Laser as an Alternative to Mechanical Polishing. Technical details on laser-based polishing and deburring attracted more than 70 participants from all over the world to a virtual trip to Aachen in 2020. Due to the uncertain travel situation of participants from abroad, the “5th Conference on Laser Polishing” will again take place virtually for participants. 10 speakers from Germany and abroad will give an overview of the worldwide state of knowledge in the field of laser polishing on the afternoon…

15th International Coral Reef Symposium starting. More than 1,000 scientists from over 80 countries will discuss the world’s most important event for coral reefs in Bremen. Host of the 15th International Coral Reef Symposium is the University of Bremen. The conference is being held in Europe for the first time in its more than 50-year history. The focus is on the major threats facing coral reefs and possible solutions to secure the future of these ecosystems. The world remains in…

After having to take a pandemic break of four years, the industrial laser technology community met at “AKL’22 – International Laser Technology Congress” in Aachen from May 4 to 6, 2022. The industry is doing well, and the biggest trend is the extensive digitalization of processes. At the same time, common beam sources are being pushed to ever new levels of peak performance. New to the conference program was the Quantum Technology & Photonics Forum, where major German companies presented…

ITA Institut für Textiltechnik of RWTH Aachen University will once again be showcasing its entire research spectrum at the Elmatex joint stand in Hall 12.0 B55 at Techtextil 2022 https://techtextil.messefrankfurt.com/frankfurt/en.html in Frankfurt am Main, Germany: 1. 3D printing robot on textiles – experience it live in Hall 12.0 B55! The 3D printing robot is a mobile and size-independent 3D printer for large-area components on textiles. For the first time, a 2.5D support structure can be printed on a textile with…

In 2021, it had to be organized virtually, this year it will be held face-to-face in Bremen: In July 2022, the university will host the International Coral Reef Symposium (ICRS). There will be numerous accompanying public events starting in May. The ICRS will be opened by the Federal Minister for the Environment. “For us, the 15th World Coral Reef Conference is a very special event from several points of view,” says Professor Christian Wild from the University of Bremen, who…

From high-gloss brochures to new cars: paint layers that are also supposed to shine in front of customers must be smooth and even to reflect perfect quality. The Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology IPT in Aachen, Germany, has developed an interferometric measurement method that can be used to reliably measure whether thin transparent layers of paint have been applied evenly: The possibilities offered by optical coherence tomography (OCT) for measuring such paint layers will be presented to the trade fair…

Until now, wastewater treatment plants have not been able to sufficiently filter out tiny microplastics in wastewater, but this could soon change: The first laser-drilled microplastic filter is being tested in a wastewater treatment plant. It contains sheets with extremely small holes just 10 micrometers in diameter. The technology to efficiently drill millions of such holes was developed at the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT, and now the institute’s engineers are scaling up ultrashortpulse (USP) laser technology in the…

Fraunhofer FHR shows state-of-the-art radar technology at European Microwave Week in London. Future technology on the Thames: the Fraunhofer Institute for High Frequency Physics and Radar Techniques FHR will present the wide range of its capabilities at the 24th European Microwave Week 2021 (EuMW), which will take place in London from April 2 to 7, 2022 after being postponed due to the pandemic. Industry and science will now come together again on site at Europe’s leading trade fair and conference…

Was there life on Mars? This is the question that the European Space Agency (ESA) is setting out to answer with its ExoMars mission. The mission, in which Russia is a participant, is scheduled to launch this fall, although recent political developments have raised questions as to whether this will be possible. Part of the mission is an analytical system that was designed to operate in space and was created as part of the research work conducted at the Fraunhofer…

Robots mowing lawns is a form of robotic assistance to which society has gotten used. But there are currently few concepts for robotic assistance in other tasks, which involve close proximity to humans, like housekeeping and care. The Fraunhofer Institute for Machine Tools and Forming Technology IWU uses innovative switchable stiffnesses in robots to combine the required strength with the necessary safety. At the Hannover Messe Preview on March 16, 2022 and at the Hannover Messe from May 30 to…

Energy and resource efficiency are gaining ever more significance, which is why the Fraunhofer IWS has worked with partners to develop an alternative for conventional steel construction that not only constitutes a process technology solution, but also forms the basis for hardware and laser safety. This solution facilitates gentler machining of high-strength materials, as well as significantly reducing energy consumption and costs while greatly increasing process speed. The energy in-put required for the component can be reduced by up to…

Capturing transparent objects in three dimensions is a major challenge. Researchers at Fraunhofer Institute for Applied Optics and Precision Engineering IOF have developed a sensor that is able to solve this problem. The system has now been successfully tested for the first time with a robot. Applications in large-scale industrial manufacturing processes such as the semiconductor or automotive industry could be possible. The sensor will be featured at the Hannover Messe Preview on March 16 and at the German trade…

… and share backstory of Google’s time crystal. Researchers will discuss new experimental milestones in quantum science at the 2022 APS March Meeting, during a press conference at 10 a.m. CDT on Wednesday, March 16, 2022. The conference will be held onsite and streamed via Zoom. A new study in Physical Review X reports experimental evidence for a recently predicted quantum theory. “We have for the first time observed the ‘quantum boomerang effect,’ a fundamental feature of localized matter whereby…

International conference on issues of mission-oriented research. A profound change towards sustainability is needed worldwide in order to overcome global challenges such as the climate crisis. With the innovative concept of mission-oriented research, science is breaking new ground, together with a wide range of different actors. But what are the challenges and limitations of this new type of collaborative research? How can the approach be further developed in a promising way? This question will be addressed at the international conference…

With the ART 4 …  project, the artist, Bruno Wilbert, would like to increase general interest in the climate, environmental and nature conservation issues that are important to all of us, promote projects in these areas and thank people who have already shown exemplary commitment. During his extensive internet research on the topics of climate, environmental and nature conservation, he was not only impressed by the numerous fantastic projects in these areas, but also again and again by the enormous…

Achieving climate targets in turbomachinery engineering through digitization. Manufacturers and suppliers of engines and stationary turbomachinery have long recognized that the overriding goals of conserving resources and reducing emissions can now only be achieved if they are able to implement both evolutionary and revolutionary concepts along the entire product life cycle. How to succeed in meeting the associated challenges in the manufacture and repair of turbomachinery is the central question of the sixth ICTM Conference, which will be held on…