Fraunhofer Institute for Mechanics of Materials IWM

Fraunhofer Institute for Mechanics of Materials IWM

EU projects

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Currently running EU projects

Concluded EU projects

Fraunhofer IWM participation in EU projects

The Fraunhofer IWM has long-standing experience actively participating as valuable partners in various types of EU projects. Therefore, international cooperations represent an essential part of our research activities.
The following list shows current and completed EU projects which include the participation of Fraunhofer IWM.

Currently running EU projects

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BLESSED
FEATHER
Green-Loop
nanoMECommons
DOME 4.0
OntoTrans
DEFACTO

BLESSED

The automotive industry urgently needs to accelerate the introduction of alternative powertrains for electrified vehicles. The hydrogenpowered Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells (PEMFCs) are carbon-free power devices for both mobile and stationary applications, but are currently lacking in efficiency, durability and affordability for widespread use. BLESSED aims at revolutionising the design process of next generation PEMFCs, for max. efficiency and longevity, with direct implications for clean energy and sustainable industry/mobility. BLESSED will train a generation of future researchers to solve Multi-Scale (MS) engineering challenges, from the electrons up to the device level, through a unique combination of multi-disciplinary numerical methods. Each length scale’s highly accurate method will be bridged to adjacent scales via Machine Learning (ML). Then, a top-down approach will be followed to optimise PEMFC and its components. With a strong focus on industrial applications, BLESSED will develop analysis/design methodologies to overcome current performance limitations of PEMFCs by minimising the Platinum group metal content and corrosion or maximising mass transport and electrical conductivity. BLESSED runs until January 31, 2027.

Contact:
Dr. Kerstin Falk
+49 761 5142-242

FEATHER

FEATHER targets developing a steel for next generation H2 cylinders, with UTS of 1.3GPa (a 30% increase versus the current solution), improved performance in high pressure H2, whilst guaranteeing safe performance. New metallurgical concepts will be investigated on laboratory scale for flat, billet as well as tube process routes and tested on their resistance to hydrogen embrittlement, hydrogen-microstructure interactions, fracture toughness and fatigue under high pressure H2. In an upscaling exercise, in-use properties will be tested on first batches of prototype pressure vessels. A coherency check and gap analysis (including FEM) between lab and prototype results will validate FEATHER's approach. FEATHER runs until December 31, 2026.

Contact:
Dr. Frank Schweizer
+49 761 5142-122

Green-Loop

The main objective of the EU project Green-Loop is the production of sustainable biobased composites, which substitute conventional materials, in closed and cost-efficient process cycles. Only natural, raw materials are to be used for the development and the manufactured products shall be recyclable. At the Center for High-Temperature Lightweight Construction (HTL), a so-called Wood Plastic Composite (WPC) material for sliding bearings is to be developed, which will be sufficiently pressure-resistant and has a friction coefficient of < 0.3 and a wear coefficient of approx. 10-4 mm³/(Nm). Green-Loop runs until August 31, 2025.

Contact:
Dr. Andreas Kailer
+49 761 5142-257

nanoMECommons

NanoMECommons will establish a transnational and multidisciplinary research and innovation network to tackle the problem of nanomechanical materials characterisation in multiple industries. The focus of NanoMECommons is to employ innovative nano-scale mechanical testing procedures in real industrial environments, by developing harmonised and widely accepted characterisation methods, with reduced measurement discrepancy, and improved interoperability and traceability of data. To achieve this goal, NanoMECommons will offer protocols for multi-technique, multi-scale characterisations of mechanical properties in a range of industrially relevant sectors, together with novel tools for data sharing and wider applicability across NMBP domain: reference materials, specific ontologies and standardised data documentation. nanoMECommons runs through December 2024.

Contact:
Dr. Dirk Helm
+49 761 5142-158

DOME 4.0

The Digital Open Marketplace Ecosystem (DOME) 4.0 aims at developing a comprehensive industrial data ecosystem aligned with the Open Science and Open Innovation objectives to enable sharing of business-to-business (B2B) data for the purpose of value generation and creation of new or enhanced products, processes, and services. DOME 4.0 will be open to all providers and users of data, and aims to facilitate maximum knowledge extraction with the help of ontology-driven semantic data interoperability and modern data processing technologies adopted from the fields of Machine Learning (ML) and Artificial Intelligence (AI). These features are crucial to scale and advance the proposed ecosystem to any sector of the economy. Given the significant contribution of the materials and manufacturing sectors to the European economy, DOME 4.0 focuses on data-driven knowledge generation within these key sectors. DOME 4.0 runs through November 2024.

