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  • The Fraunhofer IST at LASER World of PHOTONICS 2025 / 2025

    Infrared optics for extreme demands

    Press Release / June 06, 2025

    The infrared range is relevant for many new applications, from Earth observation to defense. Here, the sputtered layers of different materials shown here promise outstanding optical performance and improved environmental resistance, which have been qualified in various standardized tests.
    © Fraunhofer IST

    High-performance, environmentally stable infrared optics are essential for modern applications in analytics, security and aerospace. At LASER World of Photonics 2025, the Fraunhofer Institute for Surface Engineering and Thin Films IST will be presenting newly developed coating solutions that offer maximum precision and long-term stability – even under extreme conditions.

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  • Frank Neumann, Ricarda-Laura Sack, Joachim Koschikowski and Simone Kondruweit-Reinema (from left) received the Innovations for a Better Future award from the Fraunhofer Future Foundation.
    © Fraunhofer / Piotr Banczerowski

    Around the world, there is a lack of comprehensive medical care for people living in remote areas. Researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Surface Engineering and Thin Films IST and the Fraunhofer Institute for Solar Energy Systems ISE have devised a solution for this in the PreCare project: a flexible, modular health platform that can be installed on the bed of a pickup truck. It is already in use in South Africa and Namibia. The team was presented with the Innovations for a Better Future award from the Fraunhofer-Zukunftsstiftung (Fraunhofer Future Foundation) for this development.

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  • The Fraunhofer IST at LASER World of PHOTONICS 2025 / 2025

    Compact hyperspectral imaging through integrated interference filters

    Press Release / June 04, 2025

    The extremely compact hyperspectral filter unites three linearly variable bandpass filters on a substrate that is only 10 mm in size. In the finished instrument, this filter sits directly in front of the camera chip and enables high-precision spectral analyses.
    © Fraunhofer IST

    For a long time, hyperspectral imaging was considered complex and space-consuming. New technologies are, however, now paving the way for compact and efficient solutions. Interference filters that can be integrated directly into CMOS image sensors enable customized spectral analyses in the smallest of spaces. They thereby open up new application possibilities in environmental monitoring, agriculture and industrial quality assurance. The Fraunhofer Institute for Surface Engineering and Thin Films IST will be providing an insight into this key optical-sensor technology on the Fraunhofer joint stand at this year’s LASER World of Photonics in Munich.

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  • The Fraunhofer IST at automatica 2025 / 2025

    Innovative thin-film sensor technology enables automated real-time quality control in plastic injection molding

    Press Release / June 02, 2025

    Tool insert with thin-film sensors for plastic injection molding.
    © Fraunhofer IST, Martin Rekowski

    For the resource-conserving and, at the same time, economical production of plastic components, the utilization of intelligent, automated processes is crucial. At automatica 2025, the Fraunhofer Institute for Surface Engineering and Thin Films IST will be showcasing an innovative sensor system that records process data such as temperature and pressure in real time - directly in the tool. The wear-resistant thin-film sensors and the adoption of machine learning methods enable precise monitoring, automated quality assurance and sustainable optimization of the injection-molding process.

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  • New simulation approaches from the Fraunhofer IST aim to improve the interaction between simulation and practice / 2025

    Digital tools for industrial process development

    Press Release / May 21, 2025

    Dr. Dennis Barton, Team Leader Simulation, explains the new simulation approaches at Fraunhofer IST with the help of a monitor.

    Whether in vacuum coating or water treatment, simulations are indispensable tools for research and development. They make it possible to reduce the number of physical tests, configure processes more efficiently and save valuable resources. Until now, however, their utilization has generally been reserved for specialized experts. The Fraunhofer Institute for Surface Engineering and Thin Films IST is going to fundamentally change this - with a new approach that takes simulation out of the expert niche and transfers it directly into industrial practice.

