With sporting success from the Corona break
After a long Corona break, the inter-institutional exchange of the WGP could finally take place again in presence and in color. Since 1995, the network members of the WGP have met once a year. As part of a varied program of workshops, deeper insights into the research of the organizing institute, the sporting encounter was again on the agenda. Other institutes of the Production Engineering Center Hannover (PZH) were also represented here. In addition to the Institute for Forming Technology (IFUM) and the Institute for Factory Planning and Logistics (IFA), the Institute for Transport and Automation Technology (ITA) was also represented for the first time with its own team. In addition, 15 other teams from Hamburg, Munich, Berlin, Aachen, Darmstadt and from many other members of the WGP from all over Germany were represented.
In an intense group round, IFW was able to secure first place in its own group. In the quarter-finals, a 0-0 draw against the PTU from Darmstadt led to a nerve-wracking penalty shootout, which was finally won in favor of the IFW after both sides missed penalties. In the following semi-final, the team's strength dwindled, so that they had to admit defeat against ISW from Stuttgart with a score of 1:3. In order to be able to climb the podium, the IFW team mobilized all its strength and won against the IWB from Munich after another nerve-racking nine-meter shootout. The team was thus able to successfully end the tournament and defend the unofficial PZH championship. In the technically demanding final, the team from IWF from Braunschweig won against ISW Stuttgart and finished the tournament in the best weather. At the evening event in the experimental field of the IFW Stuttgart all teams came together again to finish the tournament.
To round off the second day, all participants got to know the research site of the IFU and the IFW in Stuttgart better. After the tour of the research projects on site, the institute director Prof. Dr.-Ing. Hans-Christian Möhring announced the placings and awarded the challenge cups to the applause of all teams.
"Last but not least, we are all winners of the tournament, because we managed to become active again after the pandemic and to exchange ideas, because the WGP also lives from this. We are already looking forward to the next meeting" H.-Christian Möhring closed the network meeting, which was acknowledged by all participants with great applause.
Background: WGP
The WGP is an association of leading German professors of production engineering with 70 members from 42 universities and unites about 2,000 scientists working in basic, applied and industrial research. In terms of subject matter, the orientation ranges from both metal-cutting and non-cutting manufacturing processes to the associated machines and systems, from robotics and assembly technology to questions of production management, work design and production logistics. "In cooperation with scientific institutes, social and political associations as well as industry, the WGP promotes innovation through research, development and knowledge transfer," says Prof. Dr. Drossel, describing the association's role. The WGP advises on research projects, helps shape the framework programs and thus drives communication and cooperation in the scientific and industrial environment. Other focal points are qualification through scientific training and the promotion of young engineers.