Contact:
Dr. Jörg Hohe
+49 761 5142-340

OntoTrans

OntoTrans provides an ontology-based Open Translation Environment. Its Artificial Intelligence approach enables end users to represent in a standard ontological form their manufacturing process challenges and to connect them with relevant information sources and materials modelling solutions, capable to support optimal materials and process design.
OntoTrans is fully integrated into existing and emerging developments in materials and manufacturing, including integration with digital materials modelling marketplaces and open simulation platforms. Its footing on the European Materials Modelling Ontology ensuring wide interoperability and standardisation. OntoTrans runs through March 2024.

Contact:
Matthias Büschelberger
+49 761 5142-447

DEFACTO

The objective of DEFACTO is to develop multiphysics and multiscale modelling tools to improve the understanding of battery cell material behaviour and cell manufacturing processes aiming to reduce the time and economic resources for the market uptake of cell innovations. This approach will allow developing new high capacity and high voltage Li-ion cell batteries.

The computational simulation approach is a powerful tool to (i) tailor new optimum cell designs, (ii) optimize manufacturing steps of electrode processing and electrolyte filling, and (iii) shape new cell materials. The developments of DEFACTO will strengthen an innovative, sustainable, and competitive battery industry, positioning Europe as the forefront of this sector.

Our contribution at Fraunhofer IWM is the atomistic modeling of coupled mechano-chemical processes in Silicon-based anode materials. DEFACTO runs through December 2023.

Contact:
Dr. Daniel Mutter
+49 761 5142-415

OntoCommons

OntoCommons is an H2020 CSA project dedicated to the standardisation of data documentation across all domains related to materials and manufacturing. OntoCommons lays the foundation for interoperable, harmonised and standardised data documentation through ontologies, facilitating data sharing and pushing data-driven innovation, to bring out a truly Digital Single Market and new business models for European industry, exploit the opportunities of digitalisation and address sustainability challenges. OntoCommons runs through October 2023.

Contact:
Ebrahim Norouzi
+49 761 5142-545

REAXPRO

REAXPRO - Software Platform for Multiscale Modelling of Reactive Materials and Processes: ReaxPro aims to provide a a commercial modelling suite and software platform, accessible to the generalist user. It herefore has identified a set of academic software tools (EON, Zacros, CatalyticFOAM) which will be upscaled into easy-to-learn, user friendly, interoperable software that is supported and well documented. These tools will be further integrated with commercial software (ADF Modeling Suite) into an industry-ready solution for catalytic material and process design. REAXPRO runs through February 28, 2023.

Contact:
Dr. Joana Francisco Morgado
+49 761 5142-393

SIMDOME

SIMDOME - Digital Ontology-based Modelling Environment for Simulation of materials: SimDOME aims to develop an industry-ready software framework for materials modelling interoperability, based on EU/EMMC standards on materials modelling, by combining, further developing and adapting existing software developed within previous EU FP7-NMP projects SimPhoNy and MoDeNa, the H2020-NMBP project NanoDome and the FP7 ERC-AdG STRATUS. SimDOME achieves the highest level of interoperability through the standardization of the material users case (i.e. the material/process to be simulated, according to EMMC definitions) that are provided within the SimDOME framework by means of the European Materials Modelling Ontology (EMMO). SIMDOME runs through January 31, 2023.

Contact:
Dr. Joana Francisco Morgado
+49 761 5142-393

APACHE

APACHE - Active & intelligent PAckaging materials and display cases as a tool for preventive conservation of Cultural Heritage: The goal of APACHE is to develop a cutting edge technology to control and prevent the degradation of cultural heritage objects. The novel approach is based on three pillars: 1) advanced sensing and absorbing materials to control the artifacts’ environment; 2) modeling to define the threshold of artifacts’ degradation and to discriminate between the need for preventive or remedial conservation; 3) remote control of the works of art stressors. The unique combination of these pillars will reduce to the lowest possible level the costs actually required by conventional technology for art conservation. APACHE runs through June 30, 2022.

