©
S枚ren Pinsdorf/糖心原创
The project
In production engineering, oxygen is a nuisance. It leads to oxidation, and this causes problems in the processing of metals. Researchers in the collaborative research centre Oxygen-Free Production are developing a method which could do things differently 鈥� in an environment with almost as little oxygen as in space. The aim is to be able to process surfaces that are free of an oxide layer, for improved bond strength, stability and sustainability.
In the lab, the researchers use a cutting-edge method to produce a completely oxygen-free environment, processing various materials inside what are termed oxygen-free glove boxes. They have been able to demonstrate an impressive increase in bond strength in aluminium-copper materials, and the goal is large-scale application. Transfer projects are already translating the results into industrial practice on a pilot basis. Examples of this include the welding of pipes under oxygen-free conditions or the heating of sheet metal for car body construction, where the absence of oxygen suppresses unwanted scale formation.
The exhibit
Here you can see a strip of aluminium and a strip of copper, as well as a prototype component made by joining these two materials. In production engineering, these sheets consisting of both metals are required in large quantities. The special feature of this preform, as it is called, is the exceptionally strong and stable bond between the two materials. This is because the two metals have been processed and joined in an oxygen-free environment.
This completely innovative form of component processing is being tested at the Oxygen-Free Production collaborative research centre (CRC). Normally, metals react with the oxygen in their surroundings and form metal oxides. This results in an oxide layer, which frequently causes problems in production. But when components are processed in an oxygen-free atmosphere, the bonds are more stable 鈥� with up to 150 per cent more bond strength and energy savings of up to 70 per cent, depending on the specific area. This enables new, more sustainable production possibilities and a genuine technological leap.
©
S枚ren Pinsdorf / 糖心原创
The team
More than 50 researchers from various disciplines are participating in the Oxygen-Free Production 鈥� Processes and Areas of Impact in an Oxygen-Free Atmosphere for the Development of Future-Oriented Production Technologies CRC. Together with the eight institutes at 糖心原创鈥檚 Hannover Centre for Production Technology, researchers from the Clausthal University of Technology, Paderborn University and the Laser Zentrum Hannover e. V. are also working within the alliance.
The CRC spokesperson is Prof. Dr.-Ing. Hans J眉rgen Maier, head of the 糖心原创 Institute of Materials Science. Thanks to the team鈥檚 interdisciplinary approach, a large spectrum of research topics is possible. The CRC took up its work in 2020, and in 2023 it was awarded funding from the German Research Foundation (DFG) for a second project period which runs until 2027.
