ISMR November 2022 | Page 19

RESEARCH NEWS

New professorship for “ Laser Technology in Manufacturing ”

On 1 August 2022 , Prof . Andreas Michalowski was appointed to the chair of “ Laser Technology in Manufacturing ”. Together with Prof . Thomas Graf , he now heads the Institut für Strahlwerkzeuge ( IFSW ) of the University of Stuttgart ( Germany ).
Andreas Michalowski studied physics at the Technical University of Dortmund , graduating with a diploma degree . He then worked as a research assistant at the IFSW , focusing on materials processing with ultrashort laser pulses , which was also the thematic focus of his doctorate . In 2011 , he started at Bosch Research as a scientist and was responsible for process fundamentals and simulation for machining with ultrashort pulses . From 2018 , he was the senior expert responsible for virtual process development and later additionally for hybrid modelling ( physics and machine learning ) for laser material processing .
Since August 2022 , Andreas Michalowski has been professor at the IFSW at the University of Stuttgart , focusing on laser technology in manufacturing . This professorship was newly established within the framework of the Innovation Campus Future Mobility . n
( L to R ) Prof . Thomas Graf and Deputy Director , Prof . Andreas Michalowski . Photo : Heidi-Maria Götz / IFSW .

Resource / emission-efficient production

Remaining mobile and producing without overtaxing the earth ’ s natural regenerative capacity is the aim of the Innovation Campus “ Mobility of the Future ” ( ICM ) at the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology ( KIT ) and the University of Stuttgart . Here , in about 60 research projects and 40 research institutes , almost 300 scientists are working on electric motors without rare earths , novel manufacturing technologies and self-learning software systems for vehicles .
The ICM is one of the largest initiatives for the mobility and production of the future in Germany . First solutions developed at the ICM show that economic success and ecological responsibility are by no means mutually exclusive , but can even complement each other . On 12 October 2022 , some of the solutions were presented at the “ Future Mobility Open Labs ” at KIT .
Prototypes of novel electric motors already exist .
“ Reluctance motors do not require permanent magnets and rare earths , which makes them very sustainable and resourcesaving ,” said Professor Nejila Parspour , director of the Institute of Electrical Energy Conversion ( IEW ) at the University of Stuttgart . “ However , this machine is not yet used in vehicles today because of its low power output . The ICM is therefore developing motors that have a higher rotational speed .”
Another research field is electrically excited motors . These motors promise higher efficiencies at medium to high speeds , which means a greater range for battery-powered vehicles . For now , these machines are still susceptible to wear . Energy is transmitted to the rotor shaft via slip rings , which wear out considerably . Scientists at the ICM are working on a wear-free inductive energy transmission that will be able to make this type of motor suitable for serial production for the majority of vehicles on the market .
According to Professor Eric Sax from the Institute for Technology in Information Processing at KIT , the electrical and electronic systems in vehicles are becoming increasingly complex . “ For efficient and safe mobility , all information and components must interact optimally . The appropriate information technology is key for this ,” he said .
This means software that optimises itself while the vehicle is driving and then makes acquired knowledge available to other vehicle fleets via an air interface . There are prototypes running in fleets of self-learning buses , and a first series could be produced in 2025 .
When the demands on products change , production must change .
“ Hardly any other industry is facing such farreaching changes as the mobility sector ,” said Junior Professor Andreas Wortmann from the Institute for Control Engineering of Machine Tools and Manufacturing Units at the University of Stuttgart . Production lines , machines , and processes in the automotive and supply industries must therefore be flexible , and software should be able to adapt automatically . The production process itself also has great potential for reducing emissions .
“ So we ’ re going to need flexible and universally applicable manufacturing systems as well as fast and automatic software adaptation ,” explained Professor Gisela Lanza from the Institute of Production Science at KIT . The goal : the universal machine .
“ We are working on integrating all laserbased manufacturing processes ,” added Professor Thomas Graf , director at the Institute of Laser Technologies at the University of Stuttgart . 3D printing , welding , cutting , drilling , coating and hardening on a single system – like a “ Swiss Army knife ” for manufacturing , so to speak – enabling location-independent , highly efficient production without warehousing and logistics chains . n
Novel electric motors without rare earths are developed at the ICM and installed / tested in the “ eVee ” demonstrator . Photo : Amadeus Bramsiepe , KIT . Discussions on the ICM Day . Photo : Amadeus Bramsiepe , KIT .
ISMR November 2022 | ismr . net | 19