Memberships and cooperation partners:
The Laboratory of Production Engineering (LaFT) is part of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at Helmut Schmidt University (HSU), University of the Federal Armed Forces Hamburg. In close cooperation with research and industrial partners, basic principles, innovative approaches and methods are researched and developed within the four areas of microproduction, robotics and automation, value creation systems and new technologies and materials.
Central research topics in microproduction are microtechnical manufacturing concepts and equipment as well as development methods. Among other things, small modular machine tools for small workpieces (2010-2016) were designed and exemplarily implemented in SPP1476.
In robotics and automation, methods and solution approaches are being developed to increase productivity and support employees in a context-adaptive manner. These include task- and person-adapted support systems (e.g. exoskeletons), automated system solutions for the assembly of e.g. aircraft and quality inspection in automotive production, process development for solid-phase joining processes as well as methods and models for production planning and technology assessment.
Since 2014, the interdisciplinary BMBF junior research group smart ASSIST has been researching technical, attractive support systems for production and everyday life with the inclusion of diverse user groups.
The interdisciplinary working group on value creation systems deals with new value creation patterns (open innovation, open production), knowledge and cooperation management and collaborative industrialisation. Within the framework of research projects, for example, organisations and companies are supported in the development of applied knowledge management (e.g. Bundeswehr) and the international technology and knowledge transfer between FabLabs is investigated.
The area of New Technologies and Materials includes research and various developments on additive manufacturing and lightweight construction using composite materials in direct cooperation with the Composite Technology Center (CTC) of Airbus in Stade, within the framework of the additive manufacturing working group in the Bundeswehr, in the AM network of Airbus and with other research partners such as the Helmholtz Centre Geesthacht and DESY in Hamburg. In addition, at the end of 2016 the LaFT opened an open workshop at the HSU, the OpenLab Hamburg, for learning and experimenting using new technologies, e.g. additive manufacturing.
