Hoverlight Revolutionary Damping Technology for Machine Tools

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Fraunhofer-Institut für Werkzeugmaschinen und Umformtechnik IWU

Taiwan Machine Tool & Accessory Builders' Association (TMBA)

SIMTOS (Seoul International Machine Tool Show)

The Fraunhofer Institutes IWU and IFAM have achieved a breakthrough in materials research with Hoverlight, a composite material that sets new standards in machine tool design.

Thanks to the combination of aluminum foam and particle-filled hollow spheres, Hoverlight achieves an unprecedented mix of properties comprising lightness, rigidity and vibration damping. In a joint project with an industrial partner, it has now been proven for the first time that Hoverlight dampens vibrations in series machines by a factor of three. And that with a weight saving of 20 percent compared to the original assembly.

Lighter, more precise—the advantages of Hoverlight

Hoverlight is a composite of metal foam and hollow spheres and can act as the core of sandwiches. The sandwich principle results in a considerable reduction in weight, while the Hoverlight core guarantees a high level of damping: the aluminum foam with the integrated hollow spheres dampens vibrations significantly more than previously used material composites. This leads to greater precision in machining and a longer service life for the machine. The sandwich design also enables considerable weight savings to be made—allowing for more dynamic machining processes. Hoverlight can be adapted to the specific requirements of different applications.

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Successful use in practice

In a joint project with the Chiron Group SE, Hoverlight has already been successfully used in the crossbeam of a milling machine. The results are impressive:

• Weight reduction of 20 percent: The cross member made of Hoverlight is significantly lighter than the comparable assembly made of conventional materials.

• Significantly higher damping: Vibration damping has been increased threefold, resulting in greater precision and a longer tool life.

• Increased productivity: Thanks to the higher speed and precision, machines equipped with Hoverlight cross beams can produce more parts in less time.

Dr. Jörg Hohlfeld, responsible for the Metal Foam research department at Fraunhofer IWU: "With Hoverlight, we have developed a material that pushes the boundaries of what is feasible in vibration damping. We resolve the conflicting objectives that arise from the actually contradictory requirements of a rigid design for modern machine tools, lighter moving assemblies and effective vibration damping."

In machine tools, all moving assemblies are predestined for the use of Hoverlight, for example the machine slides. However, there are also numerous conceivable applications outside of mechanical engineering - where lightness, rigidity and precision are particularly important.

• Robot arms designed in sandwich construction would benefit from high rigidity with low mass, as lower weight allows higher speeds and accelerations;

• Stiffening structures made of aluminum foam are already used in crash structures of series-produced automobiles, but without particle-filled hollow spheres, whose primary task is to reduce vibrations. Foam structures are sufficient for energy absorption;

• For rail vehicles, wall and floor elements are suitable for the use of Hoverlight; in the Beijing subway, the floor panels are designed as sandwiches with an aluminum foam core—for better damping at a lower weight;

• Servers and high-performance computers require lightweight and rigid enclosures to ensure stability and heat dissipation while dampening vibrations;

• Medical technology applications such as MRI or ultrasound devices rely on lightweight and rigid designs; this is the only way to guarantee precise measurements and minimize vibrations that impair image quality.

Next goal: attractive manufacturing costs

The researchers are continuously working on further developing Hoverlight and expanding its range of applications. The aim is to adapt the properties of the composite material to the requirements of other applications and to reduce its manufacturing costs through industrialized processes. The production of hollow spheres is complex, energy-intensive and not yet reproducible. One promising approach is to replace hollow spheres with metallic blisters that are easier and therefore cheaper to produce—as in drug packaging. The Fraunhofer team is confident that it will be possible to achieve significant cost improvements in just a few years.

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