Fraunhofer IST: Simulation as a digital tool for process development
Simulations should make industrial process development easier: The Fraunhofer Institute for Surface Engineering and Thin Films (IST) is already using them for thin-film technologies, such as low-pressure plasmas and gas flows in PVD coating processes.
Whether in vacuum coating or water treatment, simulations are indispensable tools for research and development. They make it possible to reduce the number of physical tests, make processes more efficient and save valuable resources. Until now, however, their use has mostly been reserved for specialized experts. The Fraunhofer IST will fundamentally change this - with a new approach that takes simulation out of the expert niche and transfers it directly into industrial practice.
Simulation for vacuum coating and thin films
"We want to take simulation out of the realm of experts and integrate it directly into development practice," explains Dr. Dennis Barton, Simulation Team Leader at the Fraunhofer IST. The aim is to provide people from design and development with a sound basis for decision-making without them having to delve deep into the complexity of numerical modeling. The institute is already using a PICMC/DSMC code developed in-house and established among experts to simulate low-pressure plasmas and gas flows in PVD coating processes. The models provide important information on gas separation factors, target burn-off and coating thickness profiles. This is supplemented by methods such as computational fluid dynamics (CFD), which are used in the design of electrolyte reactors or dryer constructions, for example.
Fraunhofer IST simplifies industrial simulation processes
In the future, the Fraunhofer IST wants to further simplify access to simulation methods - with a growing team, intelligent data strategies and the integration of artificial intelligence. Machine learning methods and large language models will help to make simulation-based decisions accessible to non-experts. Digital twins, systematic data management and networked sensor technology play a central role here. The institute is also focusing on promoting future specialists. In his course Modeling Methods in Surface Technology at the Technical University of Braunschweig, Barton teaches the necessary skills: "Simulation requires a mindset of its own - an understanding of when a model is good enough, what computing capacities are available and how results can be compared with reality."