Project LaBrAl

Laser Cladding of Bronze on Aluminium for bi-metal lightweight parts

[Translate to English:] Graphische Darstellung der Projektziele

The aim of the research project is to develop innovative bimetallic materials made of aluminium and bronze for the manufacture of plain bearings in the aerospace industry. These components can reduce the weight of aircraft, leading to a significant reduction in kerosene consumption and CO₂ emissions during operation. A weight reduction of just 10 kilograms per aircraft could result in annual savings of up to 1 million tonnes of CO₂ worldwide.

The focus is on developing a new manufacturing process in which aluminium is used instead of steel as the base material for highly stressed components such as plain bearings in engine and hydraulic systems. The use of aluminium offers the advantage of lower weight, but coating the material places special demands on the manufacturing process used. The project aims to optimise laser cladding, also known as direct energy deposition (DED), for coating aluminium with bronze. As part of the project, a high-precision bronze coating is applied to the aluminium base body. To achieve this, powder materials, coating technologies and heat treatment processes must be optimised in order to produce high-performance coatings. In order to achieve the project goals, c In order to achieve the project goals, the research partner HAW Kiel is working closely with the three industrial partners Kugler Bimetal SA, Schlenk Metallic Pigments GmbH and Schmelzmetall Deutschland GmbH.

The project thus makes an important contribution to the development of sustainable and energy-efficient technologies for the transport sector, supporting the global goal of reducing CO₂ emissions and creating more environmentally friendly mobility solutions.