Contact:
Yoav Nahshon
+49 761 5142-375

EOSC-Pillar

EOSC-Pillar aims to coordinate national Open Science efforts across Austria, Belgium, France, Germany and Italy, and ensure their contribution and readiness for the implementation of the European Open Science Cloud (EOSC). The project aims to support the coordination and harmonization of national initiatives relevant to EOSC in Europe and investigate the option for them to interfederate at a later stage, help integrating initiatives and data/cloud providers through the development of common policies and tools, and facilitate user communities in adopting and using these services and propose new ones born from their scientific domain. To this end, the project will integrate a bottom-up approach (by voicing the requirements and needs expressed by the different scientific communities operating at the national level) and a top-down one (by harmonising the national strategies and translating them in a viable work plan). In the longer term, this is expected to facilitate the design and adoption of common policies and streamline the process of joining EOSC for service providers and user communities while helping populating the EOSC with useful services of wider European interest, based on the real needs and interests of the European scientific communities. In order to maximise this simplification process, the project will collaborate with related regional and thematic initiatives. EOSC-Pillar runs through June 2022.

Contact:
Dr. Torsten Kraft
+49 761 5142-248

INTERSECT

INTERSECT - Interoperable Material-to-Device simulation box for disruptive electronics: INTERSECT wants to leverage European leadership in materials’ modelling software and infrastructure, as embodied in track record of the team, to provide industry-ready integrated solutions that are fully compliant with a vision of semantic interoperability driven by standardized ontologies. The resulting IM2D framework - an interoperable material-to-device simulation platform - will integrate some of the most used open-source materials modelling codes (Quantum ESPRESSO and SIESTA) with models and modelling software for emerging devices (GinestraTM) via the SimPhony infrastructure for semantic interoperability and ontologies, powered by the AiiDA workflow engine, and its data-on-demand capabilities and apps interface. INTERSECT runs through January 31, 2022.

Contact:
Matthias Büschelberger
+49 761 5142-447

OYSTER

Open characterisation and modelling environment to drive innovation in advanced nano-architectured and bio-inspired hard/soft interfaces: OYSTER uses contact mechanics to bridge adhesion data at multiple length scales and link interfacial adhesion to physicochemical properties. OYSTER brings Europe’s first-class laboratories and SMEs to take existing nanoscale characterisation technologies towards widespread utilisation in process optimisation and model validation. OYSTER achieves this by sharing metadata in an Open Innovation Environment, where new paradigms of multi-scale contact mechanics are validated on selected application oriented reference materials through continuous interaction with the European Materials Characterisation Council (EMCC). OYSTER runs through November 30, 2021.

Contact:
Yoav Nahshon
+49 761 5142-375

MARKETPLACE

MARKETPLACE - Materials Modelling Marketplace for Increased Industrial Innovation: The concept of the MARKETPLACE is to leverage recent software engineering and ICT advances to collect, adapt and integrate all scattered modelling components from all fragmented materials modelling and industrial communities and provide a single point of access to all materials modelling activities in Europe. The main goal of the MARKETPLACE project is to design, create and maintain a sustainable web-based platform providing a central access point to all needed tangible and intangible modelling components and making them available to the entire materials modelling community. These include activities on databases, modelling, integrated open simulation platforms, and translation and knowledge services. The MARKETPLACE project is funded by Horizon 2020 under H2020-NMBP-25-2017 call with grant agreement number: 760173.

Contact:
Dr. Dirk Helm
+49 761 5142-158

FORCE

The project FORCE targets to develop and integrated Business Decision Support System (BDSS). The generic system is an open framework that connects any existing or future materials models at various levels of complexity and discretion (electronic, atomistic, mesoscopic, continuum and empirical), experimental data sets, and structured and unstructured commercial information (e.g. on cost, forecasting, intellectual property (IP)). The project has a generic focus but targets 3 specific important industrial sectors as main demonstrators, namely Personal Care (liquid detergents), Insulating Rigid PolyUrethane (PU) based Foams and Industrial Inks (PU-based) for the purpose of focusing and generating a real ready to use BDSS available to large, medium and small enterprises alike. FORCE runs through March 31, 2021.

