Fraunhofer IFF Press and Media Service

Workers in the hot-dip galvanization industry are exposed to high safety and health risks during the galvanizing process, especially when they are removing zinc ash manually. The use of automation in the galvanizing process to minimize such risks was studied and tested on a real-world galvanizing furnace in industrial use in a joint research project of the Berufsgenossenschaft Holz und Metall (BGHM, German Social Accident Insurance Institution for the Woodworking and Metalworking Industries), Fraunhofer IFF and IEHK Steel Institute at RWTH Aachen University.

Experiential knowledge is the key to effective problem-solving and lasting success in industry. Yet demographic change and the skilled labor shortage are making it difficult to share such valuable knowledge. A new research project with industry and research partners is examining how AI solutions can revolutionize the retention and sharing of experiential knowledge.

Factory design is highly complex—yet artificial intelligence can deliver key benefits here. In the GenAI4FFD research project, Fraunhofer IFF is developing an AI assistance system together with a consortium, which will help designers with key activities, from requirements specification to factory design to modeling and evaluation. The technology facilitates faster, more efficient decisions and reduces errors. In the long run, the system is also intended to be used in building design—a major benefit for small and midsize architectural and engineering firms. this will make it possible to implement cutting-edge technologies faster.

Millions of tons of electronic waste are produced worldwide every year. Only a fraction of this is recycled or refurbished. A research project, iDEAR, with the objective of automating electronic waste disassembly started at Fraunhofer IFF in February 2023. This is intended to make it easier to recycle resources and to close material cycles. Automation makes disassembly processes more scalable in times of skilled labor shortages. We now have the first promising results.

The energy transition necessitates flexible adjustment of energy generation and consumption to maximize the integration of renewable energies. Residential, commercial and industrial buildings account for a significant 35 percent of end-use energy consumption. This makes the flexible use of volatile energies, such as wind and solar energy, in this sector instrumental to the energy transition. The European research project FlexBIT is developing digital solutions to harness the hidden flexibility capabilities in energy systems and to increase energy efficiency in various sectors sustainably.

Intelligent Algorithms and Power Electronics for Grid-Quality and Energy-Efficient Battery Energy Storage System Operation ALene is a research project in which algorithms and power electronic systems that optimize battery energy storage systems will be developed and tested and their efficiency and functionality will be improved, consequently enabling better integration in the grid control system.

In a joint research project with the company voraus robotik GmbH, Fraunhofer IFF research scientists are developing a software that will assist with the risk assessment of robot applications. This software will be integrated into the robot programming, minimizing time-consuming risk assessments. The Integration of Risk Assessment into Robot Programming IRPro research project, which was conceived as part of the Federal Ministry of Education and Research’s DATIpilot funding guidelines, started on September 1, 2024 and will run for eighteen months.