Key research areas Overarching research topics of strategic importance
Within the broad spectrum of research topics at IKV, the guiding themes – additive manufacturing, digitalisation, circular economy, and lightweight construction – hold a superior position. They represent the relevant future topics of the plastics industry and thus have equal strategic importance for the industry as well as for research and teaching at IKV.
Guiding themes promote strategic development at IKV
Numerous projects at IKV are related to one or more of the guiding themes. To bundle these research projectsnand strategically develop the guiding themes further, working groups have been established at IKV for all guiding themes.
Working groups bundle expertise and promote innovation
The activities of the working groups combine the expertise of employees from all scientific departments. By discussing current developments and generating new ideas and projects, the guiding themes experience content expansion, and connections to other IKV research topics become apparent. Furthermore, the working groups develop concepts, methods, and content for teaching and determine strategies for transferring scientific findings into practice.
Circular Economy
New paths for recycling plastics
Only through an efficient circular economy can plastics realise their potential in addressing important challenges such as the energy transition, digitalisation, or electrification without harmful effects on climate and environment. Compared to other materials, plastics are usually the more resource-efficient alternative, and their associated ecological disadvantages typically result from their still largely linear ‘lifecycles’. Technological innovations, recyclable product design, and new ways to use recyclates on a large scale for high-quality plastic products are the key to sustainably shaping the circular economy.
The digital control and networking of machines has now become common practice in the plastics industry. New digital methods range from data collection to AI-based development of new materials and processes, as well as AI-based production.
The automatic analysis of large amounts of data makes process-related data usable for process control, further development of existing simulation models, and for machine learning, allowing an ever-better understanding of processes. Digitalisation allows for the networking and redesign of the value chain. Data on a specific material can be passed from actor to actor and, for example, incorporated into the control of downstream processes and used to build holistic, controllable production systems. Thus, digitalisation also makes a crucial contribution to the circular economy and sustainability.
Current research projects
in the field of circular economy
Circular economy as a key topic at IKV
Since the 1980s, IKV has been developing solutions for numerous issues related to recycling, recyclate characterization and use, as well as recyclable product design. The Center for Plastics Analysis and Testing (KAP) demonstrates, through its research on targeted material analyses, the possibilities and limitations of using recyclates in various applications. Plasma technology at IKV plays an important role in recyclable product design. PECVD coatings can act as good barriers against various media on plastics. The extremely thin layers do not affect the recycling process, allowing them to replace conventional non-recyclable barrier systems. At the same time, they enable a broader use of recyclates by preventing the migration of foreign substances into the filling material. In combination with digital innovations, the results can significantly contribute to increasing recycling rates and the circular economy of plastics. This includes, for example, a digital infrastructure for mapping the complete life cycle as well as innovative data science methods.
Rainer Dahlmann
Digitalisation
Networking for optimised processes
Digital control and networking of machines is now common practice in the plastics industry. New digital methods range from data collection to AI-based development of new materials and processes, as well as AI-based production. The automatic analysis of large amounts of data makes process-related data usable for process control, further development of existing simulation models, and for machine learning, allowing for an ever-better understanding of processes. Digitalisation enables the networking and redesign of the value chain. Data on a specific material can be passed from actor to actor and, for example, be incorporated into the control of downstream processes and used to build holistic, controllable production systems. Thus, digitalisation also makes a crucial contribution to the circular economy and sustainability.
Current Research Projects
in the field of digitalisation
Digitalisation as a key research topic at IKV
IKV is a world leader in scientific research in the field of digitalisation in the plastics industry and a forward-looking research and development partner for science, industry, and innovative start-ups. At Campus Melaten, the Plastics Innovation Center 4.0 (PIC 4.0) has been established as a fully digitalized research infrastructure for comprehensive and practical research on digitalisation topics in plastics production. As a competent contact partner, IKV offers the infrastructure for test beds to develop new digital methods with its Smart Factory. The goal is not only to enable the plastics industry to handle digitalisation methods competently but also to train young professionals with Industry 4.0 expertise.
Mauritius Schmitz
Lightweight technologies
Key materials for sustainability
Fiber-reinforced plastics (FRP) are among the key materials for climate protection and sustainability as highly durable lightweight construction materials. They enable significant savings in energy, material, and emissions in various applications and industries. The use of FRP is no longer limited to diverse small series or individual pieces. With today’s production processes, short cycle times in the minute range and thus large series can already be economically realised.
Current research projects
in the field of lightweight technologies
Lightweight Construction as a key research theme at IKV
Lightweight construction research at IKV has many facets and includes fibre-reinforced thermoplastics and thermosets as well as foamed material systems. IKV is improving methods for the design and material and production-orientated design of components.
In combination with the cross-departmental further development of technology modules and processes in the process chains of injection moulding, extrusion, liquid impregnation processes, winding and pultrusion technology, taper processing, forming and the processing of semi-finished thermoplastic products, innovative solutions are continuously being developed. These help to significantly reduce the ecological impact of the production, use and recycling of lightweight materials at the end of their life cycle and at the same time make them economically viable.
With its comprehensive expertise along the entire product development cycle and modern equipment, IKV offers excellent conditions for research and industrial cooperation. From material selection and component and process optimisation to the development and implementation of full-scale prototypes, the institute supports companies in efficiently and sustainably transferring plastic-based lightweight construction technologies into series production.
Kai Fischer
Additive manufacturing
Design freedom and individual components
Additive Manufacturing (AM) is one of the plastic processing methods that has experienced rapid development in the last 10 years. It is now established in industrial practice wherever individually adapted components in small batch sizes are concerned. The trend continues towards ever larger and more demanding applications, as the high degree of geometric freedom through layer-by-layer construction offers enormous development potential. Current challenges concern the comparatively long production time, the maximum component size, and the mechanical and optical component properties.
Current research projects
in the field of additive manufacturing
Additive Manufacturing as a key research area at IKV
IKV has been researching the scaling of additive manufacturing for several years and can draw on extensive in-house research on material and process-related connections in plasticizing additive manufacturing processes. An essential component is the physically motivated modelling of the cooling and solidification of the thermoplastic material. The research results enable the user to fully exploit the potential of Additive Manufacturing, select materials appropriate for the application, and design and optimise processes.
