fiber-reinforced plastics are gaining importance as components of aircraft. The trend is increasing the need for sustainable recycling concepts. At the ILA from April 25 to 29, 2018 in Berlin (Hall 2, Booth 304), Fraunhofer will present a technology that converts recycled carbon fibers into materials for batteries and fuel cells. This saves costs, improves the CO2 balance and opens up new means of recycling in aircraft production.

In cooperation with its partner Gentherm, Fraunhofer has developed an air-conditioned business class seat (Aviation Double Seat). The seat features a combination of seat ventilation by means of fans and thermal regulation by seat heating. This leads to an optimal temperature control of the seat surface as well as a continuous moisture removal. The result is a permanently comfortable, dry climate on the seat surface. The Aviation Double Seat will be on display at the ILA Berlin 2018 at the joint Fraunhofer booth 229 in Hall 2 from April 25th to 29th and will soon be launched on the market.

New inks for inkjet printers make it possible to print organic displays or solar cells on film and glass for the use in architecture, the textile industry and many other industries. These and other application examples of printed electronics will be presented by the Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Polymer Research IAP at Printed Electronics Europe in Berlin from April 11 to 12, 2018.

Fraunhofer IAP at Printed Electronics Europe 2018: Booth K12

Low Earth orbit increasingly resembles an overcrowded junkyard. Disused satellites, burned-out rocket stages and thousands of pieces of debris produced by collisions – all these things pose a threat to infrastructure in space. Fraunhofer researchers have developed a new radar system and other technologies to give spacecraft better protection against space junk. And that is not all: By virtue of an agile small satellite, the scientists are now also making access to space quicker and more cost-effective.

Fraunhofer IAF presents compact W-band radar at the Hannover Messe 2018

From water bottles and lunchboxes to children’s toys – countless products are made from plastic. Not only is it used for everyday items, the material is also found in components for production plants and medical technology. At the Technische Universität Kaiserslautern (TUK), researchers are working on combining plastic with properties that protect it against wear and thereby extend its lifespan. To this end, the researchers are using a testing instrument to examine the material under various conditions. They will attend the Hanover Fair from 23 to 27 April to present their plastics and testing system at the research stand of the State of Rhineland-Palatinate (Hall 2, Stand B40).