Press | Media

Dr. Michael Thomas, Head of Department at the Fraunhofer Institute for Surface Engineering and Thin Films IST, was appointed Honorary Professor for the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at the Technische Universität Braunschweig on 14 April 2021. With this appointment, the Faculty is acknowledging his commitment as a lecturer for the master’s lectures “Analytik und Prüfung in der Oberflächentechnik (APO)” (Analytics and testing in surface engineering), “Oberflächentechnik mit Atmosphärendruckplasma-Verfahren (OAP)” (Surface engineering with atmospheric pressure plasma processes) and “Ausgewählte Funktionsschichten (AFS)” (Selected functional coatings). His teaching activities strengthen the already intensive collaboration between the Fraunhofer IST and the research centers of the TU Braunschweig at the interface with applied research.

Everything spotless – almost without cleaning! Who would not want that? Particularly in the sanitary area, self-cleaning ceramics and tiles or glass for shower cubicles can not only make everyday tasks much easier but also prolong the service life of the products.

In the new Mars Rover “Perseverance”, an optical interference filter from the Fraunhofer Institute for Surface Engineering and Thin Films, in short Fraunhofer IST, has been installed. It assists NASA's Rover in the investigation of the dust in the planet's atmosphere – and it does so under the most extreme conditions.

Service robots can help ensure that buildings and means of transport are cleaned and disinfected regularly and with consistently high quality. Since October 2020, twelve institutions of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft have been working on the development of new technologies for this field of application. Led by Fraunhofer IPA, the partners are pooling their expertise in the “Mobile Disinfection“ (MobDi) research project to contribute to a safe “New Normal” in times of pandemic. The project is part of the “Fraunhofer vs. Corona“ action program.

At the new Wasserstoffcampus Salzgitter, three projects on the use of hydrogen are being launched simultaneously. These involve the application of hydrogen technologies in manufacturing processes, the development of steel tanks for the transportation and storage of the energy carrier, and an innovation alliance for the establishment of a hydrogen cluster for Salzgitter. Lower Saxony is supporting the projects with a total of 4.7 million euros from the State's structural assistance program for Salzgitter.

Microscopy is at the forefront of the fight against the coronavirus. Special microscopes, which enable scientists to view minute cell structures, are an indispensable tool in the development of vaccines and new therapies. Such equipment comprises not only a microscope with high optical resolution but also a high-precision microscope stage. Hard-magnetic coatings from the Fraunhofer Institute for Surface Engineering and Thin Films IST also play a key role here. They help enable the examination of minuscule cell structures in precise detail and at great speed.

The wastewater treatment plant is turned into a vegetable farm, bio-based substances recovered from waste are being utilized to prevent oxidative spoilage in food packaging or provide environmentally-friendly and safe water-repellent coatings on functional textiles. In the EVOBIO project coordinated by Fraunhofer IGB, 19 Fraunhofer Institutes are working on solutions for a sustainable economy by developing new concepts that utilize material flows in bioeconomy process cycles to produce optimized materials for innovative products.

Mobile, distributed systems that provide medical care to the public can be a crucial addition to the existing healthcare infrastructure in crises and emergencies such as the current Corona pandemic. Six of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft’s institutes have joined forces under the lead management of the Fraunhofer IFF in Magdeburg and are developing an integrated system for mobile, distributed medical care in the Demo-medVer project. What makes it special is that all of the complete system’s components are modularized, are closely interconnected, and complement each other. A functional prototype is intended to be built by the end of next year.

Medical products such as blood bags and tubing are often made from soft PVC, a plastic that contains phthalate plasticizers, which are suspected to be harmful to human health. These substances are not chemically bound to the polymer, which means they can leach into the blood bags and thus come into contact with human cells. A new method developed at the Fraunhofer Institute for Surface Engineering and Thin Films IST prevents these harmful substances from migrating into the surrounding media.

How can individualized luxury mobility be designed for the world of the year 2040? A world that will be driven by the idea of a circular economy and products with significantly longer lives. A world that will also be characterized by the desire for individual and quickly evolving lifestyles. How can the maximum level of driving comfort be achieved between these two polar opposites? To answer these questions, an interdisciplinary research team made up of experts from the Fraunhofer Institutes for Chemical Technology ICT, for Surface Engineering and Thin Films IST, for Industrial Engineering IAO, for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials IFAM, for Machine Tools and Forming Technology IWU, and for Wood Research, Wilhelm-Klauditz-Institut, WKI, has developed “Vision PI,” a modular futuristic mobility concept.