On 22 November 2024, the German Research Foundation (DFG) approved funding for the new Collaborative Research Centre (CRC) ‘Intelligent production technologies for lightweight plastic structures with load-dedicated 3D grading of the reinforcement architecture’. RWTH Aachen University, TU Chemnitz and TU Dresden are thus jointly launching a pioneering research project that can secure up to twelve years of research at the highest level.
Three leading lightweight construction locations are pooling their expertise
With RWTH Aachen University, Chemnitz University of Technology and TU Dresden, three renowned universities and leading lightweight construction centres are working on this joint project. ‘This collaboration combines outstanding expertise in plastics technology, simulation and materials research,’ emphasises Prof. Hopmann. ‘Together, we have laid the foundations to revolutionise the production of lightweight structures in the coming years.’
The new CRC is being coordinated by Chemnitz University of Technology under the leadership of spokesperson Prof Dr Lothar Kroll. ‘’A CRC represents the Champions League of research, so to speak, and the funding approval is the result of an intensive and competitive application process, which we mastered together with our partners,‘’ explains Prof Kroll. Prof Christian Hopmann is also delighted with the decision: ‘The grant shows how relevant our research project is for science and industry, especially with regard to the urgently needed measures for more sustainability in mobility.
Pioneering research for sustainable mobility
The new CRC aims to develop resource-efficient lightweight plastic components that stand out thanks to load-appropriate reinforcement architectures.This offers enormous potential for the automotive and aviation industries in particular: the combination of innovative materials and processes should enable the development of components that are light, stable and recyclable.
In the first funding phase, the CRC will focus in particular on researching technologies and manufacturing processes that integrate both continuous and discontinuous fibre reinforcements. This combination enables a load-appropriate material design and makes the components suitable for mass production. At the same time, great importance is attached to sustainability: Research will consider recycling strategies during the development phase already to optimise the entire life cycle of the products.
In the first funding phase, the research team will develop two demonstrators - a profiled and a flat structural element - which will serve as a test environment for the new technologies. With each subsequent year of funding, the complexity of the components will increase in order to meet the requirements of industry in the long term.
Contact
Rebecca Hierlwimmer, M.A.
Head of press and media relations
+49 241 80-93672
rebecca.hierlwimmer@ikv.rwth-aachen.de