Kategorie: Batch #4

HyBird develops and manufactures semi-autonomous electric cargo aircraft that enable express courier and specialist logistics companies to offer their end customers simple, fast, cost-effective and sustainable transport solutions. End customers can use the aircraft to transport cargo weighing up to 150 kg over distances of up to 2,000 km. These flight capabilities are made possible by the use of a plug-in hybrid system, which allows the aircraft to fly up to 300 km purely on electric power and thus with high efficiency. At the same time, a generator can be switched on, which increases the range and makes the aircraft independent of the charging infrastructure. The goods transported include (spare) parts for mining, industry and agriculture, as well as medical and humanitarian supplies.

Hydrogenea develops and manufactures innovative membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) for the next generation of fuel cells and electrolysers, enabling maximum service life and efficiency whilst reducing the consumption of scarce resources. As the basis for the catalyst layer, Hydrogenea develops and synthesises long-term stable carbon nanomaterials onto which catalyst material is continuously deposited via electroplating. Compared to conventional products, Hydrogenea’s MEAs are up to 20% more efficient and have a 10 times longer service life. Thanks to a unique fully continuous roll-to-roll system, the process can be scaled up easily.

Leitspalt has developed a novel technology for the thermal management of electric vehicle batteries, which enables battery packs to be constructed differently and thereby alleviates various limitations of current electric cars, such as fast charging, range, cost, weight, safety and recycling. Leitspalt uses specialised support structures that can be manufactured using established production processes such as extrusion. A key cornerstone of the technology is an automated, digital pre-design and optimisation process that relies on reduced-scale physical models and enables an agile approach to meeting customer requirements.

LymphDot is developing a medical device for physiotherapy that features a specialised motor system for automated lymphatic drainage, a dedicated sensor for measuring lymphatic flow, and bespoke software for data analysis and visualisation. The target groups are medical facilities such as physiotherapy practices, rehabilitation centres, oedema clinics and hospitals. LymphDot also addresses the market for immobility and metabolic issues, as well as the fields of sport, health promotion and cosmetics.

mechIC (Mechanical Integrated Circuits) develops micromechanical components that, much like electronic components, are interconnected within a network and implemented on a silicon chip. Applications include highly integrated sensor circuits for monitoring strain conditions and mechanical overloads. The mechanical components integrated into the sensors cover the entire measurement chain, from data acquisition through to the processing, selection and storage of selected strain values. The advantage of mechIC sensors over conventional electronic sensors is that they are self-powered, i.e. they operate without an external power supply and can be read externally via RFID.

MicroQuasar Technologies develops and manufactures efficient and sustainable plasma printing systems that enable surface modifications with a resolution at least 10 times higher than existing solutions using mask-free atmospheric pressure plasma. The technology, developed at the INP in Greifswald, requires less material than conventional coating and stripping methods, generates less waste, reduces operating costs and can be used for numerous applications in the life sciences, microfabrication and materials development. The technology can be used to process virtually any material that requires precise, high-resolution surface treatment.

OSPHIM, a spin-off from RWTH Aachen University, uses AI to optimise the set-up process for injection moulding machines in the plastics processing industry. The platform developed by OSPHIM brings digital methods directly to the machine. This reduces the effort involved in set-up and supports machine operators in setting up and optimising processes. Data is captured directly at the machine via a small box and optimised on the associated platform – a plug-and-play solution that helps save a huge amount of time and plastic material.

The Bochum-based start-up RayVen (formerly HoLa) has developed a groundbreaking ultra-fast laser that emits at a wavelength of 2.1 µm. It has the potential to revolutionise material processing (polymers, semiconductors). The current market gap that has been identified lies in the volume modification of silicon, which represents a suitable alternative to photolithography for precise modifications down to the micrometre scale. Using this cutting-edge technology, complex microchannels can be etched to improve the cooling of next-generation stacked chips. RayVen is also exploring precision surgical applications as part of its long-term vision.

The Aachen-based start-up Regascold specialises in recycling high-quality cold energy stored in cryogenically liquefied gases such as LOX, LN2, LCO2 and LNG, and in future, green hydrogen and green methane. This cold energy, released during the regasification process, is fed into the customer’s cooling processes, thereby reducing the demand for electrical energy and, consequently, CO2 emissions and costs associated with conventional cooling. In addition to consumers of technical gases and cold energy in sectors such as the pharmaceutical, food and beverage, chemical and plastics processing industries, the electrical industry and the entire supply chain, LNG terminals are also a key focus due to their significant, untapped cold energy potential.

SLAPStack is a revolutionary operating system for autonomous ground-level block storage systems based on driverless forklift trucks. It integrates all necessary software components, such as control systems and warehouse management, with a simulation that accurately replicates the real-world system. SLAPStack acts as a higher-level system which, based on persistent data storage and using innovative algorithms and artificial intelligence, makes warehouse decisions – such as the choice of storage location – and transmits tasks to the forklift trucks. SLAPStack continuously controls, learns and optimises these warehouse strategies using simulation-based methods. The result is cost savings through an easily implementable, extremely efficient and adaptive warehouse system.