Press releases

Ceramic batteries and membranes for filtration and gas separation – these are the research topics that will be the focus of the future "Pilot Center for Powder Synthesis and Extrusion". The construction phase at the Hermsdorf site of the Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems IKTS has now begun with a ground-breaking ceremony. The pilot center, which is funded by the federal government and the Free State of Thuringia with 5 million euros, is tailored to the requirements of complex research topics and an important link for future technology transfer. The build will be completed in June 2020.

The new Fraunhofer Project Center for Energy Storage and Management Systems ZESS was inaugurated today, February 7, 2019. Located at the Automotive Research Centre Niedersachsen (NFF) in Braunschweig, it is a joint initiative of the Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems IKTS, the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials IFAM, and the Fraunhofer Institute for Surface Engineering and Thin Films IST – in close cooperation with the Technische Universität Braunschweig. The purpose of the new project center is to develop existing energy storage systems, both mobile and stationary, to the level of industrial maturity, and to demonstrate new solutions at a level of technological maturity of four to six.

Better batteries for a greater range of electric vehicles – this is the goal of the “EMBATT-goes-FAB” project sponsored by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy. For that reason, the four project partners thyssenkrupp System Engineering GmbH, IAV GmbH, Daimler AG and the Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems IKTS are developing bipolar batteries and processes for their fabrication. Thanks to their unique stacked layout, a higher storage capacity and, ultimately, a greater range of the vehicle are achieved using the same surface area. The innovative battery technology will now be taken to the next level of maturity and thus one step closer to industrialization.

After a successful assessment center at the Federal Research Ministry the innovative regional growth center “smood” will now take up its work. In the next years, new products and services will be developed to energetically remodel an existing neighborhood. IKTS will conduct research into a decentralized storage system, which will store energy from renewable sources.

Extremely hard tools are required in forming technology, metal-cutting and process engineering. They are conventionally made by powder pressing. Although this achieves a high degree of hardness, it is often necessary to carry out a complex and therefore expensive post-processing. Additive manufacturing enables complex geometries, but has been limited in terms of hardness and component size so far. Researchers at the Fraunhofer IKTS in Dresden have now adapted the 3D printing process Fused Filament Fabrication for hardmetals. The development meets all requirements for the first time.

The increasing global demand for fish cannot be met in the long term without aquaculture. In order to maintain high quality standards, enormous quantities of fresh water have to be provided. In a joint project with partners from research and industry, Fraunhofer IKTS scientists have developed ceramic filtration systems that not only clean the water in aquacultures, but also adsorb disturbing odors and flavors.

In the future, closed carbon loops play an important role to drastically reduce carbon dioxide emissions and ensure safe and cost-effective access to carbon sources as the basis for products of the chemical industry. In order to increase the efficiency and thus profitability of the synthesis processes required for this, Fraunhofer IKTS has developed a new membrane reactor in cooperation with the Thuringian company MUW-SCREENTEC GmbH.

Pharmaceutical residues in waste water pose new challenges for municipal water treatment. Established methods are frequently found lacking when it comes to removing such substances. A treatment module developed at Fraunhofer IKTS provides a remedy and completely eliminates these harmful substances.

Fraunhofer signed a joint letter of intent in Lisbon yesterday with FCT (Fundação para a Ciência e a Tecnologia), the Portuguese research funding agency. The letter lays out plans to advance the digitalization of agriculture and forestry, including using digital technologies to manage agricultural and forest areas more precisely and sustainably. A joint task force will be set up to develop potential application areas and scenarios.

The Fraunhofer Institute for Ceramic Technologies and Systems IKTS, the Institute for Lightweight Engineering and Polymer Technology ILK of the Technische Universität Dresden, and the Korea Institute of Materials Science KIMS open a joint materials research center in Changwon, South Korea.