Research Field

The IFPT focuses its research on four targeted areas. In the production and repair of lightweight structures, there is still a lot of potential for development in terms of productivity in the processing of fiber-reinforced plastics, but also particular challenges due to the typical component tolerances and flexibility. Large component dimensions require new machine concepts to cover the required work spaces and to integrate them into organizations with flowing operating resources. With its high flexibility requirements, small series production is one of the classic research fields of research in production technology.

For products with high added value and a long service life, maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) is just as important as the original production, but has so far been neglected in research.

Northern Germany is home to numerous industrial sectors with a need for research in these target fields. Aircraft production and MRO are certainly among the most important here.

The IFPT conducts specific research into robot-assisted production automation for various tasks in manufacturing, assembly and quality control and has established four areas of expertise to help solve problems outlined above.

One focus is on the development of mobile or location-flexible robot solutions. The institute is also involved in human-machine cooperation and hybrids, in particular to generate efficient solutions for flexible partial automation. In order to recognise changing boundary conditions or to quantitatively determine the actual state of an object, intensive work is being carried out on the production-related use of innovative sensor systems.

The last area of expertise represents a connecting element for the areas of expertise mentioned. In order to solve actual production tasks with highly flexible, locally variable and partially automated solution modules, it is necessary to bundle all available distributed information in adaptive models of the environment or the product in the sense of digital, networked production.