Grand opening of the expanded Upper Lusatia Plastics Center with new technical centre in Zittau
Research in the field of innovative plastics and lightweight construction technologies now covers three times the space. On November 7, the official opening of the extension to the Fraunhofer Institute for Machine Tools and Forming Technology IWU took place at the Zittau site.
Since its opening in 2016, the Zittau branch of the Fraunhofer IWU, the Upper Lusatia Plastics Center, has produced a large number of application-ready technology and product innovations. Whether plastics processing, additive manufacturing, lightweight construction, biocomposites or hydrogen technologies, the demand for research services is increasing. And the Fraunhofer IWU has responded. In future, innovative research will be carried out together with companies in the region on a total area of approx. 2,000 m² in an expanded, state-of-the-art machine park.
These include innovative systems for the additive manufacturing of large metal and plastic components, which will be used in aviation, energy plant engineering and the construction industry, for example, as well as machines for the production of natural fiber-reinforced lightweight structures, which are used as trim parts in cars and rail vehicles, for example.
Saxony's Minister President Michael Kretschmer and the President of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft Prof. Reimund Neugebauer traveled to the ceremonial commissioning of the extension and new technical center to symbolically open the ribbon together with District Administrator Dr. Stephan Meyer, the Rector of the HSZG Prof. Alexander Kratzsch, the Managing Director of the Fraunhofer IWU Prof. Welf-Guntram Drossel, the Head of the Fraunhofer Plastics Center Oberlausitz Prof. Sebastian Scholz and the Chairman of the Board of the General Entrepreneurs' Association Zittau and Surroundings Bert Handschick. Welf-Guntram Drossel, the Director of the Fraunhofer Plastics Center Oberlausitz Prof. Sebastian Scholz and the Chairman of the Board of the General Business Association Zittau and Surroundings Bert Handschick to symbolically cut the ribbon for the expansion of the research center.
The Saxon Minister President emphasized that research and innovation are the key to successfully driving forward structural change in Upper Lusatia.
The Rector of the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences, Prof. Alexander Kratzsch, can only confirm that this requires close partnerships between research, companies and universities in the region, which ultimately led to the expansion of the plastics center: "With the opening of the Fraunhofer extension building, we are witnessing a living partnership between the university and local research institutes, which will enrich all those involved even more sustainably in the future."
For District Administrator Dr. Stephan Meyer, the extension shows above all "how the economy demands applied research in the field of lightweight construction and composite materials, and that it was a good decision at the time for Zittau as a university and research location." With the currently largest 3D printer in Germany, he sees exciting opportunities to actively protect the climate through economical technologies.
Larger machinery, many more possibilities. Prof. Sebastian Scholz, Head of the Fraunhofer Plastics Center Oberlausitz, agrees: " With the new facilities, especially in additive manufacturing and for processing sustainable lightweight structures, the Plastics Center offers an excellent technological basis for researching economical and sustainable manufacturing processes and components."
Focusing on teaching, Rector Prof. Alexander Kratzsch adds:
Whether hydraulic hot press, new hybrid machining center for additive component manufacturing and milling, or new metallic 3D printing processes. Find out more here more about the new technical possibilities at the Zittau research center and the collaboration between the university and the Fraunhofer IWU.
