Press Releases

Electrode drying in the roll-to-roll process (R2R) has so far been one of the most cost- and CO2-intensive manufacturing steps in the production of lithium-ion batteries. A laser-based R2R drying process developed as part of the IDEEL research cooperation could change this in the future. It combines conventional, oven-based convection drying with laser drying using high-power diode lasers and reduces the drying time by more than 60 percent while maintaining the same quality of results.

The Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT has a new managing director: On February 17, 2025, Dr. Jochen Stollenwerk took over as acting director of the institute. He succeeds Prof. Constantin Häfner, who headed Fraunhofer ILT from 2019 to 2025 and has now moved to the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft in Munich as Director of Research and Transfer.

Whether they are needed for medical technology, telecommunications or aerospace: the demand for high-power lasers is increasing in many industrial sectors. Users are focusing on how cost-effective and stable the systems are. The Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT has now made significant progress in the development of efficient and stable high-power diode lasers. In principle, it has transferred the writing of fiber Bragg gratings from the world of fiber lasers to that of diode lasers. Dr. Sarah Klein developed the process as part of her dissertation and recently won 3rd place in the prestigious Hugo Geiger Prize.

On April 8 and 9, 2025, the UKP workshop will once again open its doors and bring together experts from industry and research at the venue DAS LIEBIG in Aachen. As the most important platform for material processing with ultrashort pulse lasers, this event not only offers visitors the latest insights into technological advances, but also a unique opportunity to discuss the latest applications and solutions.

In the HyCoFC research project, industry and research partners are working together to develop bipolar plates for durable, cost-effective and high-performance fuel cells, specifically for heavy-duty applications. The project is using innovative material combinations and the latest laser technologies to meet the strict requirements and demanding conditions in heavy-duty transportation. In this way, HyCoFC not only addresses sustainability in logistics, but also strengthens Germany as a business location and creates forward-looking solutions for the energy transition.

Just in time for the start of UNESCO's International Year of Quantum Science and Technology 2025, North Rhine-Westphalia is setting up the first node for the quantum internet of the future. A team from the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT brought the system developed with TNO in Delft in the Netherlands to Aachen in mid-January to test it here, develop it further and establish the first regional connections to Jülich and Bonn. The project is a milestone on the way to the “Quantum Technology State of NRW.”

The now firmly established “UKP Workshop“ brings together leading experts in ultrashort pulse laser technology every two years. On April 8 and 9, 2025, the 8th UKP Workshop will take place in Aachen, where specialists will present the latest developments in the field of ultrashort pulse laser technology. Around 20 international speakers will give presentations on practical applications and processes with USP lasers. This time, the focus will be on innovative beam shaping solutions specially optimized for different processes. These solutions open up new possibilities for laser-assisted processing in industries such as electronics, energy storage, glass processing and microelectronics.

Bipolar plates for fuel cells are mass produced every second. The forming tools used to manufacture them are milled from high-quality metal alloys that provide them with high wear resistance. In the National Action Plan for Fuel Cell Production (H2GO), the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT in Aachen is breaking new ground: Instead of milling the tools from an expensive solid block, the institute is using extreme high-speed laser material deposition (EHLA) to apply wear-resistant functional layers to low-cost structural steel close to the final contour. This reduces costs, construction time and tool wear. The EHLA process can also be used to repair damaged and worn tools, thus making a significant contribution to the circular economy.

A new approach to beam shaping will soon make additive manufacturing more flexible and efficient: Fraunhofer ILT has developed a new platform that can be used to individually optimize laser powder bed fusion (LPBF) processes. Customized beam profiles improve component quality, reduce material losses and enable previously impossible scaling of the build-up rate of the single beam process. Fraunhofer ILT will be presenting the test system, which is currently under construction, at Formnext in Frankfurt am Main from November 19 to 22.

High-power laser diodes are a key component for fusion power plants of the future. The joint project DioHELIOS sets out to boost their power and efficiency to a new level and to develop approaches for their automated mass production. This is because diode laser modules are required in large quantities for climate-neutral energy generation through laser-based inertial confinement fusion. Several companies and institutes are working together in the BMBF-funded project: ams-OSRAM, the Ferdinand-Braun-Institut, Leibniz-Institut für Höchstfrequenztechnik (FBH), the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT, Jenoptik, Laserline and TRUMPF.