Fraunhofer - a synonym for applied research in the Federal Republic of Germany

To promote the application of new technologies in german industry is one task of the Fraunhofer-Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation (IPA) in Stuttgart, as the largest of the 35 research institutes of the FHG, is concerned with the organizational and technological problems in the manufacturing sector of industrial undertakings. In this institute, methods, components and devices, as well as entire machines and plants are developed, tested, and installed. Most of these projects are carried out under contract with industrial firms. An example for IPA's research and development activities is the world's largest robot. One of its multiple applications is the maintenance of large aircraft (project "sky wash"). For its various research activities, IPA maintains a lot of special equipment including laboratories for industrial robot development and application, CIM technologies and flexible manufacturing systems, coordinate measurement technology, and several other areas.