What Really Happens on the Assembly Line? High-precision Localization Promises More Transparency!
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- Written by Fraunhofer-Institut für Zuverlässigkeit und Mikrointegration IZM
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A miniature transponder helps localize tools at manual assembly stations. Fraunhofer IZM has developed a specialized transponder in the joint NaLoSysPro project to track and record safety-critical assembly tasks in industry with precise location data. The project was completed in 2018, and the innovative transponder is showcasing the capabilities of Fraunhofer IZM’s Wafer Level System Integration team to the manufacturing community.
Hollow Structures in 3D
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- Written by Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg im Breisgau
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Quartz glass is the preferred material for applications that require long-term use because of its high chemical and mechanical stability and excellent optical properties. The engineer Prof. Dr. Bastian E. Rapp from the Department of Microsystems Engineering (IMTEK) at the University of Freiburg and his team have developed the Glassomer process, a method that enables scientists to shape glass like plastic. In the scientific journal “Nature Communication”, they recently presented a new application: They are now able to produce three-dimensional hollow structures in quartz glass.
Designer Organelles in Cells Produce Synthetic Proteins
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- Written by Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz
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A research team led by biophysical chemist Professor Edward Lemke has engineered a designer organelle in a living mammalian cell in a new complex biological translation process. The created membraneless organelle can build proteins from natural and synthetic amino acids carrying new functionalities. For example, scientists might incorporate fluorescent building blocks into proteins via the organelle that allow a glimpse inside the cell using imaging methods. The research work now published in Science was a collaboration of Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz (JGU), the Institute of Molecular Biology (IMB) and the European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL).
Hannover Messe 2019: BAM Conducts Research on 3D-printed Concrete Components
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- Written by Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung (BAM)
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Hannover, 01/04/2019. The Bundesanstalt für Materialforschung und -prüfung (BAM) will present their research on additive manufacturing methods for complex concrete components at the Hannover Messe 2019. These methods could be used to produce tailor-made components for sewage systems quickly and economically in the future. Prototypes of various 3D printed components will be on display for those attending the trade fair.
“Biological Bandage” Could Help Heal Wounds
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- Written by Universität Bremen
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Scientists at the University of Bremen have now developed a three-dimensional protein structure in the laboratory that could help to heal wounds in the future. It is conceivable that one day this network could be produced as a kind of “biological bandage” from the blood of the person who will use it. The development is now patent pending.
Magnetic Micro-boats
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- Written by Max-Planck-Institut für Polymerforschung
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Nano- and microtechnology are promising candidates not only for medical applications such as drug delivery but also for the creation of little robots or flexible integrated sensors. Scientists from the Max Planck Institute for Polymer Research (MPI-P) have created magnetic microparticles, with a newly developed method, that could pave the way for building micro-motors or guiding drugs in the human body to a target, like a tumor. The preparation of such structures as well as their remote-control can be regulated using magnetic fields and therefore can find application in an array of domains.
“Showcasing the Bioeconomy” – Bio-based Products and Research Highlights at Hannover Fair 2019
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- Written by BioEconomy e. V.
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Visitors will have the opportunity to experience the bioeconomy’s latest product innovations and research findings at Hannover Messe. Other types of events, such as the International Bioeconomy Conference, promote the establishment of international partnerships and drive economic change towards a bioeconomy.
Nineteen research projects currently being funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the Federal Ministry of Food and Agriculture (BMEL) will be presented at the joint stand “Showcasing the Bioeconomy” at Hannover Messe 2019. We are co-exhibitors with our cluster partners.
Additive Printing Processes for Flexible Touchscreens: Increased Materials and Cost Efficiency
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- Written by INM - Leibniz-Institut für Neue Materialien gGmbH
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The INM - Leibniz Institute for New Materials has developed new processes with photochemical metallization and printing (gravure printing, inkjet printing) of transparent conductive oxides (TCOs), which are significantly more time- and cost-saving. These will be presented by the scientists at this year's Hannover Messe from 1 to 5 April at Stand C54 in Hall 5.