Contact:
Dr. Torsten Kraft
+49 761 5142-248

RAISELIFE

Raising the Lifetime of Functional Materials for Concentrated Solar Power Technology.

The project RAISELIFE focuses on the challenges of materials for concentrated solar power (CSP). It brings together a broad consortium of leading industry partners, SMEs and research institutes exploring the fields of solar thermal and material science sectors. The project focuses on extending the in-service lifetime of five key materials for CSP: 1) protective and anti-soiling coatings for primary reflectors, 2) very high-reflective surfaces for heliostats, 3) high-temperature secondary reflectors, 4) receiver coatings, 5) corrosion resistant high-temperature metals and coatings for molten salts. RAISELIFE runs through March 31,2020.

Contact:
Dr. Wulf Pfeiffer
+49 761 5142-166
send email

ReduWearGuid

Reduction of wear on guiding components in hot strip mill

Guiding components in steel strip production have to bear a lot. They have to be highly resistant against abrasive and adhesive wear, thermal impact and corrosion. The project ReduWearGuid aims to reduce the wear on guiding components used in hot rolling mill (pinch roll, sideguides, conveyor rolls) by the application of a new type of lubricants, wear protective coatings or wear resistant materials. The main objectives are the increased life time of guiding components, the reduction of production costs and downtimes and the reduction of surface defects on the strip. The role of Fraunhofer IWM is to model and simulate guiding components, i.e. a) laying out the most suitable designs for guiding components made of ceramic (i.e., conveyer rolls and side guides ) which meet the demands of hot rolling application, b) Assessment of mechanical and thermal stresses generated under complex contact conditions in guiding components, c) Quantitative characterization of wear mechanisms on guiding components, d)Delivering an optimized and ceramic-friendly design for up-scaling process. ReduWearGuid runs trough June 30, 2020.

Contact:
Dr. Andreas Kailer
Telefon +49 761 5142-247
Send email

EMMC-CSA

European Materials Modelling Council

The eu project EMMC-CAS aims to establish current and forward looking complementary activities necessary to bring the field of materials modelling closer to the demands of manufacturers (both small and large enterprises) in Europe. Consequently, materials modelling and simulation will become an integral part of product life cycle management, thereby making a strong contribution to enhance innovation and competitiveness on a global level. EMMC-CSA ran through August 31, 2019.

Contact:
Dr. Adham Hashibon
+49 761 5142-287
send email

DURAMECH

Towards Best Practice for Bolted Connections in High Strength Steels

The goal of this eu project is to understand, predict and, finally, increase the fatigue resistance of bolted connections. These results will apply in the construction of moderately thick strength materials, used in applications for heavy machinery. Contemporary, design guidelines and best practice modelling techniques for these types of connection will be derived. Fraunhofer IWM contributes with characterization of materials (e.g. LCF Tests und Tension Torsion Tests), analyses of fractured surfaces, residual stress measurements, simulation of punching processes, etc. DURAMECH ran through August 31, 2019.

Contact:
Dr. Michael Luke
+49 761 5142-338
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CleanSky2

To develop environmental friendly technology is one of the main aims of today’s research. The eu project CleanSky2, part of the “Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Programme” addresses exactly to this issue. This Joint Technology Initiative, consisting of companies, universities, public laboratories, innovative SMEs and the European Commission develops technologies for the civil aircraft market to cut aircraft emissions and noise. Specific objectives are: 1) increasing aircraft fuel efficiency, thus reducing CO2 emissions by between 20 to 30%; and 2) reducing aircraft NOx and noise emissions by between 20 to 30% compared to “state-of-the-art” aircraft entering into service as from 2014. Fraunhofer IWM will contribute with the chromium (VI)-free surfaces and treatment of aluminium and aliminium alloys. CleanSky2 runs through December 31, 2018.

