The Institute of Lightweight Engineering and Polymer Technology (ILK) carries out extensive research and development projects in the field of load-conform lightweight structures and systems.  Such projects are based on a cross-material, cross-product approach which deals with the entire “material, design, simulation, assembly, prototype testing, cost” value chain. In keeping with the Institute’s philosophy of “one-stop lightweight engineering solutions”, the team at ILK covers a diverse range of specializations and skills.

In accordance with the both nationally and internationally established Dresden Model of “Function-Integrating Lightweight Engineering in Multi-Material Design”, the ILK demonstrates its expertise in the constant development of lightweight products made of modern fibre-reinforced composite materials with a high degree of function integration.

Beyond this, the ILK aims at developing design rules and optimization criteria for lightweight components, especially for high-performance purposes. Here, a special focus is set on multi-material design. For the calculation and simulation of lightweight structures under static and dynamic (crash) loads, specially developed software tools based on analytical methods are applied as well as commercially available FEA software systems.

Another major research area of the ILK is the development of innovative material concepts with high lightweight potential (e. g. textile-reinforced composites, hybrid composites, metal matrix composites) substantiated with appropriate strategies for design and engineering.

Many employees are selected from the pool of around 80 students who graduate from the unique degree course in Lightweight Engineering each year. Consequently, the annual conference Dresdner Leichtbausymposium, which is hosted by the ILK in June every year, has become established as a well-known meeting point all over the lightweight structures engineering industry.