As one of about 1,200 exhibitors, the Institute of Materials Science at Hof University of Applied Sciences (ifm) went to the JEC World 2023 trade fair in Paris for the first time at the end of April. The aim was to make itself known further on an international level – around 50 countries took part – and to keep an eye out for new project partners. JEC World is a leading trade fair in the field of composites – according to its own statement “the place to be” for composites professionals from all over the world.
“We were guests at the Bayern Innovativ booth,” said Alexandra Luft, who also praised the booth’s good placement at the fair. As special eye-catchers, the Hof team had various fiber preforms with them. These are textile structures that are subsequently impregnated with resins and used as structural components. They also brought along parts made of composite materials, such as round-needled tubes made of C/Si and oxide braided structures, both suitable for use in high-temperature applications. The Hof Institute has recently expanded its research expertise and purposefully developed great expertise in braiding. The reason is simple: this technique is increasingly being used in ultralight construction, a future topic in the materials sector.
Many project partners visited the Hofer at their booth, Luft continues, and at the same time the team was able to make many new contacts with international companies and research institutes.
A great success, just as we had imagined for our first JEC!”
Alexandra Luft, Research Group Leader Innovative Textiles
Eva Paulack from the Fraunhofer Institute for Silicate Research (ISC), which conducts research closely with ifm, and Professor Claus-Ekkehard Koukal, also from ifm, agreed that the fair was successful: “Many are interested in working with us,” says the nonwovens expert, and his colleague adds, “We even received invitations to Korea and to Greece, so we can continue to expand our network.” The first invitations had already been received when the team returned from Paris.
