In industrial stamping processes, several hundred sheet metal parts are typically produced per minute. Together with the stamped parts manufacturer Quittenbaum GmbH, researchers at Fraunhofer IPM have now for the first time developed and installed an optical inspection system that checks the dimensional accuracy of every single component in high-speed stamping processes – with an accuracy in the range of 100 micrometers. The geometric deviations are depicted in 16 different views on the user interface. © Fraunhofer IPM Connectors, sleeves…

A team of researchers has beaten its own record for the fastest swimming soft robot, drawing inspiration from manta rays to improve their ability to control the robot’s movement in the water. “Two years ago, we demonstrated an aquatic soft robot that was able to reach average speeds of 3.74 body lengths per second,” says Jie Yin, corresponding author of a paper on the work and an associate professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at North Carolina State University. “We…

Detonation is a supersonic combustion wave, characterized by a shock wave driven by the energy release from closely coupled chemical reactions. It is a typical form of pressure gain combustion, converting chemical energy into thrust efficiently. The concept of harnessing detonation to improve thermodynamic cycle efficiency and enhance the performance of aerospace propulsion systems has been a subject of interest for many years. Since the 1950s, various types of detonation engines have been proposed, including pulse detonation engines, oblique detonation…

A thing of the past! Bipolar plates for fuel cells are mass produced every second. The forming tools used to manufacture them are milled from high-quality metal alloys that provide them with high wear resistance. In the National Action Plan for Fuel Cell Production (H2GO), the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT in Aachen is breaking new ground: Instead of milling the tools from an expensive solid block, the institute is using extreme high-speed laser material deposition (EHLA) to apply…