Hand in hand: IHK Kassel-Marburg and University of Kassel

On April 12, 2022, Dr. Baunack, scientific assistant at the Institute of Materials Engineering at the University of Kassel (Department of Metallic Materials, Prof. Dr.-Ing. Thomas Niendorf) was sworn in as a publicly appointed and sworn expert for examinations and failure analyses in welding and materials engineering by Dr. Arnd Klein-Zirbes (Chief Executive Officer of the Chamber of Industry and Commerce  Kassel-Marburg). During his speech, Dr. Klein-Zirbes pointed out how important it is, especially in these troubled times, to continue networking science and industry in order to be able to guarantee safety and progress in the future. The university and the IHK cooperate on many levels. For example, the Institute of Materials Technology regularly holds advanced training courses for industry-relevant topics related to materials technology and, not infrequently, joining technology. Prof. Niendorf, Head of the Department of Metallic Materials, reports: "The cooperation with the IHK is of particular importance to us, because the joint events enable students to gain knowledge of local industry issues while they are still studying.  Based on these issues, students can then choose the subjects they want to specialize in during their studies and formulate theses or even work on scientific projects such as FAMOUS - Functional Additive Manufacturing of Unprecedented Structures.

Welding technology is an interdisciplinary science in which different institutes, such as the Institute of Materials Technology, work together with the Institute of Production Technology and Logistics. According to the head of the Department of Separating and Joining Manufacturing Processes, Prof. Böhm, "In the immediate vicinity, there is a particular density of companies that join high-strength materials (fine-grain steel or hardened aluminum alloys) by welding due to Kassel's industrial history. As the strength increases, so does the complexity of the joining process. Thus, Dr. Baunack as an expert complements the networking between the IHK, the University of Kassel and the local industry excellently".