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New SCALE research building at LUH: A milestone for production technology!
Leibniz University Hannover will inaugurate the new research building SCALE on March 4, 2025 to research innovative production techniques.
New SCALE research building at LUH: A milestone for production technology!
On March 4, 2025, the new research building SCALE was ceremoniously inaugurated on the mechanical engineering campus of Leibniz University Hannover (LUH). The opening marks an important step in research into novel manufacturing methods. The total investment for the project amounts to 49.6 million euros, half of which was financed by the state of Lower Saxony and the federal government.
The groundbreaking ceremony for the construction project took place in December 2019. The new building is scheduled to be completed by the end of 2023, although final commissioning can only take place after the large equipment planned for the building has been installed. The net floor area of the research building is approximately 7,700 square meters and offers space for up to 150 researchers, including scientists, technical staff and student assistants.
Architecture and equipment of the research building
The research building contains two outer halls, each with an area of 1,125 square meters and a height of ten meters, which are available under the crane hook. The middle part of the hall is five meters high and offers space for mobile robots that can process XXL components. A total of eleven large devices are housed here, including a scalable servo press and mobile production robots. This equipment enables innovative research projects to be carried out.
The ground floor of the building consists of research halls, laboratories, changing rooms and a parent-child office to meet the needs of all employees. On the second floor there is an open-plan office in which almost 100 researchers can work in an interdisciplinary manner. In addition, office space for technical staff is available on the first floor.
Research priorities and goals
SCALE focuses on researching production techniques that are independent of component sizes. Particular attention is paid to the entire life cycle of components produced on a scale-independent basis, including the development phases of manufacturing processes through to process design, control and recycling. The focus here is on ecological and economic efficiency.
These research objectives are in line with the concepts of Fraunhofer IPA, which highlights the importance of sustainable business in companies. Taking economic, ecological and social aspects into account makes it possible not only to meet current needs, but also to assume responsibility for future generations.
Overall, the new SCALE research building creates a platform for innovative research that addresses both local and global challenges in the manufacturing industry. The synergistic collaboration of research teams at this modern location is expected to provide new impetus in production technology, which is of central importance for both companies and society.