Fraunhofer ILT – for 40 years this abbreviation has stood for bundled know-how in the field of laser technology.
With more than 550 employees, more than 19,500 m² net floor space, and more than 40 spin-offs, the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT is one of the world’s most important contract research and development institutes in laser development and laser applications.
Innovative solutions for manufacturing and production tasks, the development of new technical components, competent consultation and education, highly specialised personnel, state-of-the-art technology, and international references guarantee long-term partnerships.
The Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT has numerous customers in industries such as automotive and mechanical engineering, chemistry and electrical engineering, aircraft construction, precision mechanics, medical technology, and optics.
Developing laser technology for advanced manufacturing
Our core competencies include the development of new laser beam sources and components, laser measurement and testing technology, and laser manufacturing technology. This includes cutting, ablation, drilling, welding, and soldering, as well as surface treatment, micromanufacturing, and additive manufacturing.
The areas of application for laser beam sources and processes include production and metrology, energy and mobility, medical and environmental technology, and quantum technology.
Together with excellent partners from German and international research and industry, Fraunhofer ILT develops, for example, laser transmitters for satellite-based measurement systems for climate research or frequency converters for a fibre-based quantum internet.
More generally, Fraunhofer ILT addresses issues of digitalisation in photonics and production technology, process monitoring and control, simulation and modelling, AI in laser technology, and the entire field of system technology.
Fusion energy advancements
In the field of fusion energy, Fraunhofer ILT is working on high-performance optics, modelling, and design of efficient high-energy beam sources, including next-generation pump sources based on high-power diodes, additive manufacturing of target capsules, and high-temperature first wall and reactor components.
The range of services includes feasibility studies, process qualification, and customer-specific integration of laser processes into the given production line.
Fraunhofer ILT is integrated into the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, one of the leading research institutions in Germany. It has 76 institutes, around 32,000 employees, and an annual research volume of €3.4 billion.
