Fraunhofer Institute for Microstructure of Materials and Systems IMWSFacts and figures
Highlights 2023
Selected research highlights
New research equipment
Robot-assisted brushing and cleaning simulator
A brushing and cleaning simulator based on a KUKA robot (KR 6 R700 Agilus) is now available at the Fraunhofer IMWS for research work in the field of dental care and oral care. The 6-axis system allows any movements to be simulated. This extension to the technical equipment is primarily used to simulate 3D movements on the jaw model to evaluate the cleaning performance of toothbrushes and dental care products as well as jet powders. The cleaning of interdental spaces with interdental brushes will also be simulated. In principle, the device enables a wide range of experimental set-ups that can also be used in areas beyond dental and oral care.
X-ray diffractometer Rigaku MiniFlex 600
X-ray diffractometers are used to analyze the structure of crystals. X-rays hit the sample and, based on the resulting diffraction patterns, statements can be made about the atomic structure of the material. At the Fraunhofer IMWS, the Rigaku MiniFlex 600 X-ray diffractometer is primarily used to examine the crystal phase structure: Different types of crystals can be present within a material, which differ in their atomic structure and properties. By quantifying the crystalline components of a material, conclusions can be drawn about its properties. Important applications at the Fraunhofer IMWS are the identification of crystalline phases in glass ceramics and the determination of crystallite size in the nanometer range. The device can also be used to analyze metals and polymers. Crystalline components with a content of < 1 percent can be detected, and the device also offers very short measurement times (for crystalline samples < 10 min per sample) and a very good signal-to-noise ratio.
Stringer TT Lab i8 ECA
Stringers are used in photovoltaic production to connect solar cells together. They place thin wire on the cells and connect them together electrically. The newly available stringer system enables lead-free, low-temperature interconnection of bifacial solar half-cells in M6 format (166x166 mm²). The cells are connected using a conductive adhesive (Electrically Conductive Adhesive - ECA). The researchers at Fraunhofer CSP can thus determine how well this new cell interconnection technology works and also quantify the connection quality and reliability achieved. The system can be upgraded for cells up to the current market cell format, and there is also the option of using and researching solder pastes. The stringer can process up to 1800 cells per hour, both full and half cells (both mono and bifacial) can be used.
LED sun simulator Wavelabs SINUS360 Advanced
Solar simulators are used to test and evaluate the performance and efficiency of solar cells under standardized conditions in order to derive optimal operating parameters. At the Fraunhofer IMWS, solar simulators have been used for many years in electrical characterization to determine the IV parameters (current-voltage parameters). These parameters include efficiency, short-circuit current and fill factor, maximum power current or maximum power voltage. With the SINUS360 Advanced, an even better device is now available that has more than 20 individual LED channels. This means that IV parameters can also be measured individually for different wavelength ranges. The novel solar simulator also offers a lateral extension of the light field, so that the Fraunhofer experts can now illuminate any commercially manufactured solar cell size. The device offers major advantages in terms of measuring external quantum efficiency (EQE). This indicates how efficiently a solar cell converts photons into electricity and is therefore an important parameter in photovoltaics. As EQE usually determines what proportion of the incident photons is converted into electricity at a certain wavelength, the additional LED channels enable faster measurement results. This can be used to optimize the output at different light spectra.