Fraunhofer IWU: Expansion of the plastics centre in Zittau

The state-of-the-art machinery now includes innovative systems for the additive manufacturing of large metal and plastic components, for example for aviation, energy plant construction or the construction industry, as well as machines for the economical production of natural fibre-reinforced lightweight structures - for example for cladding parts in cars and rail vehicles. In the presence of Saxony's Minister President Michael Kretschmer and Prof. Reimund Neugebauer, President of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, the Fraunhofer IWU officially opened its extension and new technical centre in Zittau yesterday.

The Upper Lusatia Plastics Centre has been part of the Fraunhofer IWU since 2016, and researchers from the institute have been working on plastics and lightweight construction technologies in a small project group in Zittau since 2011. Since then, the scientists in the three-county region have been cooperating with the predominantly small and medium-sized companies in Upper Lusatia, but also with large companies throughout Germany.

Prof. Sebastian Scholz, head of the now significantly enlarged research centre: "With the expansion, we can now provide attractive workplaces for 44 scientists instead of the previous 20. This means that we also have literally expanded opportunities in applied research for and with companies, but also in basic research and in the practical training of students at the neighbouring Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences. With the new facilities, particularly in additive manufacturing and the processing of sustainable lightweight structures, the Plastics Centre offers an excellent technological basis for research into economical and sustainable manufacturing processes and components.“

Partnership with the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences on a new level
A strong partnership has developed between the Fraunhofer Plastics Centre Oberlausitz and the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences in recent years. The Fraunhofer IWU is also linked to the university in terms of personnel via the Chair of Functionally Integrated Plastics Technologies held by Prof Scholz. Scientists from Fraunhofer and the Chair work in the same building and co-operate in joint R&D projects. The collaboration and mutual use of infrastructure are regulated by a cooperation agreement. One example: two new large plastics processing machines from the university are housed in the new IWU research hall and can therefore be used by both partners. The new hydraulic hot press with movable table and 2,000 tonnes of pressing force is used to produce fibre composite components, for example with natural fibres or bio-based carbon fibres. Together with customers, the researchers can now produce real components and assess them with a view to later series production instead of being limited to test parts in the laboratory scale.

The new hybrid machining centre, which is based on a CNC-controlled portal milling system, also complements the machinery. This machining centre enables both additive component production based on an extruder working with standard plastic granulate and (subtractive) milling. Both processes are combined automatically. The portal system can print components up to 60 cubic metres in size and process them downstream. The dimensions of this new 3D printing milling centre allow, for example, the production of large-volume moulding tools, as well as architectural elements such as individual façades, furniture, etc.

Metallic 3D printing processes are also new to the site and the technical centre will be researching these in close cooperation with the Fraunhofer IWU site in Dresden in the future. In particular, the researchers in Zittau now have access to one of the largest and most powerful printing systems currently available. The aim is to be able to research large, industry-relevant components and tools.

Thanks to the expanded machinery, the Plastics Centre can also intensify its research into industrial processes for the production of complex lightweight components made from fibre-reinforced plastics, for example with recycled content, natural fibres and other biogenic fillers. An important incubator for research into economic manufacturing processes for natural fibre-reinforced plastics (NFRP) at the Zittau site is the research centre for natural fibre-reinforced plastics (NFRP), which has approx. The major research project „Lander³“ (Lausitzer Naturfaserverbundwerkstoffe Dezentrale Energie, Rohstoffe, Ressourcen, Recycling) of the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research and industry to the tune of around twelve million euros.