Profile
The Aachen Center for Integrative Lightweight Production
The Aachen Center for Integrative Lightweight Production, or AZL, of RWTH Aachen University was established in 2012.
The founders are Prof. Dr.-Ing. Christian Hopmann, head of the Institute of Plastic Processing IKV, and Prof. Dr.-Ing. Christian Brecher, ordinary Professor at the Laboratory for Machine Tools and Production WZL of RWTH Aachen University as well as Director of the Department for Production Machines at the Fraunhofer Institute for Production Technology IPT.
In the research of lightweight design and production the isolated investigation of individual manufacturing processes raises out to be no longer sufficient.
The reasons are:
- strong interactions of the sub-processes of a production chain
- increasing demand for multi-material systems, whose production requires an integrated approach across the entire value chain
Objectives
The objective of the Aachen Center for Integrative Lightweight Production is the transformation of lightweight design in mass production. This requires strict interdisciplinary collaboration between the material science and production technology which will be carried out by the lightweight activities of the RWTH Aachen University.
Competencies
At the Campus Melaten of RWTH Aachen University all needed competencies of the whole value chain are available in walking distance.
Over 700 scientists work on production technologies, lightweight materials and applications at the Campus Melaten.
In addition to the existing excellence in production technology at RWTH Aachen University this combination and range of competencies for lightweight design is unique.