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Germany Opens Digital Photonic Production Research Campus

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Government, scientific and industry leaders recently opened the Digital Photonic Production research campus to develop light as a production tool.

The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) is funding nine such research campuses across Germany and intends to provide €2 million per year for up to 15 years for the DPP research campus.

Thomas Rachel and Reinhart Poprawe
Professor Dr. Reinhart Poprawe, right, of RWTH Aachen University and the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology, presents Thomas Rachel, parliamentary state secretary at the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, with a 3-D printed aluminum key at an event marking the opening of the Digital Photonic Production research campus Jan. 23. Courtesy of Fraunhofer ILT.


Alongside laser additive manufacturing methods, work at the DPP research campus will also harness manufacturing techniques that use ultrafast lasers, as well as new kinds of vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) beam sources, for example, to selectively functionalize nanoscale layers.

The DPP research campus is located at RWTH Aachen University. Among the 20 industry partners are small- and medium-sized enterprises, as well as large companies such as Siemens AG. The Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology also plays a key role.

Dr. Nicolas Vortmeyer, chief technology officer at Siemens’ power and gas division, said his firm was particularly interested in laser-based 3-D printing. The technique, he said, “removes the limitations we’ve had to struggle with in manufacturing and development. This technology allows us to manufacture spare parts even for older power plant turbines we no longer have the plans for, and to do so relatively quickly.”

For more information, visit www.bmbf.de and www.ilt.fraunhofer.de.
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Published: February 2015
Glossary
additive manufacturing
Additive manufacturing (AM), also known as 3D printing, is a manufacturing process that involves creating three-dimensional objects by adding material layer by layer. This is in contrast to traditional manufacturing methods, which often involve subtracting or forming materials to achieve the desired shape. In additive manufacturing, a digital model of the object is created using computer-aided design (CAD) software, and this digital model is then sliced into thin cross-sectional layers. The...
siemens
The electric conductance of a conductor in which a current of 1 ampere is produced by an electric potential difference of 1 volt.
ultrafast lasersResearch & TechnologyEuropeGermanyLasersindustrialDigital Photonic Productionresearch campusDPPFederal Ministry of Education and ResearchBMBFadditive manufacturingLAMvertical cavity surface emitting laserVCSELRWTH Aachen UniversitySiemensNicolas VortmeyerReinhart PopraweBusinesslight speedEuro News

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