The Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials IFAM had its beginnings in 1968 as a work group in applied materials research. It was incorporated into the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft as an institute in 1974. Fraunhofer IFAM employs round about 700 people at sites in Bremen, Dresden, Stade, Wolfsburg, Braunschweig, and Helgoland.  It is one of the largest of the 74 institutes of the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, an organization with a total workforce of some 28,000 people carrying out R&D in a wide range of scientific fields.

All Fraunhofer IFAM’s sites work closely together and also with local universities and technical colleges. For example, there is close cooperation with the Production Engineering, Biology, and Chemistry departments at the University of Bremen and with the Institute of Production Management and Production Technology at Hamburg University of Technology. Fraunhofer IFAM has an international reputation and is one of the largest independent R&D organizations in the world in many of its research fields.

The experts at Fraunhofer IFAM in the Adhesive Bonding Technology and Surfaces division and in the Shaping and Functional Materials division provide industry with system solutions in adhesive bonding technology, surface technology (adhesion and interface research, plasma technology, paint/lacquer technology) and automation technology and develop

customized materials using optimized manufacturing methods and processes. The activities are wide-ranging and include evaluation, consultancy, product/process development, and on-site implementation at customers’ production facilities.

• Shaping
• Precision systems | Precision components
• Additive Layer Manufacturing | ALM
• Functionalization of components, systems, and materials (e.g. with electronics, sensors)
• Hybrid materials
• Lightweight design and hybrid design
• Fiber composite technologies | FRP | CFRP | GFRP
• Plant concepts, production concepts and assembly concepts
• Adaptable production systems
• Automation
• Robotics | Mobile robotics
• Measurement technology
• Sensor technology
• Precision improvement
• Specification management
• Human-machine collaboration
• Adhesive bonding technology
• Riveting | Mechanical joining
• Combinations of joining methods
• Shimming systems
• Sealing processes
• Milling processes
• Drilling processes
• Release agent free component manufacture
• Precision machining
• Surface analysis
• Surface pretreatment

• Surface modification
• Surface functionalization | Functional coatings for anti-icing | anti-fouling | anti-erosion | self-healing surfaces | drag reduction
• Paint/lacquer technology
• Corrosion protection
• Quality assurance | Quality inspection
• Structural Health Monitoring (SHM)
• Inline monitoring
• Non-destructive testing (NDT)
• Material testing
• Component testing
• Accredited test laboratories for
  • Material Testing
  • Corrosion Testing
  • Paint/Lacquer Technology
  • Materialography and Analysis
  • Power Metallurgy
  • Special tests for characterizing inorganic powders and sintered materials, and for material tests on metallic materials
• Training courses in
  • Adhesive bonding technology
  • Fiber composite technology | FRP
  • Paint/Lacquers | Coatings
  • Electromobility

• Transport industry – including suppliers –
  • Aviation and aerospace industries
  • Automotive sector
  • Commercial vehicle manufacture
  • Rail vehicle construction
  • Shipbuilding
• Energy technology

• Construction industry
• Packaging industry
• Textile industry
• Electrical industry
• Microsystem technology
• Medical technology

Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials IFAM | Bremen
Wiener Straße 12
28359 Bremen | Germany

Prof. Dr. Bernd Mayer
Institute Director

Phone: +49 421 2246-400
Fax: +49 421 2246-430
E-mail: bernd.mayer@ifam.fraunhofer.de

Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials IFAM | Stade
Research Center CFRP NORTH (Forschungszentrum CFK NORD)
Ottenbecker Damm 12
21684 Stade | Germany

Dr. Dirk Niermann
Head of Automation and Production Technology

Phone: +49 4141 78707-101
Fax: +49 4141 78707-682
E-mail: dirk.niermann@ifam.fraunhofer.de