Press Releases

What if additive manufacturing could tailor make complex components for the hydrogen sector? How can powder flow be switched on and off as quickly as a light? How can a tool determine for itself how much load it is currently carrying? At Formnext in Frankfurt am Main from November 17 to 20, 2026, Fraunhofer ILT will be presenting three smart answers at the joint Fraunhofer booth D31 in Hall 11.0, solutions that make additive manufacturing considerably more cost-effective.

International competition in the battery industry is intensifying. At the same time, demand for batteries is growing, both for electric mobility and stationary applications. As the Laser Symposium Electromobility LSE’26 in Aachen in September 2026 made clear, Europe can draw on its own strengths: flexible manufacturing expertise, high process quality, and the ability to adapt production to different cell chemistries, designs and volumes. With precise self-learning laser processes, Europe’s battery industry can regain momentum beyond competition based purely on price.

From electrolyzers to storage to fuel cells: At the Hydrogen Technology World Expo 2026 in Hamburg, Germany, the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT will demonstrate how laser technology makes key processes in the hydrogen economy more efficient and industrially scalable. In addition, Fraunhofer ILT will present solutions for various electrolysis technologies, the manufacturing of fuel cell components, hydrogen storage, and Power-to-X applications.

Fusion has the potential to become a key pillar of a climate-neutral and reliable energy supply, creating enormous market opportunities. Around the world, the race to build the first commercial fusion power plants is well underway, and Germany is exceptionally well positioned to compete. Achieving market leadership, however, will require it to immediately develop industrial process and supply chains, as well as research and industry to closely collaborate and exchange know-how. The Fraunhofer Fusion Industry Day 2.0 provides the ideal platform for launching these efforts. On October 15 and 16, 2026, it will bring together stakeholders from industry, research, government, consulting, and the energy and financial sectors in Aachen.

Artificial intelligence (AI) is already having a profound impact on value creation in laser manufacturing and optical design. Yet only a fraction of the potential between these fields has been realized. To help unlock these opportunities, SPECTARIS –the German industry association for optics, photonics, analytical and medical technologies – and the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT are hosting the two-day conference “AI in Photonics”. The first day introduces participants to AI methods, tools, and applications, providing a solid foundation in the field. The second day focuses on the latest developments in industrial and scientific AI applications. The two conference modules, taking place on October 13 and 14, 2026, can be booked individually or as a package.

Fraunhofer ILT is developing laser-based manufacturing processes for applying PFAS-free functional coatings to metal components, plain bearings, and elastomer rollers. The RePEEK, EPOS, LEMBAS, and pureWaterSeal projects demonstrate that replacing "forever chemicals" requires more than suitable substitute materials. Equally important are the manufacturing processes used to apply them.

The South Korean automotive supplier ILJIN was looking for a solution to a disturbing ping-noise occurring at the interface between the wheel bearing and the driveshaft. Working together with Fraunhofer ILT, the company de-veloped an EHLA-based functional coating to address this issue, and has in-tegrated it into a tailored application that is now making its way into mass production. This application demonstrates how a specific industrial challenge can lead to a laser process suitable for series production. It also shows that the solution lies not in the material alone, but in designing the component, surface, and manufacturing process to work together as a functional system.

The Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT and the Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials KIMM have been cooperating for many years on projects ranging from laser welding to micromaterial processing. With the renewal of their Memorandum of Understanding, the two institutes are now deepening this partnership. Going forward, they plan to focus on environmentally friendly manufacturing processes for electromobility and next-generation energy storage technologies.

Fraunhofer ILT in Aachen has developed a highly complex laser-optical system for a quantum computer currently under construction at the 5th Institute of Physics at the University of Stuttgart. This system enables 2,000 Rydberg atoms to be positioned with sub-micrometer precision in the computer’s highly compact vacuum chamber. To do this, the system projects an array of 2,000 individually controllable laser beams into the chamber. These beams act as optical tweezers and hold the trapped Rydberg atoms precisely at the distance required for them to interact with each other. The computer’s quantum logic processes are based on these interactions.

Regulatory pressure, high-value repair and the need for scalable industrial solutions are pushing laser-based manufacturing processes into new territory. Fraunhofer ILT and Etxetar are responding by expanding the industrial reach of laser metal deposition (LMD) and extreme high-speed laser material deposition (EHLA). Under a memorandum of understanding, the two partners are combining process expertise, industrial engineering and application know-how to address growing demands in aviation, coating and beyond.