Current projects at the IFW

  • Ultra-precise positioning of workpieces due to hovering guidance system
    In microelectronics, optics, aerospace and medical technology, submicrometre tolerances and surface qualities are required for the production of parts and components. Ultraprecision machining is therefore unavoidable. Guiding systems are affected by interference effects such as friction and stick-slip effects. The DFG project "Media-free and contactless multicoordinate positioning system using ultrasonic levitation and magnetic guides" is researching a friction-free guide system used to precisely guide and move workpieces and tools.
    Led by: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Berend Denkena
    Team: M. Sc. Derin Tasyürek
    Year: 2023
    Funding: DFG
    Duration: 07/2023 – 07/2025
  • Integrated maintenance and production planning through decentralized maintenance forecasting
    Efficient production planning and control is in principle heavily dependent on precise and forward-looking maintenance planning. Based on sufficient data quality, machine failures should be correctly predicted in order to initiate necessary countermeasures such as rescheduling or rescheduling of orders as quickly as possible. Small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) are often unable to maintain such a database due to limited resources and the non-economic retrofitting of existing machines. Therefore, the goal of the joint project "BaSys4iPPS" is to develop a method for integrated production and maintenance planning for machine tools in the inventory of SMEs.
    Led by: Siebo Stamm (Lauscher Präzisionstechnik GmbH)
    Team: Marcel Wichmann
    Year: 2022
    Funding: BMBF
    Duration: 01/2022-12/2023
  • Load-optimized design of cutting edge microgeometries for industrial processes - DFG Knowledge Transfer
    For maximum performance, the microgeometry of cutting tools must be adapted to the material being machined and the loads present during use. The great potential of cutting edge rounding has so far been demonstrated in orthogonal and external longitudinal turning. For the application partner MAPAL Dr. Kress KG, internal turning in particular represents a relevant field of application, which is characterized by deviating contact conditions (effective rake and clearance angle) and loads. The application of load-optimized fillets for this process offers considerable potential for increasing tool performance.
    Led by: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Berend Denkena
    Team: Malte Kraeft
    Year: 2022
    Funding: DFG
    Duration: 01/2022-06/2024
    © IFW
  • ARGONAUT - Efficient and resource-saving production of aviation transmissions
    In the joint project ARGONAUT - "AircRaft GearbOx desigN And manUfacturing of Tomorrow", the Institute of Manufacturing Technology and Machine Tools (IFW) at the University of Hanover, in collaboration with the company Liebherr Aerospace and other research centers, is investigating the optimization of the design and manufacturing process of gearboxes for aircraft. On the one hand, the IFW is investigating resource-efficient machining by means of adapted cooling lubrication strategies and, on the other hand, the design of innovative turning processes to increase productivity and process reliability by means of virtual process design.
    Led by: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Berend Denkena
    Team: Marita Murrenhoff (IFW Hannover), Felix Zender (IFW Hannover), RWTH Aachen, Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, TU München, TU Chemnitz
    Year: 2022
    Funding: BMWK
    Duration: 01/2022 – 03/2025
    © IFW
  • Non-contact aerostatic magnetic guide for machine tools
    The purpose of a guide is to limit the movement of an element to movement in a single direction. Guides are used in machine tools to precisely guide tools and workpieces. Within the scope of this research project, a new frictionless grip-free guide is being developed that actively compensates for unevenness in the guide surfaces and significantly reduces the manufacturing costs of guides. The area of application is to be large machine tools.
    Led by: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Berend Denkena
    Team: Jonathan Blanz
    Year: 2022
    Funding: DFG
    Duration: 04/2022 – 10/2024
    © IFW
  • Development of an actively damped boring bar by means of a pulsed jet of cooling lubricant
    The susceptibility to vibration and chatter of long projecting BS leads to lower productivity. In the KSS-Puls project, a novel system is being developed to reduce the vibration of long projecting boring bars (BS). So far, the market only offers options for active damping of thicker boring bars. Pulsation of the cooling lubricant is to be used to achieve space-saving vibration damping, which can be used in boring bars with diameters of 16 mm and less.