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  • New international standard creates reliable test basis for photocatalytic self-cleaning surfaces / 2025

    Fraunhofer IST successfully contributes towards the publication of ISO standard 10678

    Press Release / April 09, 2025

    Methylene blue measuring facility in accordance with DIN 52980.
    © Fraunhofer IST

    Through its expertise, the Fraunhofer Institute for Surface Engineering and Thin Films IST has provided a significant contribution towards the successful revision and publication of the international standard ISO 10678. The standard regulates the procedure for determining the photocatalytic activity of surfaces by means of the degradation of methylene blue under UV irradiation. It enables an objective assessment of the self-cleaning properties of surfaces and provides manufacturers of coated materials with a reliable basis for product certification.

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  • Participants of the CirProTech kick-off meeting at the OHLF in Wolfsburg.
    © M. Mengedoht @OHLF

    At the beginning of March, the third funding period commenced for the Open Hybrid LabFactory (OHLF) research campus, which is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF). In collaboration with Volkswagen, the Technische Universität Braunschweig, the Fraunhofer Center Circular Economy for Mobility CCEM, Ostfalia University of Applied Sciences and 35 further partners, practice-oriented and efficient solutions for a sustainable circular economy in the automotive industry are being developed at the OHLF within the scope of this funding phase. For this purpose, the BMBF is providing a funding volume of ten million euros, which will cover three major research projects and a duration of five years. A central component of this initiative is the “CirProTech” project, the kick-off meeting for which took place in Wolfsburg at the end of March.

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  • Future Day 2025 / 2025

    Future Day at the Fraunhofer IST: Hands-on research experience

    Press Release / April 04, 2025

    Zukunftstag 2025
    © Fraunhofer IST

    How is a wafer-thin film created? Why is the correct preparation so important? And how can the quality of a coating be tested? These and many other questions were investigated by 22 curious schoolchildren during this year’s Future Day at the Fraunhofer Institute for Surface Engineering and Thin Films IST. In collaboration with the neighboring Fraunhofer WKI, the institute opened its doors to provide the young guests with an exciting insight into the world of research and technology.

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  • TU Braunschweig establishes transparency platform and cooperates with Australia / 2025

    Batteries: Producing sustainably with smart decisions

    Joint press release by Technische Universität Braunschweig and the Fraunhofer IST / March 20, 2025

    Mitarbeiter der TU Braunschweig bei der Erstellung von Suspensionen für nickelreiches Kathodenaktivmaterial in der Battery LabFactory Braunschweig (BLB).
    © Tim Grenda, Institut für Partikeltechnik.

    New regulations require battery manufacturers to use a minimum proportion of recycled materials, as well as to provide proof of the origin of raw materials and the carbon footprint of battery cells. In particular, this concerns critical raw materials for battery cell production, such as nickel, lithium and cobalt. In addition, companies face the challenge of creating transparency in their supply chains and collecting information from suppliers for the purpose of verification. In order to meet these requirements, information is needed about the value-added routes and quality of cathode active materials, which are synthesised from raw materials of different origins. This is precisely where the project ‘Sustainable and Transparent Battery Materials Value Chains for a Circular Battery Economy’ (SUSTRAB), coordinated by TU Braunschweig, comes in.

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  • Wasserstoff Campus Salzgitter e.V. presents itself at the Hannover Messe 2025

    Joint press release of Wasserstoff Campus Salzgitter e.V. and its members / March 17, 2025

    A model of the Wasserstoffcampus Salzgitter.
    © Fraunhofer IST

    Hydrogen is a key factor of the energy transition and plays a crucial role in reducing CO₂ emissions in industry and mobility. Especially in regions with energy-intensive production, such as Salzgitter, hydrogen offers the opportunity to establish sustainable and climate-friendly value chains. The Wasserstoff Campus Salzgitter is the result of a broad alliance of stakeholders from the city, region, politics, business and science. Together, the partners are pursuing the goal of realizing hydrogen technologies along the entire value chain – from production to use – while taking economic and ecological aspects into account.

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