Mechanical Engineering and Automation

A fully automated system for the production and optimization of new ceramic materials:

• Automatic weighing and dosing of powder and liquid components according to specified recipes  
• Robot-assisted mixing
• Slurry preparation by grinding and spray drying

The ISC plant processes up to 10 different raw materials and stores them securely in four large and six small reservoirs. A fully automatic weighing system mixes the materials precisely according to specified recipes. The powder is mixed with up to seven different liquids, blended into a slurry, and processed in a spray dryer. 

The result is a standardized and automated process for customized ceramic slurries with controlled material properties. This allows ceramic components with specific properties to be manufactured quickly and precisely – ideal for research and high-tech production.

A globally unique, fully automated plant for researching and producing new technical specialty glasses:

All process steps in glass production from batch raw materials are performed automatically by robots: weighing and mixing of raw materials, powder homogenization, heating and melting in inline furnaces up to 1,700 °C, as well as casting and controlled cooling, representing a major advance in terms of time savings and process control. The data is recorded digitally and integrated into the development workflow via a digital twin – for high reproducibility and process optimization.

CeDeD is currently developing a new conveyor system for particularly coarse glass components for the glass screening plant installed at the Federal Institute for Materials Research and Testing. This will expand the range of applications – important in terms of data collection in the large “GLAS digital” joint project.

Special adjustment and calibration devices such as AQUAJUST^® CAM and AUTOJUST^® CAM for the automated calibration of measuring flasks, cylinders, pipettes, and burettes in laboratory glassware production. They ensure accurate volume measurement for laboratory components − an example of automation in the classic laboratory environment.

Ceramic bearing balls are used wherever classic steel balls reach their physical or chemical limits – for example, at high speeds, extreme temperatures, corrosion, electrical insulation, or the highest purity requirements.

The range of industries is correspondingly broad:

• Machinery and plant engineering – high-speed bearings, precision spindles, machine tools 
• Automotive industry & e-mobility – electric motors, turbochargers, transmissions, auxiliary units
• Aerospace – lightweight construction, extreme temperatures, reliability under vacuum and high-load conditions
• Medical technology – dental drills, surgical instruments, imaging systems (e.g., MRI, as they are non-magnetic)
• Semiconductor & electronics industry – Clean room technology, wafer handling, vacuum systems
• Chemical & process industry – Corrosive media, aggressive atmospheres, high temperatures
• Food & pharmaceutical industry – Hygienic systems, high cleaning cycles, no contamination
• Energy & environmental technology – Wind turbines, turbines, pumps, hydrogen systems
• Optics & precision engineering – Maximum precision and smooth running, minimal vibrations
• Textile and packaging industry – High speeds, low-maintenance systems

The existing CeDeD concept of an optical ball testing system is currently being expanded and will in future enable robot-assisted fully automatic monitoring of the surface and dimensional accuracy of ceramic bearing balls – or other molded parts with reflective surfaces – during production. 

Fraunhofer ISC is developing and building a whole family of modular measuring and testing systems for the interference-free characterization of materials under realistic heat treatment conditions – at temperatures of up to 2400 °C. These systems are used, for example, to identify critical steps in the sintering process, thereby optimizing the sintering process and accelerating it without compromising quality, with the aim of saving energy, time, and thus money.

CeDeD is currently building a new thermo-optical measuring system at the customer's request, which operates at pressures of up to 30 bar. Such high pressures are required, for example, in the industrial manufacture of ceramic components from Si3N4.
 

The following can be investigated, for example:

• Thermal expansion behavior,
• Sintering shrinkage,
• Creep behavior,
• Wetting behavior
  

 

With its high-temperature tensiometer TensioTOM, Fraunhofer ISC supports industrial partners in the targeted optimization of metallurgical processes. The system enables reproducible analysis of the wetting and interfacial behavior of molten metals at temperatures up to 1700 °C – a decisive parameter for metal casting, joining, coating, and soldering processes.

Based on the thermo-optical measurement principle (TOM), dynamic wetting angles as well as surface and interfacial tensions are recorded in high resolution under a controlled atmosphere. The data obtained provides a reliable basis for material selection, process stability, and quality improvement in industrial applications and shortens development cycles along the metal value chain.

CeDeD is currently working on an additional module for the TensioTOM to measure the adhesion or wetting force of a molten metal at 1600 °C. The controlled composition of the atmosphere in the measuring chamber is essential in order to eliminate disruptive interfacial reactions at the molten metal.

A fully automated measurement system for non-invasive monitoring of 3D cell culture models directly in the incubator.

MediTOM records and visualizes cell and (skin) tumor growth in in vitro tissue models, supports standardized evaluation and digital data acquisition in real time, and thus enables the automation of analyses. With a comparatively long observation period of 21 days and non-invasive optical analysis of in vitro tissue models, MediTOM makes it possible to analyze not only tumor growth in vitro, but also the individual effects of drugs – ideal for pharmaceutical questions and drug screening, individualized diagnostics, and for validating individualized therapy approaches in vitro to improve and accelerate tumor therapy.

The prototype, developed by CeDeD with and for Fraunhofer Translational Center of the Fraunhofer ISC and tested and validated for more than five years, is now set to undergo a technical upgrade. After that, this fully automated system for the non-invasive analysis of cell biology test systems will also be available to interested parties outside Fraunhofer ISC. 

The Translational Center of the Fraunhofer ISC also develops customized devices and automated systems for tissue engineering and regenerative therapies.

The focus is on cell-material interactions, long-term culture of various cell types, and non-invasive detection methods that can be used to reliably monitor the viability and condition of human tissue models.

For successful tissue engineering, it is crucial to realistically replicate the physiological conditions of the body in vitro. Media flow, mechanical stress, rotation, and oscillating forces play a central role in the function and maturation of tissues. We specifically replicate these complex conditions in our technical systems.

To this end, bioreactors and specialized incubator systems are designed and built at the translational Center of the Fraunhofer ISC. In addition, a highly automated laboratory is being set up in which test systems can be manufactured with robotic support, substance screenings can be carried out, and, in the future, implants can also be manufactured under reproducible, controlled conditions.

Another robotics laboratory is used for the development and standardized, automated production of particle systems with diagnostic or therapeutic functionalities.