    Led by: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Berend Denkena
    Team: Moritz Wickmann
    Year: 2022
    Funding: AiF Projekt GmbH
    Duration: 08/2021-11/2023
    © IFW
  • More efficient injection molds
    In the future, cooling channel structures are to ensure more efficient molds and more precise as well as faster process control in the injection molding sector. Within the framework of the "Central Innovation Program for SMEs", or ZIM Guideline for short, Konstruktionsbüro Hein GmbH (KB Hein), the IFW - Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Machine Tools and the IKK - Institute for Plastics and Closed-Loop Technology, both institutes of Leibniz University, are working together on this development.
    Led by: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Berend Denkena (IFW)
    Team: M. Sc. Henke Nordmeyer (IFW)
    Year: 2022
    Funding: ZIM
    Duration: 03/2022-02/2024
    © ZIM
  • Application behavior of sintered metal diamond grinding wheels with chemically bonded abrasive grains
    Metallically bonded diamond grinding wheels mostly use a bond system based on copper or bronze. A chemical bond, e.g. by forming a carbide layer between the bond and the diamond, has the potential to increase the grain retention forces and the wear resistance and thus to improve the performance of the grinding wheel. The process parameters during the sintering process, as well as the composition of the bond system used, play a significant role in the bonding of the diamonds to the bond matrix. At present, the influence of the manufacturing process on the subsequent application behavior of grinding wheels - in contrast to geometrically determined cutting tools - has not yet been coherently developed.
    Led by: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Berend Denkena
    Team: Roman Lang
    Year: 2022
    Funding: DFG
    Duration: 07/2020 – 07/2023
    © La/108640©IFW
  • Increasing energy efficiency along the process chain for the production of carbide tools
    The main objective of the planned project is to reduce energy requirements in the manufacture of carbide tools along the entire process chain. This includes researching and optimizing the processes of raw material synthesis, shaping, green machining, sintering and grinding.
    Led by: Prof. Dr.-Ing. Berend Denkena, Dr.-Ing. Nicolas Beer
    Team: Lars Ellersiek, Thomas Geschwind
    Year: 2021
    Funding: BMWI
    Duration: 03/2021-02/2024
    © El/99659 © IFW
  • Intelligent machine tool
    Self-stimulated vibrations are the main reason for poor surface quality of the work piece and reduced productivity of machine tools. A high level of expertise is required for setting up a high-productivity process with high process reliability. The development of an "intelligent machine tool", which adapts process parameters such as cutting depth / width, spindle speed and feed rate autonomously to the specific conditions in order to enable a productive and at the same time stable process is the objective of this project. The productivity and working accuracy of machine tools are limited not only by the drive power, but mainly by the dynamic machine properties. Under unfavorable conditions, the static and dynamic forces occurring in the process can lead to chatter vibrations. These self-stimulated vibrations are also noticeable on the work piece surface due to so-called chatter marks. The chatter marks can cause surface tolerances not to be met. The occurrence of chatter vibrations depends on various process variables, such as the depth of cut / and width or the spindle speed. The selection of suitable parameters requires a lot of time for experiments and calculations, expensive measuring equipment and a high level of expert knowledge. The objective of this project is the development and prototypical implementation of an "intelligent machine tool". During the process this machine successively learns at which parameters the process is stable and at the same time as productive as possible. By doing so, the parameters in the process are then adjusted autonomously in such a way that chatter vibrations are avoided, but nevertheless the highest possible material removal is achieved. For this project, the investigations are carried out on the "feeling machine", which uses process-internal sensors to determine the process forces. Methods from the field of artificial intelligence are used for the autonomous adaptation of the process parameters. In this way the feeling machine becomes a learning and intelligent machine in this project.
    Year: 2019
    Funding: DFG
    Duration: 10/2018 - 09.2021
  • SFB 1153 - B5: Machine technology for productive machining of hybrid workpieces
    In the subproject B5 ("Machine technology for productive machining of hybrid workpieces"), massively formed components made of different material combinations are processed by means of turning, milling and drilling operations. The aim is to carry out an automatic, process-integrated detection of the joining zone in order to achieve a material-dependent adaptation of the process parameters and thus to increase the process quality.
    Year: 2019
    Funding: DFG
    Duration: 07/2019 - 06/2023
  • Process control for wheelset machining (PRORAD)
    Different load histories of train wheels lead to high variance of material properties on the running surface. Thus, it is difficult to determine general machining parameters for reprocessing and to implement a robust process monitoring system. An online measurement of material properties by means of the Barkhausen effect is applied to allow the definition of individual machining parameters for each sample. In addition, the acoustic emission of the cutting tool is measured and evaluated in conjunction with the material properties to improve the process control.
