24.7.2024

Measuring particle size distribution during the grinding process
How pharmaceuticals act, how efficient catalysts are and how effective and accurate printing inks function all depend on the size of the nanoparticles they contain. However, there are as of yet no methods for monitoring the particle size distribution during grinding processes. In the EU-funded PAT4Nano project, a consortium from industry and research has spent the last four years looking for practicable approaches for such inline measurements. The Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT in Aachen has developed a promising laser-based method that could soon make such measurements possible

19.6.2024

Einstein Telescope launches new era in astronomy
It’s still just a plan, but a new telescope could soon be measuring gravitational waves. Gravitational waves are something like the sound waves of the universe. They are created, for example, when black holes or neutron stars collide. The future gravitational wave detector, the Einstein Telescope, will use the latest laser technology to better understand these waves and, thus, our universe. One possible location for the construction of this telescope is the border triangle of Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands.

4.5.2024

Laser immersion probe for smart inline monitoring of
water and wastewater
A new type of laser-based immersion probe, which the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT in Aachen is testing as part of BMBF- and EU-funded projects with industrial partners and users, could pave the way for continuous inline monitoring of water treatment processes in wastewater treatment
plants

7.3.2024

Compact navigation systems for unmanned drones of
the future
When Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) or drones are used to survey industrial
buildings, map terrain, or transport cargo for the logistics sector, they need to be as lightweight as possible, but carry the greatest possible payload.

31.1.2024

Fraunhofer ILT invites industry to join new network for
hydrogen technologyein
The Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT is mobilizing the new “Lasers
in Hydrogen Technology” network to help suppliers and users exchange their particular expertise about lasers and photonics for hydrogen technology

24.1.2024

AI has the potential to close control loops
Whether in laser material processing, additive manufacturing and repair processes, laser weed control or the automated design of optical systems: Artificial intelligence has enormous, sometimes disruptive potential in photonics

9.11.2023

Leading edge semiconductor research on 200/300 mm wafers in the heart of Silicon Saxony and Europe
Modern electronics developments require state-of-the-art technologies and manufacturing processes, which are a financial challenge for many companies. Located in the heart of Silicon Saxony, Fraunhofer Institute for Photonic Microsystems IPMS offers both large chip manufacturers and smaller companies access to the latest research results and technologies on 200 and 300 mm silicon wafers.

28.8.2023

Using magnetic effects in electrons for a hundredfold
reduction in the power consumption of future chips
Laptops, smartphones, even smart watches: In our digital world, we expect more and more functions to be taken over by devices that are getting smaller and smaller, but also hungrier and hungrier for energy. New insights from research suggest that it can help reduce the size and energy consumption of electronic devices by a massive margin, if spinwave technologies are used in microchips

4.8.2023

The economical solution for an ecological revolution:
Zinc batteries with double efficiency and the ability to produce hydrogen
A project consortium of research institutions and the commercial partners Zn2H2
GmbH and Steel PRO Maschinenbau GmbH has teamed up for the Zn-H2 project to
investigate innovative ideas for storing green energy. Their vision is to design a longlasting battery explicitly for the long-term storage of power. Starting with proven battery designs that use zinc anodes, the researchers add alkaline water electrolysis to come up with a completely new technology

24.5.2023

Compact laser scanner with 90 percent less construction volume
Galvanometer scanners have been in use in laser material processing for
decades. However, a team from the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology
ILT has now developed a new, particularly compact scanner module for
applications in 3D printing, micromachining or medical technology

24.5.2023

E-cars: Particle accelerator proves that manufacturing is more sustainable with the green laser
Collaboration between TRUMPF, Fraunhofer ILT and DESY provides the most detailed of insights into laser welding processes to date thanks to the particle accelerator // Fraunhofer expert Marc Hummel: "We have now been able to clearly prove for the first time that raw materials can be saved in the welding high-performance electronics by using lasers with green wavelength."

17.5.2023

The World’s Smallest Impedance Spectroscopy System in the Form of a Pill Finds Weak Spots in Machines and People
The larger an industrial machine, the more difficult it is to troubleshoot malfunctions by
detecting unwanted oil pressure deviations or even line leaks from the outside. It often takes a long time for specialist staff to find what seems to be the equivalent of a needle in a haystack. This can lead to production losses and high costs. The situation is similar with the identification of disease causes in humans. If a patient complains about abdominal pain, there is usually no way around a complex gastroscopy or colonoscopy. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy can be very helpful in such cases.

