Fraunhofer Institute for Material and Beam Technology IWSDemoPath – Transfer Pathway to Strengthen the Supplier Industry for Dual-Use Manufacturing in the Context of E-Mobility and Security
Objective
The production of defense-related goods is currently characterized by critical dependencies on a small number of manufacturers and highly specialized single-use production facilities. At the same time, the European Union has identified the expansion of production capacities for large-caliber ammunition as a strategic priority. Despite initiatives such as the Act in Support of Ammunition Production (ASAP), significant supply gaps remain.
Against this backdrop, the project aims to demonstrate the transfer of manufacturing technologies from automotive mass production to the production of defense-related components. The focus is on developing a smart production concept for dual-use manufacturing that leverages existing manufacturing infrastructure in the automotive industry. The use of established, highly automated manufacturing methods is intended to enable decentralized production that can be rapidly scaled up as needed, thereby reducing production risks and strengthening industrial resilience. This is based on an analysis of Saxony’s automotive industry to identify suitable production lines and technologies with high transfer potential.
Result
As a demonstrator, the project involves the fabrication of a thick-walled welded steel body with localized copper cladding using the manufacturing processes of laser welding and laser direct cladding. The project demonstrates that established manufacturing technologies from the automotive industry can be successfully transferred to defense-related applications and that existing production infrastructures can be adapted for dual-use applications with manageable effort. This creates the conditions for flexible, decentralized, and scalable manufacturing that can relieve pressure on the defense industry in the event of a crisis while simultaneously strengthening the resilience of Saxony as an industrial hub. Fraunhofer IWS assumes the role of technology integrator and transfer accelerator by promoting cross-industry knowledge transfer between the automotive and defense sectors and supporting the transition of innovative manufacturing technologies into industrial practice.