Contact:
Johannes Preußner
+49 761 5142-101
send email

Hercules 2

High Efficiency Rear Contact solar cells and Ultra powerful moduLES

The project HERCULES-2 - the next phase of the R&D program HERCULES on large engine technologies - targets the fuel-flexible large marine engine, optimally adaptive to its operating environment. The objectives of HERCULES-2 are associated to 4 areas of engine integrated R&D: Improving fuel flexibility for seamless switching between different fuel types, including non-conventional fuels; formulating new materials to support high temperature component applications; developing adaptive control methodologies to retain performance over the power plant lifetime; and achieving near-zero emissions, via combined integrated after treatment of exhaust gases. HERCULES-2 ran through April 30, 2018.

Contact:
Dr. Christoph Schweizer
Phone +49 761 5142-382
Send email

SimPhoNy

Simulation framework for multi-scale phenomena in micro- and nanosystems

SimPhoNy can be defined as the "Development of an integrated multi-scale modelling environment for nanomaterials and systems by design". The main concept is to augment existing open-source and commercial simulation tools and supplement them with sophisticated interface software libraries that allow for flow of information from one component to the other and from one scale to another. SimPhoNy ran through December 31, 2016.

Contact:
Yoav Nahshon
Phone +49 761 5142-375
Send email

iStress

Pre-standardization of incremental FIB micro-milling for intrinsic stress evaluation at the sub-micron scale

The aim of the iStress project is to develop and promote pre-standardization of an innovative, highly reproducible and automated family of protocols for the measurement and analysis of residual stress at the sub-micron-scale, which affect the properties and lifetime of a wide range of micro/nanostructured and amorphous materials, thin films, MEMS devices and engineering coatings. iStress ran through December 31, 2016.

Contact:
Prof. Dr. Chris Eberl
Phone +49 761 5142-495
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Iprocom

The development of in silico process models for roll compaction

IPROCOM is a multidisciplinary and inter-sectoral consortium, the goal of which is to address scientific and technology challenges in the manufacture of particulate products (pharmaceuticals, catalyst pellets, detergent tablets, fertilizer, biomass and metal components) through a coordinated and structured research training program. IPROCOM brings together experts from the engineering, pharmaceutical science, materials science and computer science disciplines and ran through December 31, 2016.

Contact:
Dr. Torsten Kraft
Telefon +49 721 4640-248
Send email

WinSmart

Smart Window System

The main goal WinSmart is to develop a smart window system that will contribute to meeting the energy efficiency targets of the building industry by 2020. This will be achieved through a new vacuum insulation glazing (VIG) solution combined with newly developed and robust switchable glazing systems mounted in durable and energy efficient sash and frame. WinSmart ran through September 30, 2016.

Contact:
Tobias Rist
Telefon +49 721 4640-430
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Z-Ultra

Z phase strengthened steels for ultra-supercritical power plants

The aim of Z-Ultra is to develop heat resistant steel which would increase the thermal efficiency of fossil power plants to over 50% - 30% higher than the present standard in most existing power plants - with CO2 emissions being reduced accordingly. The project ran through July 31, 2016.

Contact:
Prof. Dr. Hermann Riedel
Telefon +49 761 5142-103
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SIMCHAIN

Development of physically based simulation chain for microstructure evolution

The focus of SIMCHAIN is to establish a ready to use software set that predicts the influence of various process parameters on the resulting mechanical properties during additive manufacturing processes. The development of the simulation models will be accompanied by experiments to define essential material parameters and to calibrate, validate and optimize the derived models. SIMCHAIN ran through May 31, 2016.

Contact:
Dr. Dirk Helm
Phone +49 761 5142-158
Send email

SOLARGENIX

Visible-Light Active Metal Oxide Nano-catalysts for Sustainable Solar Hydrogen Production

The SOLARGENIX project investigated novel nanostructured photocatalysts starting from comprehensive theoretical and experimental investigations on visible-light active meta-oxides for photoelectrochemical splitting of water to target the environmental hydrogen production from saline water by sun illumination. SOLARGENIX ran through January 31, 2016.

Contact:
Dr. Leonhard Mayrhofer
Telefon +49 721 4640-388
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TWIP4EU

Material modeling of high strength TWIP steels

The aim of the TWIP4EU project was to develop a simulation framework to accurately model the complex deformation and forming behavior of TWIP steels. The developed model facilitated the introduction of TWIP steels in the automotive industry, with results also being highly beneficial to describe the crash behavior of TWIP steels.

