Latest News

New Projects and News

 

New Project / 26.09.2025

Simulation Sheet Molding Compounds

More stable, lighter, more efficient – the quality of the component is determined during the pressing process. With fiber-reinforced plastics such as SMC, fiber orientation is crucial. Our new simulation technology predicts this precisely and with CT analyses and material optimization, creates the basis for lightweight, robust and resource-saving components.

 

Press Release / 28.08.2025

Digital Solutions for the Plastics and Rubber Industry

We present our technologies and software solutions for the plastics and rubber industry at K 2025 in Düsseldorf from October 8 to 15, 2025. At the joint Fraunhofer booth, the researchers showcase their latest developments in digital material simulation, quality assurance and process optimization.

 

Press Release / 02.04.2025

Getting More Out of the Battery with Simulations

At the Battery Show from June 3 to 5, our scientists present innovations for electromobility: their research focuses on battery behavior during charging and discharging, the optimization of battery production and the aging of batteries.

 

Interview / 26.11.2024

Innovative Simulation Tools for Optimizing Foam Production

Dr. Konrad Steiner, Head of the »Flow and Material Simulation« department, talks about our FOAM simulation tool in an interview. The department will be at Foam Expo Europe from December 3 to 5, 2024, presenting our products and research into foam production for lightweight construction.

 

News / 18.11.2024

New Simulation Solution for Batteries

Hexagon has launched a new battery cell design solution that combines our battery simulation tool (BEST) with Hexagon's multiphysics material simulation and measurement software. This virtual solution has considerable cost and productivity advantages. 

 

Press Release / 17.10.2024

Digital Twins for Filtration

At FILTECH 2024 in Cologne from November 12 to 14, 2024, Dr. Ralf Kirsch and his team will be presenting innovative approaches to the simulation-based improvement of filter technology.

The focus will be on the challenge of designing digital twins in separation technology more comprehensively by considering the entire process chain. 

 

Press Release / 14.06.2024

Fraunhofer ITWM at the »Battery Show Europe 2024« in Stuttgart

Battery simulation has been a focus of research at our institute for many years. Quality control has recently been added to this area of research. The focus here is on electrodes and their conductive properties. At the leading trade fair »Battery Show Europe« in Stuttgart, experts will be presenting these innovations in Hall 9 at Booth B85.

 

Annual Report 2023/24

The highlight projects from our department in the current annual report can be downloaded here as a PDF:

Events

 

Fraunkfurt am Main / Fair / 18.11. – 21.11.2025

Formnext 2025

The annual »Formnext« is an additive manufacturing trade fair and international showcase for the latest solutions along the entire industrial 3D printing process chain.

Our colleagues from the »Processes and Materials« division are at our joint booth this year with an exhibit featuring the »ProgMatCode« software presentation and 3D-printed demonstrators.

 

Freiheitshalle Hof / Conference/Exhibition / 05.11 – 06.11.2025

38th Hofer Nonwovens Days 2025

This year's symposium will feature 22 specialist presentations on innovative developments in the nonwovens industry, with a focus on energy efficiency, the circular economy and sustainability. Colleagues from the »Processes and Materials« department will be represented with a stand on site.

 

Düsseldorf / Fair / 08.10. – 15.10.2025

K – The International Trade Fair for Innovations in the Plastics and Rubber Industry 2025

Our experts from the »Flow and Material Simulation«, »Materials Characterization and Testing« and »Transport Processes« present their research on site.

 

Mainz / Conference / 23.06.2025 – 26.06.2025

AABC Europe 2025

The »Advanced Automotive Battery Conference Europe« brings together experts in battery technology and suppliers. The event offers insights into development trends, technologies and market forecasts, particularly in the context of the electrification of vehicles and eMobility. Our experts from the »Flow and Material Simulation« department are on site with presentations on battery simulation.

Vacancies

Scientific Staff, Project Manager, Software Developer

If you are interested in solving interesting, up-to-date modeling and simulation tasks for complex technical-scientific questions in the industrial environment, you should contact us.

In current projects with the industry, we are concerned with the flow-dynamic design of filter materials and filter systems, the simulation-based development of fuel cell and battery materials and the thermomechanical behavior of modern composite and hybrid materials.

They work on the latest developments in the efficient numerical treatment of multiscale models for the virtual design of materials and products and can contribute to the development of user-friendly simulation tools.

From all applicants, we expect confident handling of modern programming languages, preferably C ++, interest or experience in software development and object-oriented software design as well as good German and English language skills.

 

Doctoral Candidates

The department »Flow and Material Simulation«  enables to graduate in a variety of interesting fields of application:

  • AI-assisted multi-scale framework for optimal infiltration of fiber-reinforced composites
  • Asymptotic analysis and simulation-based design of additively manufactured material structures and technical textiles
  • Deep Material Networks for multi-scale simulation of composites and metamaterials
  • End-to-end modeling and simulation of the production and application behavior of foams as damping or insulation materials
  • Data-supported multi-scale modeling, simulation and optimisation of apparatus and processes in separation technology (filtration, separation, treatment)
  • Highly efficient battery simulation models for the regional, usage-dependent online prediction of energy requirements of electric vehicles

More information can be found here.

 

Graduate Assistant

In addition, our department has interesting tasks for scientific assistants from the main study course in mathematics, engineering sciences or physics. Expect basic knowledge and interest in computational simulation and / or programming competency.

 

The remuneration takes place after consultation.