Completed Research Projects

Molded interconnect devices (MIDs) are usually thermoplastic 3D substrate materials that are typically first laser direct structured (LDS) and then metallized with copper, nickel and gold without external current. In this process, the copper directly on the substrate acts as an electrical conductor,...

Although they rarely catch the eye, resistive sensors, which convert a mechanical load into an electrically measurable signal, have become indispensable in industry. They are used in weighing technology, in stress analysis, for example in structures such as bridges, or for torque measurement in mach...

If we want to successfully advance the energy transition, one component is indispensable in the area of energy generation and use: power electronics. Regardless of whether energy is generated by photovoltaic or wind turbines or used in e-cars, e-scooters and pedelecs, or even at home in heat pumps a...

The printing of conductive structures up to electronic assemblies has recently established itself as an alternative to conventional photolithographic processes, experiencing high growth qualitatively in terms of new use cases and quantitatively in terms of the production volume in a number of very d...

A significant problem in printed electronics is the incomplete sintering of conductive inks containing mirco- and nanoparticles - also known as skinning - and its consequences, such as associated economically suboptimal processes, reduced conductivity, poor surface quality and possible mechanical re...

Due to the general trend towards miniaturization, functional integration and increased component density, highly miniaturized components are becoming increasingly important. When processing smaller components, problems arise with the paste printing of solder due to dirty or clogged stencils as well ...

In order to enable autonomous driving at level 3 or higher, it is essential to manufacture the necessary sensor systems, such as new ultrasonic sensors with improved accuracy, in high quality, large quantities and at low cost. Due to the high requirements on these novel sensor designs, an innovative...

The ongoing miniaturization of electronic components is resulting in increasing requirements for solder paste printing, assembly and the soldering process within SMT production lines. Thanks to the large amounts of measurement data already available, models based on Machine Learning techniques lend ...

Light signals in optical waveguides can be used to transmit vast amounts of data quickly without interference. In the industrial and infrastructural sectors, e.g., in the automotive and aerospace industries, there is an increasing demand to exploit this potential further. What production processes s...

In comparison to conventional production processes, Additive Manufacturing entails a lot of advantages, especially when it comes to flexibility, realization of greater freedom of design and functional integration. Since the use of thermoplastic polymers is limited with regard to thermal stability an...

Helix antennas consist of a helical metallic conductor and allow circularly polarized electromagnetic waves to be transmitted and received. Antennas for circularly polarized waves have a wide range of applications, e.g. WLAN point-to-point connections (50 GHz), automotive radar (77 GHz) and imaging ...

The aim of the research project is to improve the implementation of MID technology with fast and flexible production of functional 3D-MID prototypes or small batches using stereolithography for the substrate and ADDIMID or Aerosol Jet process as metallization process.

The project ProPower is aimed to provide efficient and yield compliant system integration based on a technology platform to allow the mass production of power-logic-modules for future markets (e.g. automotive, drives, power technologies, renewable energies, plant engineering, lighting). The fol...

The Power Electronics Production Laboratory (short: PEP Lab) at the Institute for Factory Automation and Production Systems is an application center for the manufacturing processes of power electronic modules set up to support companies in the development and testing of power electronic components a...

In many areas users enter inputs within complex devices, trigger functions, or simply like to monitor the state of a device. This user interface can be realized in many different ways. The range is from turning knobs, pressure and toggle switches, analog dial instruments up to flat technology wi...

The use of thermodynamics analysis such as Exergy method as sustainability evaluation tool offers an interdisciplinary methodology to analyze the manufacturing systems and technologies. It is observed that a large quantity of available energy during the transformation process is inherently dim...

Laser cladding allows for a fast, flexible and direct plotting of electric conductive structures on MID. The surface of the substrate is *ively melted by a focused laser beam. Simultaneously, a metal powder is lead through a powder nozzle. This nozzle is oriented laterally or coaxially to the la...

As a tribute to the continuously increasing volume of data traffic, optical waveguides have become a serious alternative to electrical circuitries. The potential of precise space-resolved strain measurements or the capacity to transmit very large amounts of data are two examples of the benefic...

The goal of the research project is to increase the degree of automation for the production of casing elements in aircraft cabins. This is achieved by integrating the power and data supply system on the casing elements. Apart from the connection of electronic components like lamps or display t...

Due to rising energy prices and the environmental issues related to the high energy consumption, the demand for energy and resource efficiency experience a rising attention in the manufacturing industry in recent years. Within the E|Optistrom project methods are developed which promote a cons...

Power electronics is creating momentum in an increasing number of industries, from renewable energy to electrical mobility. The reliability of power electronic packages is the basis of successful products. To increase the lifetime of the assemblies and fully exploit the technological potential of to...

The conventional manufacturing technology of printed circuit boards is based on the photolithographic creation of planar conducting paths on copper plated dielectric material. Circuit boards with more than two conductive layers are produced by the conglutination of several layers. The individual...