Overview - Fraunhofer IAP

Our Services

PYCO combines its expertise along the entire value chain of polymer-based lightweight construction solutions. From the development of new polymers and composites to precise analytics and simulation-based design to efficient manufacturing and recycling, it creates tailor-made materials, processes, and technologies. In this way, PYCO supports industrial partners in implementing high-performance, sustainable, and application-oriented solutions for demanding future markets.

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Polymer and Resin Development
Polymer and Resin Development
development and modification of polymers and composites for lightweight construction applications

development of customized polymers and semi-finished products

formulation of resins and their synthesis

resins for mass applications and high-performance materials (e.g., UP, PF, EP, polycyanurates)

development of special additives, e.g., for fracture toughness and flame retardant modification

materials for microelectronic and photonische Anwendungen
Sustainable Materials and Circular Processes
Sustainable Materials and Circular Processes
sustainable lightweight construction solutions with fiber-reinforced composites

material-specific recycling and repair processes

chemical and physical recycling processes for plastics and high-performance composites
Characterization and Analytics
Characterization and Analytics
cross-scale analysis and characterization of polymers and structural testing

method development for the characterization of polymers, semi-finished products, and components

automated system for determining the fracture toughness of reactive resins using optical crack tracking (OCT)

thermophysical characterization of polymer films in the sub-micrometer range using temperature-variable ellipsometry

spectroscopic analyses (IR/Raman/TGA coupling, FTIR microscope)

investigations in the fire laboratory

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Process Development and Manufacturing Technologies
Process Development and Manufacturing Technologies
implementation and support of technology demonstrators until market readiness

consistent development and optimization of manufacturing processes and process chains

development of energy-efficient manufacturing technologies for customized lightweight structures

energy-efficient curing methods: microwave, UV, IR, and electron beam

holistic, material-adapted additive manufacturing processes
Design, Simulation, and Engineering
Design, Simulation, and Engineering
design and layout of complex structural components

design of material- and load path-appropriate load introduction elements and joining technologies

coupled process-structure simulation and holistic optimization, including machine learning and stochastic modeling

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Our Equipment

The division's equipment enables the development of new polymers as well as the calculation, design, simulation, and characterization of entire components.

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Pilot plants
pilot plant reactor for polymer synthesis up to 20 liters

horizontal and vertical impregnation lines for prepreg production (40 to 800 mm width)

coating of carrier materials

automated Fiber Placement-production complex: Slitting, Rewinding, 3D-Legetechnologie

autoclaves: up to 250 °C, 15 bar, d ≤ 1000 mm / l ≤ 2000 mm

press technologies: ≤ 450 °C, ≤1500 x 1500 mm², ≤1200 kN

compounding: twin screw extruder Haake D 14 mm and 20 mm, max. torque: 1.1 Nm, max speed 150 min-1 max. feed rate for powder 7.5 kg/h, max. feed rate for pellets: 14 kg/h; laboratory compounder Collin ZK 25 E x 42 L/D, twin screw extruder diameter 25 mm, length 42 D; torque max. 70 Nm, speed 460 min-1, max. output 50 kg/h; Boston Matthews single-screw extruder, screw diameter 60 mm; L/D = 25 :1, up to 380 °C, cooling section 5.00 m; Collin Teach Line single-screw extruder: 3.5 kg/h, max. speed 180 min-1; Kneader: up to 2.5 L, up to 200 °C, 0 to 3 bar absolute;
Three-roll mill with temperature-controlled (10 - 70 °C) SiC rolls, gap or force control

compounding: Haake D 14 mm and 20 mm twin screw extruders, max. torque: 1.1 Nm, max. speed 150 min-1 max. output for powder 7.5 kg/h, max. output for pellets: 14 kg/h; Collin ZK 25 E x 42 L/D laboratory compounder, twin screw extruder diameter 25 mm, length 42 D; torque max. 70 Nm, speed 460 min-1, max. output 50 kg/h; Boston Matthews single-screw extruder, screw diameter 60 mm; L/D = 25 :1, up to 380 °C, cooling section 5.00 m; Collin Teach Line single-screw extruder: 3.5 kg/h, max. speed 180 min-1; Kneader: up to 2.5 L, up to 200 °C, 0 to 3 bar absolute

three-roll mill with temperature-controlled (10 - 70 °C) SiC rolls, gap or force control

injection molding technologies: 2K/650 kN, 3K/1200 kN

microwave (8 m³ microwave oven and continuous microwave system), incl. dielectric spectroscopy

UV curing (mercury vapor lamps and UV LED systems)
Workshop/Fiber Composite Lab
water jet cutting machine

CNC milling machine

Resin Transfer Molding

1K und 2K dispensing systems

painting chamber

pressure pot

desiccator

stereomicroscope

air circulation and curing oven ENA 430/500/18: 20 - 500 °C, 600 mm x 600 mm x 1200 mm (W x D x H)

chamber furnace Heraeus K1253: 1150 °C, 545 mm x 230 mm x 275 mm (W x D x H)

Stud welder AS ISO 66

cacuum pumps: min. final pressure: 1.5 mbar, max. flow rate: 4.02 m³/h

wet cutting device ATIKA ST 300 with diamond cutting disk
Analytics and characterization
mechanical test benches

differential scanning calorimetry (DSC)

FTIR/Raman/TGA coupled with FTIR microscope

digital microscope

rheometer

optical Crack Tracing (OCT)

UV/VIS-spectrometer

dynamic Mechanical Analysis (DMA)

nano-TMA/TGA/DVS - Variable Temperature Ellipsometry (VTE)

climatic chambers and UV irradiation for environmental simulations

ultrasound

computed Tomography (CT)
Brand lab
cone calorimeter according to ISO 5660-1 - essential part of the rail vehicle standard EN 45545-2 as well as simulation possibility of the single burning item and room corner test as a preliminary evaluation for the building material classification according to EN 13501

oxygen index (LOI) according to DIN EN ISO 4589

test device in accordance with UL94

small burner test in accordance with e.g. FAR 25.853 (aviation)
Films and surfaces
spin Coater

laminar Flow Box

glove Box

refractive index, layer thicknesses, attenuation, birefringence and thermo-optical coefficient

contact-angle

Werzalit test

permeation of water vapor

torsion pendulum
Chemical laboratories
synthesis from laboratory scale to 20 L reactor

cryogenic mill

vibrating mill

Schlenk-Line

laboratory reactor up to 100 bar
Simulation
CAE software for end-to-end process and structure simulation

Machine Learning

CAD software

FEM software

simulation of electromagnetic fields