Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation IPA

The focus of this year’s Hannover Messe (April 17–21) will be on technologies to promote climate-neutral and networked industry. The digitization of production processes generates efficiency gains in many areas, and with efficiency being the key to greater sustainability, Fraunhofer IPA will be exhibiting technologies that save both energy and resources.

Fraunhofer IPA is working with ten project partners on the “Desire4Electronics” project to advance research into automated disassembly processes for the remanufacturing of small electrical appliances. The project runs from 2023 to 2025 and addresses 7 of the 17 United Nations (UN) Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Until now, it has not been possible to additively manufacture sensors and other electronic devices in a single operation. However, a research team from the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation IPA has now succeeded in doing just that. The key to this achievement? Conductive plastics.

Today, genome editing is almost as easy as programming software. However, the generation of viral vectors as initial material is still associated with many expensive and error-prone handling procedures. A new method is needed that simplifies and optimizes these processes.

For matrix production to function optimally, a whole fleet of mobile robots is needed. Ants serve as a role model for orchestrating this dynamic interaction as efficiently as possible. Agha Ali Haider Qizilbash from the Robot and Assistive Systems department gives an insight into his research work.

Products that use artificial intelligence (AI) must be developed in accordance with the law and deliver comprehensible results. An audit conducted by Fraunhofer IPA has now confirmed these properties for a product from Experian – the “Fraud Miner” as part of a fraud prevention solution.

In 3D-printing, up to now, the integration of electronic components and consequently, the production of customized sensors has presented a challenge. Now, together with the companies ARBURG and Balluff, Fraunhofer IPA has achieved a breakthrough.

An app to determine the potential for automation, and a website for automation-friendly components design: Companies can use these two tools to make assembly more efficient and economical. Both can be used with just a few clicks.