3D Printers to Produce Precisely Fitting Plastic Parts for Lightweight Construction
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- Written by Technische Universität Kaiserslautern
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3D printers are becoming ever more important: they can be used to quickly produce the desired products. Researchers at Technische Universität Kaiserslautern are also working with this system: in order to optimize the printing result for plastics, they examine the conditions required during printing. In this context, the composition of the material also plays a role. With their fibre-reinforced plastic, they rely on fibres that are completely built into the plastic like a string. This is interesting, for example, for the lightweight construction of vehicles. They will present their work at the Hannover Messe from 1 to 5 April at the Rhineland-Palatinate research stand (Hall 2, Stand B40).
HMI 2019: Conductive Metal-polymer Inks for Inkjet Printing: Flexible Electronics Without Sintering
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- Written by INM - Leibniz-Institut für Neue Materialien gGmbH
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The INM – Leibniz Institute for New Materials presents hybrid inks for inkjet printing that contain metal nanoparticles coated with conductive polymers. The inks can be formulated in water and in other polar solvents and are suitable to print conductive structures on a range of substrates without any subsequent thermal or UV treatment. Standard metal inks require annealing after inkjet printing to become conductive. INM’s new inks obviate this step, making them compatible with many substrates including thin polymer foils and paper.
Touchscreens go 3D with Buttons that Pulsate and Vibrate Under Your Fingertips
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- Written by Universität des Saarlandes
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By pulsing or vibrating on demand, smartphone screens can help users navigate through a menu or can guide a user’s finger to virtual on-screen buttons that can be created or removed wherever and whenever needed. Professor Stefan Seelecke and his team at Saarland University have developed a film that gives touchscreens a third dimension. The thin and extremely lightweight silicone film can adopt a variety of positions and shapes and can be made to execute a single pulse, a pushing motion, a sudden jolt or a prolonged vibration at a specific location on the screen. The polymer film also exhibits sensor properties and can therefore provide the device with an added sense organ.
Lightweight Metal Foams Become Bone Hard and Explosion Proof After Being Nanocoated
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- Written by Universität des Saarlandes
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Strong enough not only for use in impact protection systems in cars, but able to absorb the shock waves produced by a detonation. Those are just some of the properties shown by the metallic foams developed by materials scientists Stefan Diebels and Anne Jung at Saarland University. Their super lightweight and extremely strong metal foams can be customized for a wide range of applications. The inspiration for the new foam system came from nature: bones. Using a patented coating process, the Saarbrücken team is able to manufacture highly stable, porous metallic foams that can be used, for example, in lightweight construction projects.
New Diagnostic Options: Physicists Lower Threshold for Detecting Extremely Weak Magnetic Signals
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- Written by Universität des Saarlandes
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Physicists at Saarland University have developed magnetic field sensors that are breaking sensitivity records and opening up a whole range of potential new applications, from non-contact measurements of the electrical activity in the human heart or brain to detecting ore deposits or archaeological remains deep underground. Professor Uwe Hartmann and his research team have developed a system that allows them to detect weak magnetic signals over large distances in normal environments (no vacuum, no low temperatures, no shielding), despite the presence of numerous sources of interference.
Economical Engines Due to Less Friction
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- Written by Fraunhofer-Institut für Werkstoff- und Strahltechnik IWS
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Together with the automotive industry, researchers at the Fraunhofer IWS have been working to develop processes for friction-reducing surfaces of engine components over the past few years. Now, carbon dioxide emissions can be reduced even further by enhancing surface technology. The Dresden Institute is researching in this direction with various partners in the joint project "Prometheus".
Light and Strong: Hybrid Lightweight Components Made of Steel and Fiber-reinforced Plastics
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- Written by Fraunhofer-Institut für Produktionstechnologie IPT
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In recent years there has been a sharp increase in demand for lighter components for applications in mobility and transport in response to the need to save weight, and therefore energy and resources. Hybrid components made of steel, locally functionalized with fiber-reinforced plastics combine high mechanical performance with low weight. Demand for manufacturing processes conducive to cost-effective mass-production is burgeoning.
New Key Players in the Methane Cycle
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- Written by Max-Planck-Institut für Marine Mikrobiologie
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Methane is not only a powerful greenhouse gas, but also a source of energy. Microorganisms therefore use it for their metabolism. They do so much more frequently and in more ways than was previously assumed, as revealed by a study now published in Nature Microbiology by researchers from the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology and Jiao Tong University in Shanghai.
