Fraunhofer Institute for Microstructure of Materials and Systems IMWSThe alumni meeting took place at the Fraunhofer Institute for Microstructure of Materials and Systems IMWS in Halle (Saale) for the third time on Saturday, June 24, 2017. The alumni from throughout the state met at around 2 pm in summery weather to take part in the event. Prof. Ralf B. Wehrspohn, Institute Director at Fraunhofer IMWS, greeted the guests and presented the Materials Data Space – a digitization platform for materials with regard to Industry 4.0 – to the former employees in a talk. This was followed by a lively discussion on the topic.
After an informal coffee break together, a tour was given of the Institute building. Prof. Wehrspohn presented the work of the various business units using eight individual exhibition islands, which had already met with a great reception on the evening before during the Long Night of the Sciences. The islands showed, for instance, the exhibition aquarium on antifouling: when ships are anchored, mussels and barnacles grow on a ship’s hull. This leads to increased fuel consumption. Fraunhofer IMWS has worked with partners to develop a paint system to combat fouling. The Fraunhofer alumni were able to see for themselves the results of a long-term experiment in the Baltic Sea.
The teeth-cleaning machines from the »Characterization of Medical and Cosmetic Care Products« group met with great interest. This offered the opportunity to view the tooth material under a microscope. The physics of teeth-cleaning were explained using a teeth-cleaning machine and what effects various substances such as cola and acid have on the tooth enamel was clarified.
The Fraunhofer Application Center for Inorganic Phosphors from Soest presented types of modern phosphors and how LED light gets its color. It was also possible to view a membrane for water desalination systems. The event ended with a tour of the pilot plant station, during which the phenomenon of ‘soiling’ was explained: Solar modules are exposed to extreme climates in desert regions. Due to climatic conditions and sand storms, hardened soiling increasingly occurs on the solar panels. In the desert module pilot plant station, it was explained to the guests how the energy yield can be influenced and how Fraunhofer IMWS is supporting the establishment of a decentralized energy supply on the Atlantic coast of Morocco.
The exhibition »25 Years of Fraunhofer in the Former East German States« also formed part of the program. Other Fraunhofer Institutes presented a summary of their research work as part of this. Afterward, Lutz Berthold, an employee in the Nanomaterials and Nanoanalytics department, gave an entertaining talk on the Institute history at Fraunhofer IMWS in Halle. The alumni made the most of the barbecue buffet on the terrace afterward to enjoy lively discussions. »We would like to thank you for the extensive supporting program for our annual alumni meeting and would very much like to come back again,« said Annette Marquard-Mois, alumni coordinator at Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, to sum up the event.