    Year: 2018
    Funding: ZIM
    Duration: 03/18 - 02/20
  • Opti5Grind - Innovative 5-axis grinding of free-form surfaces
    Influences of pitch and yaw angle in grinding operations are investigated to gain a deeper understanding of their effect on surface quality. Afterwards, new strategies on freeform grinding using a moving contact point will be developed.
    Year: 2018
    Funding: ZIM
    Duration: 07/17 - 06/19
  • Characterization of sintered metal bonded diamond grinding wheels
    The aim of the project is an overall model, which shows the grinding wheel characteristics and its application behavior fromthe production through the application and to the process result closely. For this purpose, it is necessary to work simultaneously and in close cooperation in the areas of sintering technology, grinding technology and modeling. In this way, adjustable properties and interactions can be identified and analyzed with regard to their process relevance and quantifiability.
    Year: 2018
    Funding: MWK
    Duration: 06/15 - 06/19
  • Investigation of the function of a new type of milling tool designed for roughing and finishing operations
    The productivity in machining is often limited by self-excited vibrations, so-called chatter. To improve the process stability, flank face chamfers can be used, which have a damping effect due to the contact with the workpiece surface, but at the same time lead to a deteriorated surface quality. Therefore, in this project, a tool geometry is examined, which has both sharp and chamfered radially recessed tooths.
    Year: 2018
    Funding: DFG
    Duration: 07/17 - 30/06
  • Structured grinding wheel 2
    In profile grinding, the thermal load due to insufficient coolant supply is a challenge. The approach of microstructured grinding wheels faces this challenge as the coolant flow is increased and process forces are decreased by this method. Throughout this project, the capability to modify profile grinding wheels is investigated as well as the influence of such structures on the resulting workpiece properties.
    Year: 2018
    Funding: AiF
    Duration: 05/17 - 04/19
  • Innovative wire sawing tool for processing steel (InnoSeil)
    Wire sawing process has become increasingly important when cutting steel within a dry process. Currently used tools does not meet the requirements of this application satisfactorily. The aim of the project „InnoSeil“ which is supported by the BMBF is to develop an innovative wire sawing tool, whose tool life and productivity are significantly superior to conventional reference tools.
    Year: 2018
    Funding: BMBF
    Duration: 12/17 - 11/20
  • Investigation of the bonding mechanisms between framework and veneering material of all-ceramic tooth restorations
    The use of all-ceramic dental restorations based on zirconium oxide has steadily increased since the 1990s. The necessary manufacturing steps up to the finished restoration influence the bonding between the framework and the veneering material, often the restoration fails due to chipping. The exact mechanisms and relationships are currently not completely known, therefore the influence of the process chain on the bonding mechanisms between framework and veneering materials of all-ceramic dental restorations is examined in detail in this project.
    Year: 2018
    Funding: DFG
    Duration: 02/16 - 01/19
  • Electro Contact Discharge Dressing of multi-layer wire rope grinding tools for reinforced concrete and steel processing (KESS)
    The goal of this research project is to qualify multi-layered abrasive beads for the cutting of pure metal structures and thereby increase the productivity of the dismantling process. In order to compensate for the lack of self-sharpening effect, the multi-layered abrasive beads have to be sharpened in an adopted dressing process . Electro Contact Discharge Dressing (ECDD) will be used due to the metal binding of the beads.
    Year: 2018
    Funding: BMBF
    Duration: 09/16 - 08/19
  • Grinding strategies for local, load-oriented edge zone modification of tools for sheet-bulk metal forming
    Forming tools for sheet-bulk metal forming are under locally varying loads during the forming process. The grinding step during manufacturing of these tools can be used to induce locally optimized residual stresses. These stresses reduce the work loads of the tools and therefore extend its lifetime.
    Year: 2018
    Funding: DFG
    Duration: 01/17 - 12/20
  • Advanded Methods for Machine and Process Monitoring
    In the research project “Advanced Methods for Machine and Process Monitoring”, a modular process monitoring system is developed in cooperation with DMG MORI CO., LTD. It contains modules for single item- and series production process monitoring and focusses on minimizing the respective manual parameterization effort.
    Year: 2018
    Funding: DMG MORI CO., LTD.
