IWF, TU Braunschweig

The Institute for Machine Tools and Manufacturing Technology (IWF) is jointly headed by Prof. Dr.-Ing. Klaus Dröder and Prof. Dr.-Ing. Christoph Herrmann. They hold the professorships for Manufacturing Technologies & Process Automation and Sustainable Production & Life Cycle Engineering.

The Chair of Sustainable Production & Life Cycle Engineering of Prof. Dr.-Ing. Christoph Herrmann pursues a systematic approach to the design of products and processes according to sustainable development (technical-economic and ecological). Research focuses on technologies as well as (digital) methods and tools to increase energy and resource efficiency and to close material cycles. Design approaches focus on the optimization of (sub)systems of a factory: from individual machines and process chains, technical building equipment to production systems and their embedding in the urban context. Furthermore, the research aims at minimizing costs and environmental impacts along the entire product life cycle as well as at the optimized design of superordinate, complex systems of systems, which are characterized by an intelligent networking of products, machines and plants with their environment.