Completed Collaborative Projects

The CarboLase project aims to develop, interlink and evaluate an automated production chain for the manufacture of functionalized carbon fiber preforms. The project will present a robotic- and sensor-assisted route starting from the singling of flat carbon fiber textiles, to stacking and binding, laser-beam processing for the manufacture of functional boreholes up to the integration of force-transmission elements. Thanks to the automated and self-regulating process steps, small to medium batch sizes of CFRP components can be produced economically.

The joint project BI-TRE investigated efficient, reliable and cost-effective methods for the microsurgical bonding of small blood vessels and the laser fixing of wound pads in the mouth and throat.

In the Cluster of Excellence "Integrative Production Technology for High-Wage Countries", Aachen-based production and materials scientists developed concepts and technologies for sustainable economic production.

A total of 18 chairs and institutes of the RWTH Aachen University as well as the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT and the Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology IPT were involved in the project. The Cluster of Excellence, endowed with approximately 40 million euros, was thus the most comprehensive research initiative in Europe with the aim of maintaining production in high-wage countries.

"Fraunhofer Systemforschung Elektromobilität" is a joint project funded by the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft. During the project period (2013 to 2015), 16 Fraunhofer Institutes worked on project topics in the clusters "powertrain / chassis", "battery / range extender" and "construction methods / infrastructure". With the development of innovative technologies and components for hybrid and electric vehicles, the partners created attractive offers for the automotive industry.

The final goal of BRITESPACE project is the realization of an Integrated Path Differential Absorption (IPDA) LIDAR system based on a high performance semiconductor laser source for the measurement of carbon dioxide concentration in the Earth atmosphere from satellite based space missions. IPDA LIDAR basically works on the use of two different wavelengths for the measurement of CO2 concentration: one wavelength is strongly absorbed (λOFF) and the other is lightly absorbed by the gas (λON). Additionally, the laser light is modulated or pulsed in order to allow the measurement of the height of the air column under measurement.

Diode lasers are the most efficient technology for converting electrical energy into useful light. However, this efficiency is not available to most industrial users due to the low brilliance of direct diode sources. The BRIDLE project seeks to remove this limitation, delivering a technological breakthrough in cost effective, high-brilliance diode lasers for industrial applications. By harnessing the power and efficiency of diode lasers, the project aims to develop an affordable direct diode laser source for industrial applications requiring the cutting and welding of sheet metal.

Vascularization is one of the most important and highly challenging issues in the development of soft tissue. It is necessary to supply cells with nutrition within a multilayer tissue, for example in artificial skin. Our research on artificial skin is driven by an increasing demand for two main applications: for the field of regenerative medicine, victims must be provided with soft tissue implants, as well as soft tissue is necessary after traumatic injuries and tumour treatment. Secondly, to substitute the expensive and ethically disputed pharmaceutical tests on animals by artificial vascularized test beds to simulate the uptake of the pharmaceuticals into the blood.

The "AdaM" project partners have set themselves the goal of meeting the global socio-political challenges in mobility, energy and climate. Increasing resource efficiency in energy supply and mobility should bring not only economic but also ecological benefits. By mastering complex technologies, the project partners developed a unique selling point and established this sustainably by expanding cooperation possibilities.

Various studies forecast a steady increase in installed capacity for the generation of electrical energy by 2.5 to 3.5 percent annually until 2030. The current discussions with regard to changes in the global climate underline the need for optimal and efficient processes. Alternative energies cannot cover demand sufficiently in the short term and can currently only supplement it. The proportion of electrical energy generated by burning fossil fuels will remain constant at around 80 percent, so turbomachinery will continue to play a central role.