    Duration: 10/17-09/18
  • Systematic investigation of the grinding and dressing process of PCBN cutting inserts
    Indexable inserts made of polycrystalline boron nitride (PCBN) are characterized by high hardness and high heat resistance. Efficient and quality-optimized grinding strategies for these cutting tools enable a significant reduction in manufacturing costs and an increase in the surface quality of finished components. The systematic investigation of the grinding and dressing process of the PCBN cutting inserts will provide appropriate strategies.
    Year: 2018
    Funding: DFG
    Duration: 03/17 – 02/2019
  • Influence of the manufacturing induced material condition on the load induced residual stress relaxation behavior
    This project is a common research project between German and Brazilian institutions. The funding is provided by DFG and CAPES. The goal of this project is the investigation of the relaxation of residual stresses and the underlying mechanisms. The finishing manufacturing steps are costumized based on the gained knowledge about the relaxation.
    Year: 2018
    Funding: DFG/CAPES
    Duration: 06/17 - 05/19
  • Improvement of part life span by influencing the surface integrity machined with the hybrid process combination turn-rolling
    Turn-rolling is an efficient way of machining high-performance components. Simultaneous turning and deep rolling not only shortens process times, but also compensates for the adverse effects on the edge zone of the workpiece during turning.
    Year: 2018
    Funding: DFG
    Duration: 11/17 - 10/20
  • Projekt DBU
    Resource efficiency enhancement by innovative high-performance surface and microgeometry optimization of high speed steel (HSS) for metal cutting.
    Year: 2018
    Funding: DBU (Deusche Bundesstiftung Umwelt)
    Duration: 0416 - 09/18
  • Accurate and fast geometry acquisition and data evaluation of ship surfaces for efficient coating processes - FINISH
    The joint project FINISH investigates the exact and fast acquisition of geometry as well as data evaluation for increasing efficiency in the coating process of luxury yachts. At the IFW, a methodology is developed to generate an aesthetically and technologically optimized CAD target model from a point cloud of the raw state.
    Year: 2018
    Funding: BMWi
    Duration: 03/16 - 02/19
  • SFB 653 - T09: Operation accompanying, adaptive work planning and production control
    The aim of the transfer project T09 is to transfer the acquired basic knowledge into application. To this end, the method for adaptive work planning and production control will be further developed in an application-oriented manner and transferred to the Fauser MES of Fauser AG and linked to the BDE in Fauser. At the project partner Bornemann Gewindetechnik GmbH & Co. KG, the method is used in practice and is tested and validated in this way.
    Year: 2018
    Funding: DFG
    Duration: 01.07.2017 - 30.06.2019
  • Integration of additive manufacturing processes into the industrial process-, production- and IT-chain (PR0F1T)
    Additive manufacturing (AM) offers high potential in the area of resource-efficient production of components with complex geometries, especially for expensive materials and small batch sizes. However, there are a number of challenges to these advantages. For example, the achievable dimensional accuracy and surface quality is generally not sufficient, so that machining of the components is necessary. Due to the different planning processes and technological boundary conditions in additive or machining production, there is currently only insufficient compatibility of the planning data and there is no continuous development chain. The BMBF-funded joint project PR0F1T aims to develop solutions for these challenges.
    Year: 2018
    Funding: BMBF
    Duration: 01.01.2017 - 31.12.2019
  • Energy-efficient, flexible and economical manufacturing systems for fiber composites (EFFECTIVE)
    The objective of the research project Effective is the first-time development, research and demonstration of an efficient, intelligent and cost-effective machine tool for processing fibre-reinforced plastics using a combination of machine tool and robot technologies. By optimizing the design, machine costs are reduced by more than 25 %. In addition, intelligent control for the dust-exhaust and use of lightweight materials in the machine structure reduce the energy costs by 25 % compared to today's machine tools.
    Year: 2018
    Funding: This research project is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) within the programme "Innovations for the production, services and work of tomorrow" and is supervised by the Project Management Agency Karlsruhe (PTKA).
    Duration: 01.01.2016 - 31.12.2018
  • SFB 1153 - B4: Function-adapted process planning for the machining of hybrid components
    The machining has, as a final step in the process chain of solid components production over the manufactured surface and subsurface properties, a significant influence on the application behaviour and the life span of components. A possibility to use this knowledge already in the design phase of the component to define a machining strategy does not exist yet. Hence, the aim of the subproject B4 is to connect the design of a component with its process planning.
    Year: 2017
    Funding: DFG
    Duration: 07/2019 - 06/2023