More efficient and more sustainable manufacturing methods for large components used in wind turbines, aircrafts, or ships: Approximately 160 members of staff of Leibniz University Hannover (LUH) will focus on this highly relevant topic within the scope of their work in the new research building "SCALE - Tomorrow''s Scalable Production Systems". Today, the construction project has been launched with a ground-breaking ceremony held on Campus Maschinenbau in Garbsen.
"The SCALE research building will bring together academic expertise in the field of scalable production in mechanical engineering, information technology, and operations management", said Björn Thümler, Minister of Science and Culture of Lower Saxony, during the event. "The new building in the immediate vicinity of Hannover Centre for Production Technology will enable us to boost the strengths of these research areas. This will be particularly beneficial for Lower Saxony''s profile as a science location."
Prof. Dr. Volker Epping, President of Leibniz University Hannover, was delighted about the launch of the construction project: "The research building will promote top-level research at our university in an exemplary manner. Even though it will be based at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, the association with the Faculty of Civil Engineering and Geodetic Science, the Faculty of Economics and Management, and the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science will actively encourage interdisciplinary exchange and create excellent synergies throughout our university."
The new research building will be located in the immediate vicinity of the Hannover Centre for Production Technology (PZH) at Leibniz University Hannover, between PZH and Bremer Straße. Following the implementation of the building site, construction work will begin in spring 2020 (general contractor: HENN Architekten Berlin). Costs for constructing and configuring the large-scale devices will amount to 49.6 million euros, half of which will be provided by the State of Lower Saxony with the remainder being covered by the Federal Government. Construction work is scheduled to be completed in 2022.
The usable area comprises 7,000 square metres (including workshop area) and will accommodate eleven large-scale devices such as a mobile servo press line, mounting platforms, indoor laser GPS, or a multiaxial dynamic load test rig. A central workshop measuring ten metres in height as well as the laboratory spaces of the building will enable researchers to work on large-format components. To date, many manufacturing processes for large components are increasingly limited due to the scale of the machines used for manufacturing. Increasing the size of components therefore requires new manufacturing concepts as well as new machines. The SCALE research building will not focus on manufacturing specific individual components but rather on developing and exploring generally applicable manufacturing methods and process chains to facilitate production irrespective of size and units, as well as in an environmentally and economically efficient manner. The intention is to increase efficiency while reducing capital expenditure. In addition, researchers will be investigating closed materials cycles in order promote comprehensive recycling schemes.
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For further information, please contact Mechtild Freiin v. Münchhausen, head of Communications and Marketing and spokesperson of Leibniz University Hannover (Tel. +49 511 762 5342, Email kommunikation@uni-hannover.de).
