Organisation profile

Fraunhofer Institute for Machine Tools and Forming Technology IWU drives innovation in research and development of production engineering. Around 670 highly qualified employees at our locations in Chemnitz, Dresden, Leipzig, Wolfsburg, and Zittau tap the new potential for competitive manufacturing in automotive and mechanical engineering, aerospace technology, medical engineering, electrical engineering, and precision and micro engineering. They focus on components, processes, methods, and complex machine systems – the entire factory. As the leading institute for resource-efficient production, the objectives comprise technologies based on renewable energies, use and application of novel information technologies and visualisation methods for humans guaranteeing success in the factory of tomorrow.

Field of expertise: products and services essential to value-added benefit

The development of smart production devices and the optimisation of the related manufacturing processes make up the main research focus of the Fraunhofer Institute for Machine Tools and Forming Technology IWU, including research areas of mechatronics and smart factory applications. With highly qualified engineers and scientists working at various in-house laboratories, the research activities at Fraunhofer IWU include machine tools, forming and joining technology, mechatronics, precision technology and virtual reality in Chemnitz, Dresden, Zittau and Wolfsburg.