Strategic Orientation

The Institute of Manufacturing Technology in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at FAU is responsible for scientific manufacturing technology issues with a focus on forming technology, mechanical joining, chipless cutting processes, hybrid additive manufacturing, tool technology and material characterization and modelling. In the field of forming technology, both main groups of sheet metal and bulk forming are equally adressed. The combination of both process groups in the so-called sheet-bulk metal forming represents a new focus of the work of the institute. In addition to classic cold forming, one focus of the scientific work is on thermally supported forming processes. In mechanical joining technology, scientific work focuses on innovative and versatile processes for joining high-strength and ultra-high-strength materials. Extensive knowledge of shearing and fine blanking and the associated tool technology has been built up over the years. In additive manufacturing, the chair has been researching questions of hybrid additive manufacturing for over ten years, with the focus on the combination of additive and metal forming manufacturing processes. Since numerical process simulation is of great importance in manufacturing technology and the material must not be viewed as a black box, the institute has built up internationally visible expertise in the field of material characterization and modeling.

In order to address all the different perspectives, an interdisciplinary team of scientific and non-scientific employees always works closely together at the LFT. The cooperation with the institutes of the department of mechanical engineering, the other departments of the technical faculty and our many friends in national and international research networks is a matter of course and enables working in a broad and scientifically innovative research environment.