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Nano Dimension Ltd., an industry-leading additively manufactured electronics (AME) and printed electronics (PE) manufacturing system provider, announced a collaboration with the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation IPA (Fraunhofer IPA), one of Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft’s (the Institute) largest institutes.
Founded in 1949, the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft currently operates 75 institutes and research institutions throughout Germany. Most of the Institute’s 29,000 employees are qualified scientists and engineers, who work with an annual research budget of €2.8 billion. Of this sum, €2.4 billion are generated through contract research. The focus of Fraunhofer IPA’s research and development work is on organization and technological issues related to the manufacturing industry. Their fifteen specialist departments are focused on twelve major research areas, including frugal manufacturing systems, artificial intelligence (AI) in manufacturing, lightweight engineering and functional coatings, and additive manufacturing technologies. Through a European Union-sponsored project, NextFactory, Fraunhofer IPA previously created a modular printing system processing conductive and dielectric material, as well as support material, in combination with a pick and place process and an online quality inspection.
Under the two-year collaboration plan, Nano Dimension and Fraunhofer IPA will focus on the research and development within the field of autonomous fabrication of electromechanical systems based on 3D freeform printing and the highest precision 3D assembly technologies. The outcomes of this collaboration should benefit Nano Dimension customers given the insights that will be generated and incorporated into what is already uniquely possible with Nano Dimension’s DragonFly® additive manufacturing system.
Oliver Refle, Head of the Additive Manufacturing Department at Fraunhofer IPA, commented: “This brain trust will allow both parties to instantly analyze and improve processes by sharing ideas, data, and expertise, as we develop the next generation of 3D inkjet printing with the goal of creating new and better processes and integrations for the ultra-accurate printing of new high-performance electronic devices (Hi-PEDs™). Nano Dimension is a valued and trusted partner, and we are very excited to begin this new partnership.”
Yoav Stern, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Nano Dimension, commented: “We are very pleased to have the opportunity to cooperate and learn from the world-class engineers and scientists at Fraunhofer IPA. We can learn from both their successes and failures while contributing our expertise and knowledge as we work together to build an eco-friendly and intelligent distributed network of additively manufacturing self-learning & self-improving machines, which will deliver a superior ROI to their owners as well as to Nano Dimension shareholders and other stakeholders.”
