FRAUNHOFER-INSTITUTFÜRFERTIGUNGSTECHNIKUNDANGEWANDTEMATERIALFORSCHUNGIFAMPAINT/LACQUERTECHNOLOGY–FROMCOLORTOFUNCTIONINNOVATIVE,EXTENSIVEANDFOCUSEDKNOW-HOWPaints,lacquers,andfunctionalcoatingsarebecomingevermoreimportantforawiderangeofindustrialapplications.ThespecialdemandsandincreasingrequirementsbeingputonthequalityofsurfacesandcoatingsofsurfacesareconstantlypresentingR&Dexperts,manufacturers,anduserswithnewchallenges.Atthesametime,theexternalappliedR&Dworkforthedevelopmentofadvancedindustrialcoatingsys-temshasbecomeanindispensableservice.ThePaint/LacquerTechnologyworkgroupoftheFraunhoferInstituteforManufacturingTechnologyandAppliedMaterialsResearchIFAMistakingonthesechallengesandprovidesservicesonallissuesconcerningrawmaterialsforpaints/lac-quers,thedevelopmentofnewpaints,lacquersandfunctionalcoatings,andprocessengineering.TherangeofservicesofthePaint/LacquerTechnologyworkgroupalsoincludesthedevelopmentofguideformulations,thequalificationofcoatingmaterialsandprocesses,andsupportfortheapplicationofthematerials.AfeatureofthePaint/LacquerTechnologyworkgroupoftheFraunhoferIFAMisthehighnumberofscientistswhoworkthere.Thesespecialistsworkincollaborationwithcustomerstoachieveoptimalresults.Thepracticalfocusoftheworkandthein-depthscientificknow-howcoupledwithextensive,state-of-the-artequipmentandfacilitiesguaranteethatprojecttasksareunderstood,evaluatedandtranslatedintopractical,favorable-costsolutions.Fraunhofer-GesellschaftResearchofpracticalutilityliesattheheartofallactivitiespursuedbytheFraunhofer-Gesellschaft.Foundedin1949,theresearchorganizationunder-takesappliedresearchthatdriveseconomicdevelopmentandservesthewiderbenefitofsociety.Itsservicesaresolicitedbycustomersandcontrac-tualpartnersinindustry,theservicesectorandpublicadministration.Atpresent,theFraunhofer-Gesellschaftmaintainsmorethan80researchunitsinGermany,including59FraunhoferInstitutes.Themajorityofthe17,000staffarequalifiedscientistsandengineers,whoworkwithanannualresearchbudgetof€1.6billion.Ofthissum,morethan€1.3billionisgeneratedthroughcontractresearch.TwothirdsoftheFraunhofer-Gesellschaft’scontractresearchrevenueisderivedfromcontractswithindustryandfrompubliclyfinancedresearchprojects.OnlyonethirdiscontributedbytheGermanfederalandLändergovernmentsintheformofbasefunding,enablingtheinstitutestoworkaheadonsolutionstoproblemsthatwillnotbecomeacutelyrelevanttoindustryandsocietyuntilfiveortenyearsfromnow.Withitsclearlydefinedmissionofapplication-orientedresearchanditsfocusonkeytechnologiesofrelevancetothefuture,theFraunhofer-GesellschaftplaysaprominentroleintheGermanandEuropeaninnova-tionprocess.Appliedresearchhasaknock-oneffectthatextendsbeyondthedirectbenefitsperceivedbythecustomer:Throughtheirresearchanddevelopmentwork,theFraunhoferInstituteshelptoreinforcethecompetitivestrengthoftheeconomyintheirlocalregion,andthroughoutGermanyandEurope.FraunhoferIFAM–AdhesiveBondingTechnologyandSurfaces–Expertiseandknow-howTheDepartmentofAdhesiveBondingTechnologyandSurfacesattheFraunhoferInstituteforManufacturingTechnologyandAppliedMaterialsResearchisthelargestindependentresearchgroupinEuropeworkingintheareaofindustrialadhesivebondingtechnologyandhasaworkforceofmorethan210employees.TheR&Dactivitiesfocusonadhesivebondingtech-nology,aswellasplasmatechnologyandpaint/lacquertechnology.Theobjectiveistosupplyindustrywithapplication-orientedsystemsolutions.Multifunctionalproducts,lightweightdesign,andminiaturization–achievedviatheintelligentcombinationofmaterialsandjoiningtechniques–areopeningupnewopportunitieswhicharebeingexploitedbytheFraunhoferIFAM.Theactivitiesrangefromfundamentalresearchthroughtoproductionandthemarketintroductionofnewproducts.Industrialapplicationsaremainlyfoundincar,railvehicle,shipandaircraftmanufacture,plantconstruction,energytechnology,packagingsector,textileindustry,electronicsindustry,microsystemengineering,andmedicaltechnology.TheworkintheAdhesiveBondingTechnologybusinessunitinvolvesthedevelopmentandcharacterizationofadhesives,thedesignandsimulationofbonded,riveted,andhybridjoints,aswellasthecharacterization,testing,andqualificationofsuchjoints.Theplanningandautomationofindustrialadhesivebondingapplicationsarealsoundertaken.Furtherservicesincludeprocessreviewsandcertifiedtrainingcoursesinadhesivebondingtechnologyandfibercompositematerials.TheworkoftheSurfacesbusinessunitissubdividedintoplasmatechno-logyandpaint/lacquertechnology.Customizedsurfacemodification–forexamplesurfacepretreatmentpriortobonding/coatingandfunctionalcoatings–considerablyexpandtheindustrialusesofmanymaterials.TheAdhesionandInterfaceResearchbusinessunitisengaged,amongstotherthings,withtheearlydetectionofdegradationphenomena,thevalidationofagingtests,andinlinesurfacemonitoring.TheFraunhoferProjectGroupJoiningandAssemblyFFMoftheFraunhoferIFAMiscarryingoutground-breakingworkonlargecarbonfiberreinforcedplasticstructuresandisabletojoin,assemble,process,repair,andcarryoutnon-destructivetestsonlarge1:1scaleCFRPstructures.Thusclosingthegapbetweenthelaboratory/smallpilot-plantscaleandindustr