Contact:
Dr. Alexander Butz
Telefon +49 761 5142-369
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ArtiVasc

Artificial vascularized scaffolds for 3D-tissue regeneration

The aim of the ArtiVasc project was to provide a micro- and nano-scale based manufacturing and functionalization technology for the generation of fully vascularized bio-artificial fatty tissue. By combining the fatty tissue with a dermal and epidermal cell layer a 3-layered skin equivalent is developed. ArtiVasc ran through October 31, 2015.

Contact:
Dr. Raimund Jaeger
Telefon +49 761 5142-284
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MACPLUS

Material-Component Performance-driven Solutions for Long-Term Efficiency Increase in Ultra Supercritical Power Plants

The aim of the MACPLUS project was to increase the net efficiency of coal-fired power plants by increasing the performance and reliability of some of the most critical components including: refractory materials of the combustion chamber, headers and pipeworks in existing coal-fired USC power plants, superheaters in high temperature oxidation / hot corrosion-erosion environments and boiler tubes coated with metallic alloys able to withstand co-combustion conditions. MACPLUS ran through June 30, 2015.

Contact:
Philipp von Hartrott
Telefon +49 761 5142-382
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MultiHy

Multiscale Modeling of Hydrogen Embrittlement

The aim of MultiHy was to develop industrially-relevant computational models to assist in the evaluation of the susceptibility of complex materials to hydrogen embrittlement under realistic service conditions. This was achieved by creating an advanced multiscale framework and applying it to real industrial problems involving hydrogen embrittlement. MultiHy ran through April 30, 2015.

Contact:
Dr. Matous Mrovec
Telefon +49 761 5142-375
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Dr. Wulf Pfeiffer
Telefon +49 761 5142-166
Send email

RoLiCer

Enhanced Reliability and Lifetime of Ceramic Components through Multi-Scale Modelling of Degradation and Damage

The main objective of the RoLiCer project was to construct a knowledge-based system for advanced ceramic materials to bridge the gap in knowledge between the microstructural properties and degradation phenomena. RoLiCer ran through December 1, 2014.

Contact:
Dr. Andreas Kailer
Telefon +49 761 5142-247
Send email

OPTS

Optimization of a Thermal Energy Storage System with Integrated Steam Generator

The OPTS project aimed to develop a novel thermal energy storage system based on a single tank configuration which used molten salt as the storage medium. OPTS ran through November 30, 2014.

Contact:
Dr. Wulf Pfeiffer
Telefon +49 761 5142-166
Send email

ORAMA

Oxide Materials for the Post-Silicon Electronics Era

The ORAMA project addressed a holistic approach to promote oxide electronics as a new technology at the cutting edge of the semiconductor industry. The oxide materials developed in ORAMA have a high potential to enable new electronic/IT products by enabling current Si-based functionalities to be implemented on flexible substrates and owing to their intrinsic transparent properties. ORAMA ran through September 30, 2014.

Contact:
Prof. Dr. Christian Elsässer
Telefon +49 761 5142-286
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Topography Evolution

A combined atomistic/continuum investigation of topography evolution

This project, coordinated by the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, used molecular dynamics and continuum methods, a hybrid atomistic/continuum approach aimed to reveal at which length-scale the continuum theory began to fail in its description of the basic plastic processes and what new phenomena occurred below this scale. Topography Evolution ran through April 30, 2014.

Topography Evolution

Contact:
Dr. Lars Pastewka
Telefon +49 761 5142-432
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CleanTools

Friction Welding Technology Enables Flexible Medical Instruments

The innovative CleanTools project developed a novel method to join Nitinol to stainless steel using a biocompatible interlayer. Prototype tests showed that the rotary friction welds developed by the CleanTools project meet the requirements for intramedullary reamers and showed better performance than established reamers. Cleaning, disinfecting and sterilizing have become easier, more efficient and more reliable, in turn reducing the risk of cross infection between patients. CleanTools ran through April 30, 2014.

Contact:
Dr. Dirk Helm
Telefon +49 761 5142-158
Send email