11.4.2023

Laser technology for energy-efficient production of battery cells coupled with improved performance
At the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT in Aachen have developed innovative laser-based technologies for producing lithium-ion batteries that, compared to those produced conventionally, can be charged more quickly and have a longer lifetime. Furthermore, laser-based drying is a significantly more efficient means of coating water-based electrodes

20.3.2023

Optical atomic clocks with record precision: What they can mean for climate science, geology, and driverless cars
A new generation of optical atomic clocks is now set to increase
their precision by a factor of up to 100,000 by measuring higher frequencies in
the near IR and visible light range. Fraunhofer researchers are directly involved
in the project and working on miniaturized and robust laser systems for
ultracold atoms – the key component for viable and industry-ready optical
clocks.

5.2.2023

Deepfreeze electronics for supercomputers - Fraunhofer technology prepares quantum computing for industrial use
But for these machines to realize their full potential in new applications like artificial intelligence or machine learning, researchers are hard at work at perfecting the underlying electronics to process their calculations. A team at Fraunhofer IZM are working on superconducting connections that measure a mere ten micrometers in thickness, moving the industry a substantial step closer to a future of commercially viable quantum computers

5.2.2023

Safer urban skies: Controlling drone aviation above German cities
For the AKIRA project, Fraunhofer researchers have teamed up with industry partners to develop a novel ground-based radar platform to take the same monitoring capabilities to the world of unmanned aviation. Their vision is one of secure passenger and cargo flights with automated drones in the skies above Germany’s urban centers

26.1.2023

Saving jet fuel with flexible sensor stri
Researchers at Fraunhofer IZM are working on behalf of Airbus Central C&T to show how sensors could be integrated in the outer shell of aircraft fuselage to achieve robust and reliable measurements even in the tough conditions in the air.

Multiplex analysis with paramagnetic microparticles
Among many challenges, the COVID-19 pandemic also brought a surge of innovation in diagnostics. Within the shortest amount of time, reliable detection methods had to be developed, countless laboratories equipped, and several hundred thousand tests per week carried out. In the course of this, a team from the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT in Aachen has developed a new readout unit for paramagnetic particles in a microfluidic system

Sensor bracelet measures a range of environmental forces to improve the treatment of lung diseases
Tiny particulates or noxious gases: From the day they are born, all people are
exposed to a range of environmental forces. These forces constitute the
exposome and affect the health and wellbeing of people around the world -
November 2022

Pilot project RoKKa uses wastewater to produce fertiliser and raw materials
Project RoKKa which is used to prove the viability of recovering raw materials from wastewater. This adds a crucial function to the scope of a conventional sewage treatment plant. - March 2022

Turning harmful CO2 into useful chemicals
As part of the Max Planck collaborative project eBioCO2n, a team of researchers from Fraunhofer IGB have successfully performed a first ever fixation of CO2 via a multi-enzyme enzyme reaction driven by electricity yielding a prospective intermediate for the chemical industry.-
September 2021

The Laser of Tomorrow: Ultra-Fast, Ultra-Precise and Digital
The LASER World of PHOTONICS Industry Days took place from June 21 to 24,
2021. With this online event, Messe München – organizer of the world's largest
trade show for applied laser technology and photonics – offered its community
a high-quality program including market overviews, trend analyses and panel
discussion - July 2021

The washing machine touch display of the future : Researchers develop shape-adapted controls
In the research project "CoMoDo" (Communication Module Inside Door), the
technologies and processes needed for modern operating and display systems
were researched and developed using washing machines as an example. - July 2021

APPLAUSE for low-cost manufacturing of photonics, optics and electronics
Advanced packaging - complex assembly and interconnection technology for semiconductor components - has emerged as an essential technology for the integration of photonics, optics and electronics. - July 2021

HoLiB and MikroPuls: Two Lasers, Two Applications,
One Goal: Improving the Production of Battery Cells
In the BMBF project “HoLiB” and the AiF project “MikroPuls”, for example, scientists from Aachen are investigating how laser technology can be used to economically
contact and join dissimilar materials. - May 2021

Drugs against SARS-CoV-2: High-resolution X-ray cameras help to decode the virus
These high-resolution X-ray cameras aid a variety of advanced discoveries in medicine, biology, and chemistry. Most recently, for example, the analysis using the detector allowed a key enzyme for SARS-CoV-2 research to be investigated. - April 2021

Dual Yield on Arable Land: Guideline for Agrivoltaics Published
The dual use of arable land : Photovoltaic modules, which are mounted on a structure, generate renewable electricity and underneath agricultural crops grow. The approach increases land efficiency and could mitigate conflicts over the use of arable land in the future.
A laser that uses optical detection and AI evaluation to prevent infestation with harmful insects in warehouses and that is intended to replace the usual fumigation - März 2021

Laser Technology for Agriculture 4.0
A laser that uses optical detection and AI evaluation to prevent infestation with harmful insects in warehouses and that is intended to replace the usual fumigation -
February 2021