I have attended many conferences where excellent papers were given on advanced materials technologies. Few, if any of the papers, discuss how to machine these new materials. Yet, the machining costs often determine the financial success or failure of a new materials application. The Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology was founded in 1980. The Institute services both small, medium and large sized industries.
All research conducted is in response to the needs of their customers.
This work focuses on the optimization of existing technologies and development of innovative manufacturing processes. New materials, computer integration and the environment are impor- tant considerations in this work. This work is dedicated to designing machines and components. The scope of activities includes machine layout and design and evaluation of new developments. This work is directed toward developing test and inspection methods for production engineers.