Fraunhofer IPA showcases digital electroplating at SurfaceTechnology Germany 2026
How digitalization can make electroplating processes more stable, efficient and sustainable will be the focus of Fraunhofer IPA's presence at SurfaceTechnology Germany 2026, alongside damage analysis and process optimization.
At SurfaceTechnology Germany 2026, the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation IPA will be demonstrating under the motto "Schicht happens" ("Shift happens") that industrial electroplating processes can be made more stable, efficient and sustainable if they are properly digitalized and networked. With data analyses, intelligent measuring systems and end-to-end process chains, the institute develops electroplating processes and supports coating companies as a partner in the digital transformation. Fraunhofer IPA's trade fair presence will focus on solutions that actually work in practice. Small and medium-sized electroplating companies in particular benefit from structured data acquisition, modeling and simulation through to process monitoring and implementation on an industrial scale in the IPA's own electroplating pilot plant. At the trade fair stand, Katja Feige, Head of the Functional Coatings and Analytics research team, and Klaus Schmid, Head of the Coating Systems and Application Technology research team, will be demonstrating how process windows can be secured, deviations detected at an early stage and process data used in a targeted manner. They will also provide information on specific cooperation models for electroplating companies looking to enter the digital transformation.
Failure analysis in surface technology
Delamination, corrosion and wear are among the most common types of damage in surface technology and present companies with considerable economic challenges. Fraunhofer IPA supports affected companies with chemical, metallographic and physical analysis - combined with in-depth electroplating expertise. Neutral, independent and practice-oriented, the researchers systematically identify causes and derive reliable remedial measures. At Surface Technology Germany 2026, visitors will learn how targeted damage analyses help to avoid complaints, stabilize processes and ensure the quality of electroplated coatings in the long term.
Lectures by the Fraunhofer IPA at SurfaceTechnology
Fraunhofer IPA will be presenting a total of five specialist lectures on all three days of the trade fair at the Surface Technology Germany 2026 specialist forum: Klaus Schmid will kick things off on May 5 at 2:00 p.m. with a presentation on the opportunities, solutions and risks of digitally supported electroplating production. This will be followed on May 6 at 13:00 by Stefan Kölle with a presentation on iridium-reduced anode catalysts for PEM water electrolysis and Carsten Glanz at 13:20 on surface treatment and coating technology for electrodes of current and future energy storage systems. Klaus Schmid will speak on May 6 at 2 p.m. on the electrodeposition of lithium for lithium-sulphur batteries. Peter Schwanzer will conclude the event on May 7 at 10:00 a.m. with an overview of applications, opportunities and trends in digital electroplating technology. Fraunhofer IPA will be exhibiting at SurfaceTechnology Germany 2026 at the joint WOTech stand in Hall 1, Stand H18.
Contact details and information on the companies and institutions presented here can be found in our interactive surface technology industry directory.